Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Kurtulmuş: We call on Greece to respect the will of the Western Thrace Turks

Stating that this unacceptable practice is a new link of the oppressive policy that the Greek administration has been pursuing for decades, denying the Turkish existence, Kurtulmuş said:

"Attempting to determine the worship and religious representatives of a society by the state does not fit into the law or the basic principles of democracy. The right of the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority to choose its own religious representatives is not open to discussion. Any intervention against this right is a common issue not only for our compatriots, but for everyone who respects human rights and freedom of religion. Those who talk about fundamental rights and freedoms should not remain silent in the face of this clear injustice experienced in Western Thrace.

We call on Greece to comply with its obligations arising from the Lausanne Peace Treaty, to respect the will of the Turks of Western Thrace, to recognize the elected muftis and to immediately abandon these unacceptable practices. The legitimacy of muftis elected by the will of the minority cannot be eliminated by any imposition. "As Türkiye, we will never leave our compatriots alone in their struggle to protect their identities, beliefs and rights."

Source: TRT Haber Açık RSS (Gündem) (Open Press / Translated Full Text)