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Turks of Western Thrace (Turkish:Batı Trakya Türkleri;Greek:Τούρκοι της Δυτικής Θράκης,romanized: Toúrkoi tis Dytikís Thrákis) areethnic Turks who live inWestern Thrace, in the province ofEast Macedonia and Thrace inNorthern Greece.

According to the Greek census of 1991, there were approximately 50,000 of Turkish origin in Western Thrace, out of the approximately 98,000 strongMuslim minority of Greece.^[2] Other sources estimate the size of the Muslim community between 90,000 and 120,000.^[3][4] Their community of Western Thrace is not to be confused withPomaks nor withMuslim Roma people of the same region, counting 35% and 15% of the Muslim minority respectively.^[5][6]

Due to the multiethnic character of theMuslim minority of Greece, which includesGreek Muslims, Turks, Pomaks and Roma Muslims, theGovernment of Greece does not refer to it by a specific ethnic background, nor does recognize any of these ethnicities, including the Turks, as separate ethnic minority in Western Thrace,^[3] instead referring to the whole Muslim minority on religious grounds, as the "Muslim Minority of Western Thrace" or "Greek Muslims". This is in accordance with theTreaty of Lausanne to which Greece, along withTurkey, is a signature member. The Lausanne Treaty, along with theGreek Constitution and theCharter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, enshrines the fundamental rights of the Turks and other ethnic groups ofEast Macedonia and Thrace and the obligations towards them.

Parts of Western Thrace were overrun by the expandingOttoman Empire in 1354 and remained in Ottoman control until 1913. During this time, the Turkish community grew to outnumber the Greek community four to one and owned close to 84% of the land. By August 31, 1913, the Turks of Western Thrace had formed the first 'Turkish republic', theProvisional Government of Western Thrace.^[7] However, it was taken over by theKingdom of Bulgaria on October 25, 1913, which had been victorious in theFirst Balkan War.France occupied the area at the end of theFirst World War, following the defeat of Bulgaria, and it passed into Greek hands under theTreaty of Sèvres in August 1920.^[8] Under a protocol of the same year, the Turks of Western Thrace were exempted from the 1922–1923exchange of populations agreement between Greece and Turkey and were granted rights within the framework of theLausanne Treaty. However, since 1923, between 300,000 and 400,000 Turks have left Western Thrace most of which have immigrated toTurkey.^[9][10] The actual Ottoman-era Greek Muslims ofMacedonia had been included among those 'Turks' expatriated to Turkey in 1924. including theVallahades. In contrast, the Western Thrace Turks are completely distinct from those referred to as Greek Muslims and were exempt from the terms of the population exchange.

A number of estimates and censuses during the 1912–1920 period gave the following results about the ethnic distribution of the area that would become known as Western Thrace:^[11]

The Pomak population depending on the source was sometimes counted together with the Turks according to the Ottoman system of classifying people depending on religion, while in other occasions was specified separately. On the other hand, according to the Bulgarian view, they are considered "Bulgarian Muslims" and an integral part of the Bulgarian nation.^[11]

According to the Turkish thesis, as it was presented at Lausanne Peace Conference (1920), the general distribution of population in Western Thrace was as follows:^[12]

During Ottoman rule before 1912, Greeks constituted a minority in the region ofWestern Thrace.^[13] After theBalkan Wars andWorld War I the demography of the region was changed. While groups such as the Turks and Bulgarians decreased, the Greek population increased by the resettlement of ten thousands of Greek refugees from other areas of the Ottoman Empire, after the flight of the Greek refugees fromAsia Minor, as a result of theGreco-Turkish War (1919-1922), theGreek genocide and the subsequentpopulation exchange between Greece and Turkey.^[14] Of all Greek Asia Minor refugees (around 1.2 million),^[15] 8% of them were resettled in Western Thrace.^[16]The Greek government's reason to settle the refugees in this region was to strengthen the Greek presence in the newly acquired provinces and thehomogenization of the population.^[16] The Greek government especially resettled the refugees in Komotini, Xanthi and Sapes regions where the majority of Muslim Turks lived.^[16]

The Turkish community has a strong presence in theKomotini (Turkish:Gümülcine) andXanthi (Turkish:İskeçe) departments ofEast Macedonia and Thrace, while it is scarcely present in theEvros prefecture, the closest to the international boundary with Turkey. According to estimates, Muslims as a whole, represented 36–38% of the Rhodopi Department population, 12–24% in the Xanthi Department and less than 5% in the Evros Department.^[17]

According toEthnologue, in 1976 theTurkish language was spoken by 128,000 people in Greece, the majority of whom are located in the Western Thrace portion of the province ofEast Macedonia and Thrace.^[18] However, theGreek language is also widely used.^{[citation needed]}

Article 37 through 45 of theLausanne Treaty set forth the obligations of the Greek and Turkish governments to protect the Turkish and Greek minorities in their territories. Each country agreed to provide the following:^[20]

