Imbros

The issue of the Greek Muslim minority in Western Thrace has become an almost permanent fixture on the agenda, most recently as a result of comments made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Greece in early December.

By George Kaklikis*

It’s nothing out of the ordinary for Turkey to take and promulgate a distorted view of what’s happening beyond its borders. The Turkish foreign ministry rebuked Greece for its statements regarding the recitation of extracts from the Koran at the Hagia Sophia museum.

A 250-meter-long road built upon the order of a Greek emperor for his wife in the 1400s has been reopened after a series of restoration works on Imbros Island (Gökçeada in Turkish) in the Aegean province of Çanakkale.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras said that the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) conference being held in Komotini, northern Greece, is proof that Greece respects religious freedom. He said that all Greek citizens have the right to assemble regardless of religion and he also pointed out that citizens belonging to minority groups are privy to equal rights.