Greece appoints muftis in Komotini and Xanthi despite Turkish minority's objection

The Greek government appointed new muftis to the offices in Komotini and Xanthi in Western Thrace for five-year terms. The Turkish minority, which wants muftis to be elected, continues to recognize the muftis it elected.

The Greek government made new appointments to the mufti offices in Komotini and Xanthi in Western Thrace. The presidential decree concerning the appointments was published in Greece's Official Gazette. The Turkish minority in the region is calling for muftis to be elected.

Under the decree, Bilal Kara Halil, who previously served as deputy mufti of Xanthi, was appointed mufti of Komotini, while Şükrü Şerif Damat Oğlu, who worked as a religious official on the island of Kos, was appointed mufti of Xanthi. The terms of both muftis were set at five years.

The minaret of the Selvili Mosque in Komotini

The mufti dispute emerged after the death of Komotini Mufti Hüseyin Mustafa Efendi in 1985, when Greek authorities began appointing muftis. Greece made the appointment system permanent through a 1991 legal amendment that removed provisions on elections. Since then, muftis appointed by the state and those elected by the Turkish minority have coexisted in the region.

The muftis elected by the Turkish minority are İbrahim Şerif in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa in Xanthi. Minority representatives base their right to elect muftis on the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the 1913 Treaty of Athens and Law No. 2345 of 1920. Athens continues the appointment practice because it considers muftis public officials and does not officially recognize the elected muftis.

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