Greece's foreign ministry fired back at Ankara on Sunday after Turkish officials made repeated references to the Muslim ...

Greece's foreign ministry fired back at Ankara on Sunday after Turkish officials made repeated references to the Muslim minority in Thrace, accusing Turkey of interfering in Greek internal affairs and attempting to redefine the legal status of the minority. Athens pointed directly to the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which explicitly defines the Thrace minority as religious, not ethnic. The ministry made clear that the minority's legal character "cannot be questioned or redefined at will," stressing that these are Greek citizens and an inseparable part of Greek society. The sharpest part of Athens' response came over Turkey's criticism of how muftis are appointed in Greece. The ministry noted that Law 4964/2022 established a modern, democratic process that includes members of the minority itself, including women, with full transparency and respect for religious freedom. Then came the line that cut through everything. The foreign ministry called it "at the very least hypocritical" for Turkey to lecture Greece on religious freedom, pointing out that in Turkey itself, muftis are appointed directly by the state. Athens also drew a firm line on the broader pattern of Turkish interference in Thrace, saying the free practice of religion is a fundamental right but cannot be used "as a pretext for interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state." The ministry closed by reaffirming that Greece, as a European state governed by the rule of law, protects the rights of all its citizens on the basis of equal rights and full compliance with international law. #Greece #Turkey #Thrace