• Protection of life and liberty without regard to birth, nationality, language, race or religion
• Free exercise of religion
• Freedom of movement and of emigration
• Equality before the law
• The same civil and political rights enjoyed by the majority
• Free use of language in private, in commerce, in religion, the press and publications, at public meetings and in the courts
• The right to establish and control charitable, religious and social institutions and schools
• Primary schools in which instruction is given in both languages
• Full protection for religious establishments and pious foundation

The Lausanne Treaty defined the rights of the Muslim communities in Western Thrace, on the basis of religion, not ethnicity, as well as maintained a balance between the minority communities of both countries (Turks in Greece andGreeks in Turkey) on reciprocal obligations toward each of those minorities. The Treaty contained specific obligations for their cultural and religious rights. These have been largely respected, in contrast to measures taken by successive Turkish governments against the Greek minority in Turkey (like forced labor battalions, theIstanbul pogrom andVarlik Vergisi), a minority that is nearly eliminated today (from 70,000 in 1923 to 3,000 in 2000).^[21]

In 1990 a new electoral law was enacted in Greece, which set a threshold of at least 3% of the nationwide vote for a party to be represented in the parliament. Consequently, independent Turkish MPs were barred from election at the 1993 elections. Since then the Turkish minority in theHellenic Parliament has been represented by Turkish deputies belonging to nationwide political parties, and theParty of Friendship, Equality and Peace, which succeeded the Independent Muslim List in 1991, practically disappeared from the electoral scene.^[22]

There are presently two Turkish MPs from the Western Thrace portion ofEast Macedonia and Thrace, both of whom are affiliated to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement:Tsetin Mantatzi (Xanthi) andAchmet Chatziosman (Rhodope), former president (1999–2007) of theParty of Friendship, Equality and Peace created by former (1989) MPSadik Achmet in 1991.^[25]

At least 14 candidates from the Turkish minority have been nominated, mainly in Rhodope and Xanthi.^[26]

For New Democracy, former MP (2004–2007)Ilchan Achmet and Achmet Achmet are candidates in Rhodope,^[27] and in Xanthi Aisel Zeimpek and Achmet Mpountour.^[28] Zeimpek had lost her Greek citizenship under Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Code, which allowed of its revocation for non-ethnic Greeks who left the country.^[29] After a lengthy legal battle, she finally won her case with a second appeal before the European Court of Human Rights and re-secured her Greek citizenship in 2001.

For PASOK, Tsetin Mantatzi and Seval Osmanoglou are among the 5 candidates in Xanthi, Rintvan Kotzamoumin and Achmet Chatziosman among the 5 in Rhodope.^[30]

For the KKE (which presently has no MP in Xanthi or Rhodope), Faik Faik in Rhodope and Chasan Efendi in Xanthi.

For SYRIZA (which presently has no MP in Xanthi or Rhodope), Chasan Malkots and Chousein Zeimpek are candidates in Xanthi,^[31] and in Rhodope^[32] Dr.Moustafa Moustafa (former MP) and Tzelalentin Giourtsou.^[33]

In2014 and2019 European Parliament election in Greece,Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace (DEB) has emerged as the first party inXanthi andRhodope constituencies, under Moustafa Ali Tsavous, and most currently underTsidem Asafoglou, respectively. In 2019 elections, DEB received 38% of the votes in Xanthi regional unit and 25.24% of the votes in Rhodope regional unit.^[34] DEB also received 1.30% of the votes inEvros regional unit. While in the overall region ofEastern Macedonia and Thrace, the party came in as the 3rd biggest party after top 2 national partiesNew Democracy andSyriza.^{[citation needed]}

According to the former Article 19 of the 1955 Citizenship Law (No. 3370), a person of non-Greek ethnic origin leaving Greece without the intention of returning may be declared as having lost Greek nationality. According to the Greek government, between 1955 and 1998, approximately 60,000 Greek Muslim individuals, predominantly Turkish, were deprived of their citizenship under Article 19. Of these 60,000, approximately 7,182 lost their citizenship between 1981 and 1997.^[35] The application of this law to the Turks of Western Thrace was a retaliatory measure in response to the devastating state-sponsored pogrom whichtargeted the Greeks of Istanbul in September 1955.^[36] The pogrom precipitated an exodus of ethnic Greeks from Turkey. Article 19 was repealed in 1998, though not retroactively.^[35]

Since the Treaty of Lausanne used the criterion of religion to refer to the ethnic communities, the Greek Government has usually insisted that the basis of identification of a minority is religious and not ethnic (or national).^[37] Successive Greek Government policies refused to acknowledge the existence of an ethnic Turkish community inNorthern Greece, and insisted on referring to Western Thrace Turks asGreek Muslims, suggesting that they were not of ethnic Turkish origin but were the descendants of Ottoman-era Greek converts to Islam like theVallahades and otherGreek Muslims ofGreek Macedonia.^[38][39][40] This policy was introduced immediately after the unilateraldeclaration of independence of theTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983 on lands that once had an 82% Greek majority before becomingrefugees during theTurkish invasion in 1974. The Greek government declared that it was a measure to avert the possibility of the Greek region ofEastern Macedonia and Thrace becoming a "second Cyprus" sometime in the future or of beingceded toTurkey on the basis of the ethnic origin of its Muslim inhabitants.^[41]

