Reaction from the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Kurtulmuş, to Greece's appointment of muftis to Komotini and Xanthi

In his post on his social media account, Kurtulmuş stated that Greece's imposition of "so-called muftis" in Komotini and Xanthi is a clear intervention against the freedom of religion, Muslim identity and the right to live their beliefs freely of 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 Western Thrace Turks, 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."