A Greek court has convicted four members of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace over incidents linked to a protest at Cinar Mosque in Xanthi, sentencing them to 17 months in prison each, with the sentences suspended and converted into financial penalties.
The Xanthi Court found defendants Huseyin Baltacı, Ozan Ahmetoglu, Bahri Belco and Murat Kose guilty of two separate charges related to the incident.
The case concerns events at Cinar Mosque in Western Thrace, where tensions arose over the presence of state-appointed religious officials.
Following the opening ceremony of the Xanthi Madrasa on October 11, 2024, state-appointed muftis attempted to enter the mosque to lead Friday prayers but were met with protests from members of the local congregation, who prevented them from entering.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe condemned the convictions, describing the decision as undemocratic and expressing support for those found guilty.
The federation said the case is closely linked to the long-standing dispute over the appointment of muftis in Western Thrace and the religious freedoms of the Turkish minority.
It criticised Greece’s practice of appointing muftis through the state rather than allowing the minority community to elect its own religious leaders.
According to the statement, the defendants supported the mufti elected by the Turkish minority and opposed state-appointed muftis. The federation argued that the court ruling undermines the religious autonomy of the Western Thrace Turkish minority.
The trial lasted around 14 hours, during which a large number of members of the Turkish minority gathered outside the courthouse in Xanthi to show support for the defendants.
In Greece, muftis and the administrations of charitable foundations serving the Western Thrace Turkish minority are appointed by the state, while the minority community has long called for the right to elect its own religious leaders.
