The Greek government has moved to grant official state recognition to the Bektashi Alevi Muslim community in the border region of Thrace, a landmark decision that formally distinguishes the minority group from the mainstream Sunni Muslim community.
A draft law signed by Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Sofia Zacharaki recognizes the Bektashi Alevi community as a distinct religious legal entity. The move, which fulfills a long-standing request from the community, is being hailed as a significant step for religious freedom in Greece.
Crucially, the new status means the Bektashi Alevis will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the state-appointed Muftis of Thrace, who traditionally oversee the affairs of the region's Muslim minority. The law establishes a separate management committee to administer the community's religious properties, known as waqfs.
The draft law, which is now open for public consultation, explicitly states that the recognition does not affect the rights guaranteed to the Muslim minority under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
The Bektashi Alevis are a Sufi-influenced community with deep historical roots in the Balkans and are religiously distinct from the Sunni majority. Their official recognition by the Greek state addresses a decades-old issue and is seen as a strategically important move in the sensitive Thrace region, which borders Turkey.