Greece sharply has rejected Turkish accusations of minority rights violations, defending its system of state-appointed Islamic religious leaders in Western Thrace and rejecting Ankara's framing of the community as an ethnic Turkish minority.
The dispute flared after Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned Greece's appointment of Muftis — Islamic legal and religious officials — arguing the Muslim minority should elect its own representatives.
Ankara warned that what it called "oppressive practices" were damaging bilateral relations.
The Greek Foreign Ministry fired back, invoking the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne as the definitive legal framework governing the minority's status.
"The Treaty of Lausanne does not allow for multiple interpretations," the ministry said. "Its religious, rather than ethnic, character is indisputable."
Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis's ministry noted that the treaty makes no provision for the election of Muftis, pointing to the officials' combined judicial and administrative functions under Greek law as grounds for state appointment.
Under a 2022 reform, a specialized committee that includes minority members and women evaluates candidates before appointment — a process recently completed in Didymoteicho and currently underway in Xanthi and Komotini.
Athens also highlighted what it called Ankara's double standard: Muftis in Turkey are themselves state-appointed, not elected.
The row is the latest friction point in a relationship that has seen cautious improvement in recent years but remains prone to flare-ups over sovereignty, minority rights and historical grievances. Greece maintains it fully guarantees the religious freedoms and equal civic rights of its Muslim citizens under both national law and European Union standards.