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The Advisory Board of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority (BTTADK) has criticized Greece's appointments to the mufti offices in Komotini and Xanthi, calling on authorities to take the minority's will into account and settle the mufti dispute through dialogue.

In a statement, the board said the Greek administration should engage with minority institutions and representatives to resolve an issue that has persisted since 1985, arguing that the latest appointments again disregard the community's demands and expectations.

Appointments seen as ignoring minority preferences

The board said the mufti question is not merely an administrative matter but is tied directly to the minority's identity and its right to choose its own religious leaders. It recalled that the Western Thrace Turkish minority recognizes Ibrahim Serif as the elected mufti in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa as the elected mufti in Xanthi, and that state appointments do not reflect the community's choices.

The statement also rejected the selection committee set up for the mufti appointments, arguing that a body formed without consulting the minority cannot lend legitimacy to the process. It added that the Greek administration's failure to hold sincere dialogue with minority representatives has kept the problem unresolved and damaged trust between the state and the minority.

Origins of the mufti dispute

The dispute began after Hüseyin Mustafa Efendi, the mufti of Komotini, died in 1985 and the Greek administration started selecting muftis through appointment. A legal change in 1991 repealed provisions on the election of muftis, making the appointment system permanent.

Two parallel structures have since emerged in the region: muftis appointed by the state and muftis elected by the Western Thrace Turkish minority. Greek authorities do not officially recognize the elected muftis, while the minority continues to accept the religious leaders it has chosen, namely Ibrahim Serif in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa in Xanthi.

Competing legal and official positions

Turkish minority representatives cite the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the 1913 Treaty of Athens and Law No. 2345 of 1920 as the legal basis for the right to elect muftis. They demand that the state end its appointment practice and officially recognize the muftis chosen by the minority.

The Greek administration classifies muftis as public officials and continues with the appointment system.

Key takeaways

• The Western Thrace Turkish minority advisory board criticized Greece's mufti appointments in Komotini and Xanthi and called for dialogue.
• The board said the dispute concerns the minority's identity and its right to choose religious leaders, not just administration.
• The minority recognizes Ibrahim Serif and Mustafa Trampa as elected mufti, while Greek authorities do not.
• The mufti dispute dates back to 1985 and became institutionalized with a 1991 legal change replacing elections with appointments.