In the first part of the series, in which we will examine the problems between Turkey and Greece, we will discuss the painful situation of the Western Thrace Turks.
About 140-150 thousand Turks live in Western Thrace, which is located in the northeast of Greece. Considering that the total population of Greece consists of approximately 11 million people, this number is not negligible.
While Greece accepted the Turks in Western Thrace as a minority with the Lausanne Peace Agreement, the rights of the people of the region were guaranteed by both bilateral agreements and international agreements.
Although the rights of the Turks of Western Thrace are guaranteed on paper, this situation does not make much sense in practice. Because the Turks of Western Thrace are exposed to various persecutions by the Greek state.
INCINCEPTIBLE OPPRESSIONS BEGINS
The rights of Turkish and Greek minorities in Turkey and Greece are in Articles 37-45 of the Treaty of Lausanne. Although it is guaranteed by the articles of association, Greece intensifies its policy of oppression on the Turks of Western Thrace, according to the political conjuncture. According to the course of relations with Turkey, Greece, which persecuted the Turks of Western Thrace, did not put any severe pressure on the people of the region until the 1950s.
However, after this date, both the policy of violence against the Turks in Cyprus and the attacks on the Turkish authorities in Thessaloniki have awakened a reflex in Turkey.
In line with this reflex, the Greeks in Turkey had a difficult time. Thereupon, Greece started unbelievable persecution against the Turks of Western Thrace.
WITH THE CITIZENSHIP LAW, MANY TURKS HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED OF CITIZENSHIP
The "Citizenship Law" enacted in 1955 constitutes the first major link of the persecution policy of Greece against the Turks of Western Thrace.
With this law, it is announced that non-Greek citizens residing in Greece will be stripped of their citizenship if they travel abroad. Again, in the process following this law, some steps were taken against the Turkish minority.
In this direction, the property rights of the Turks are restricted and the Turks are obliged to sell their lands only to the Greeks. In this process, in which the Turkish minority in Western Thrace is faced with difficulties that restrict their social life, practices such as preventing the right to obtain a driver's license, expropriating some lands or turning them into military areas are implemented.
CYPRUS PEACE OPERATION MADE THE GREEKS MAD
After the Cyprus Peace Operation led by Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan, the leader of Milli Görüş of the Republic of Turkey, the persecution of Western Thrace Turks increased even more.
Unbelievable attacks are carried out on the Turks of Western Thrace by the state-sponsored structures that look like civilians, and the properties and properties of the Turks are destroyed. In the years that follow, new pressures are made on the Turks. With the law numbered 1091 enacted in 1980, the economic and administrative powers of foundations belonging to the Turkish minority are restricted.
OPPRESSIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREA ARE INCREASING
Again, with a law enacted in 1980, Greece took a cruel step towards the Turks of Western Thrace. In this direction, the authority regarding the administration and management of the foundations and wealth belonging to the Western Thrace minority is taken away from the Western Thrace Mufti.
While the authority in question was given to the governors appointed by the Greek state, this decision could not be implemented until 1989. With the amendment made in 1996 in this decision, which was implemented after 1989, the powers of the governors were transferred to the office of the regional secretary general.
EDUCATION HAS ITS SHARE FROM OPPRESSION
In the post-1980 period, the pressure on Western Thrace Turks increased. In this process, the institution of education also gets its share from the persecution of Greece in Western Thrace. With the decision taken in 1984, it is decreed that the secondary school and high school graduation exams will be held in Greek. With the regulation in 1995, the number of Turkish lessons in schools was reduced.
GREEKS FEEL RAW ABOUT ELECTION VICTORY
There is an event in which the pressure and double standard that Greece exerted on the Turks of Western Thrace in the political arena is concretely experienced. Accordingly, in the elections held in 1990, Dr. Sadik Ahmet from the Western Thrace Turkish minority was elected as an independent deputy from Komotini, and Ahmet Faikoğlu from Xanthi.
The Greek authorities, unable to digest the electoral victory in question, amend the laws after the elections and raise the threshold for independent candidates to be elected. Following this development, neither Ahmet nor Faikoğlu were elected as MPs in the 1993 elections.
THE ISSUE OF THE MUFTI IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS
Among the persecution of the Turks of Western Thrace by Greece is the issue of the mufti. Although the Turks of Western Thrace have the right to carry out their religious activities independently of the Greek government with the Treaty of Lausanne, Greece has been preventing this right for many years. Ignoring Lausanne's articles in question since 1985, Greece appoints muftis to serve in Western Thrace.
While the people of Western Thrace strongly oppose the said practice, there are four muftis in the region, two of whom were elected by the people of Western Thrace and two were appointed by the Greek government. The Greek forces, who are persecuting muftis elected by the people of Western Thrace, accuse them of usurping their duties and impose various sanctions against them.
GREEKS WANT TO CHANGE THE DEMOGRAPHY
Working for the eradication of the Muslim Turkish population in Western Thrace, Greece brought thousands of people to the region within the framework of this plan.
While many people of Greek origin, especially from the former Soviet region, were brought to Western Thrace, some lands were given to these people and immigrant settlements called Romania in Rhodope and Eketenpol were established in Xanthi. It is stated that the rate of land owned by Western Thrace Turks, who owned 84 percent of the land in the region in the 1920s, has decreased by 25 percent today.
GREECE SHOULD BE BLOCKED
In short, the Turks of Western Thrace are among those who have been subjected to the persecutions perpetrated by Greece, which is not satisfied with trying to serve the imperialist powers and dream impossible dreams, within the framework of "anti-Muslim Turkish hostility".
While the Muslim Turks in the region have been subjected to various pressures by the Greek forces, it seems that the main aim of Greece is to "Greekize" the region.
In this direction, Greece, which wants to make life unbearable for the people of Western Thrace, carries out incredible practices in many religious, scientific, material and cultural fields. It is of great importance to stop the aforementioned atrocities in order to ensure a humane life for the Turkish minority in Western Thrace and to prevent the arrogant dreams of Greece.