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Greek authorities have been sharply criticized by the Western Thrace Turkish minority on the arbitrary and discriminatory measures that target minority education in Western Thrace.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Mustafa Trampa, president of the Western Thrace Turkish minority advisory board and elected mufti, said that the Turkish minority primary school in the village of Mizanli remains closed despite having reached the required number of students for reopening. He noted that the refusal to reopen the school, along with new restrictions preventing members of the Iskeçe (Xanthi) Minority Middle and High School executive committee from entering their own school, reflected “a pattern of political obstruction and double standards.”
“Greece delivers new blows to minority education every day,” Trampa asserted.
“The Mizanli primary school, which operates under the protection of the Lausanne Treaty, was suspended three years ago due to low enrollment. This year, at least 10 parents officially applied to enroll their children, but the authorities rejected the request,’’ he said.
He described the decision as clearly violating the educational rights guaranteed under international agreements and demonstrated a political will to limit the autonomy of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
“While schools with only two or three Greek students across the country remain open, minority schools in Western Thrace are forced to close. This is an undeniable double standard,” Trampa added.
The mufti also criticized a new regulation that restricts members of minority school executive committees from entering school buildings.
“These committees are the lawful managers of the schools. They appoint teachers, pay their salaries, and cover all operational needs. Their authority derives directly from the Lausanne Treaty. There is no such prohibition in the treaty. This is an entirely arbitrary and politically motivated act.” he emphasized.
Trampa drew comparisons with Greek Orthodox minority schools in Istanbul, questioning whether similar restrictions were imposed there.
“If the Greek state applies limitations to minority administrators here, is the same being done for Greek schools in Türkiye?’’ underlining the equal reciprocity.
He warned that the ongoing pressure and uncertainty were discouraging parents from sending their children to minority schools, leading to declining enrollment.
Trampa also pointed out the psychological pressure of Greek educators that distances students from minority schools, stating that these are deliberate and systematic efforts rather than coincidences.
Ozan Ahmetoğlu, president of the Iskeçe (Xanthi) Minority Middle and High School executive committee, echoed Trampa’s concerns, calling the ministry’s entry ban “illegal and contrary to the spirit of the Lausanne Treaty.” He said their committee would continue its legal and democratic struggle to protect the educational rights of the Turkish minority in Greece.
Some 150,000 Muslim Turks in Western Thrace, economically one of the poorest in Greece, have long complained about deteriorating conditions. Seeing the community as a “hostage” of its ties with Türkiye, the Greek government has committed numerous breaches of its treaty obligations and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings over the years, including the closure of schools, the banning of Turkish-language education and refusing to legally allow the community to elect their religious leaders like muftis (Muslim clerics), which is also another treaty right.