Greek courts have also outlawed the use of the word 'Turkish' to describe the Turkish community. In 1988, the Greek Supreme Court affirmed a 1986 decision of the Court of Appeals of Thrace in which theUnion of Turkish Associations of Western Thrace was ordered closed. The court held that the use of the word 'Turkish' referred tocitizens of Turkey, and could not be used to describecitizens of Greece; the use of the word 'Turkish' to describe Greek Muslims was held to endanger public order.^[42] This led to about 10,000 people demonstrating against the decision in Western Thrace. According to members of the Turkish minority, it was the first time ethnic Turks had taken to the streets.^[43]

More than 10 newspapers are issued in theTurkish language. According to some sources, newspapers, magazines and books published in Turkey are not allowed entry into Western Thrace,^[44] and Turkish television and radio stations are sometimes jammed.^[45] According to other sources, the minority has full and independent access to its own newspapers radio, television, and other written media coming from Turkey, regardless of their content.^[46]

According to the Treaty of Lausanne, the Muslim minority is entitled tofreedom of religion and to the right to control charitable and religious institutions. However, the Turkish community believes that these international law guarantees have been violated by the Greek government^[47] by denying permission to repair or rebuild oldmosques or to build new mosques, by denying the right to choose themuftis (this chief religious officers), and by efforts to control the Turkish communities charitable foundations.^[48] According to another source, more than five new mosques are being built in the prefecture of Xanthi alone and 19 new mosques are being built in the prefecture of Rhodope alone, while in the same prefecture the number of mosques exceeds 160.^[49]

According to a report by a local organization there have been frequent (six in 2010 and three in the first months of 2011) attacks against the private and public property of Turks in Western Thrace. Among the recent incidents are three in 2010 (in Kahveci, Kırmahalle, Popos and Ifestos at Komotini) where attackers desecrated Turkish cemeteries and broke tombstones. There were also attacks against mosques, Turkish associations and Turkish consulates, attackers used methods like throwing stones, molotov bombs and damaging buildings.^{[50][51][52][53][54]}

Between 300,000 and 400,000 Turks have left Western Thrace since 1923; most of them immigrated to Turkey.^[9][10] Western Thrace Turks have also immigrated toGermany, theNetherlands, theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom,Australia,Austria andItaly. Thus, overall there are an estimated 1 million Turks whose roots are from Western Thrace.^[55]

It is estimated that there are between 25,000 and 40,000 Western Thrace Turks living inWestern Europe.^[56][57]

There are some members of theGreek Muslim community among the some 350,000Greeks living in Germany who are Turks or who espouse a Turkish identity.^[58] The majority of Turks immigrated fromWestern Thrace.^[59] In the 1960s and 1970s, the Thracian tobacco industry was affected by a severe crisis and many tobacco growers lost their income. This resulted in many Turks leaving their homes and immigrating toGermany with estimates suggesting that today there are now between 12,000^[60] and 25,000^[61] residing in Germany.

A minority of Western Thrace Turks can be found in the Netherlands, especially in theRandstad region; after Germany, the Netherlands is the most popular destination for Turkish immigrants.^[62]

There are an estimated 600–700 Western Thrace Turks living inLondon although this does not include those who are British-born. The total number living outside London is unknown.^[62] However even their small number, Western Thrace Turks in the UK have their own community (Association of Western Thrace Turks UK)^[63]

• Ilchan Achmet, Greek politician^[64]
• Sadik Achmet, Greek doctor and politician
• Achmet Chatziosman, Greek politician
• Hakan Çavuşoğlu, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister^[65]
• Aichan Kara Giousouf, Greek politician
• Cemile Giousouf, German politician (2nd generationTurkish German with roots fromWestern Thrace)
• Şerif Gören, Turkish film director, Winner of 1982Palme d'Or inCannes Film Festival
• Hamza Hamzaoğlu, Turkish football manager ofGalatasaray
• Tsetin Mantatzi, Greek politician
• Moustafa Moustafa, Greek politician
• Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Turkish politician^[66]

• 1990 Komotini events
• Turkish minorities in the former Ottoman Empire
  • Turks in the Balkans
  • Cretan Turks
  • Turks of the Dodecanese
• Western Thrace
• Provisional Government of Western Thrace
• Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace
• Turkish Union of Xanthi
• Greeks in Turkey
• Greek Muslims
• Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe
• Kardzhali Province

• Human Rights Watch document:Destroying ethnic identity - The Turks of Greece, August 1990
• Human Rights Watch document:Greece – Improvements for Turkish minority – Problems remain, April 1992
• Human Rights Watch document:Greece – The Turks of Western Thrace, January 1999
• Umbrella organisation of Western Thrace Turks and UN-ECOSOC member:Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe

• Ethnic groups in Greece
• Turks in Greece
• Greek people of Turkish descent
• Muslim communities in Europe
• Middle Eastern diaspora in Greece
• People from Western Thrace
• Greek Muslims

• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• Webarchive template wayback links
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• Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters
• Articles containing Turkish-language text
• Articles containing Greek-language text
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from April 2011
• Articles with unsourced statements from March 2022