Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to a gathering of pupils and local residents at a Muslim minority school in Komotini, northeast Greece, on Friday, part of his half-day tour of the specific region.
He visit to the Komotini district also included a visit and prayer at a local mosque (Kirmahalle) and attendance at a reception in his honor.
Turkish leadership, as far back as the1950s, has shown a heightened attention to the Muslim minority in Thrace, so recognized in the 1923 landmark Lausanne Treaty, an “interest” that repeated Greek government consider veiled or outright irredentism.
While beginning his address with a reference to the minority being a “bridge” between the Greek and Turkish peoples, he was nevertheless greeted outside the mosque by two muftis that are not recognized by the Greek state, ergo the term “pseudo-muftis” that the Greek government uses.
The appointment of the quasi-religious, quasi-judicial officials by the Greek state – similar to the way the Turkish state appointed muftis – has been a “thorn” in bilateral relations for decades. Ankara has called for the muftis to be elected by the faithful, something that Athens said is not foreseen in any bilateral or international treaty.
Greek Deputy FM Yannis Amanatidis greeted Erdogan at the Alexandroupolis airport and accompanied him throughout his visit. Additionally, three Muslim Parliament MPs elected in the region were also on hand.
