(Kathimerini) Greece rejected claims by Turkey that a new legal framework on the election of Muslim clerics (muftis) in Thrace, northeastern Greece, denies the community the right to elect their own muftis, saying it is “fully compatible with the constitution of Greece and the country’s international obligations.”
The new law, approved by Parliament on July 29, allows the Muslim minority to form an advisory board of 33 people, selected from among scholars of Islamic sciences and imams. The panel will assess candidates and submit a list to the Education Ministry which will pick one for the post.
On Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry described the provisions of the law as “unacceptable” and urged Greece to “respect international law and fulfil its obligations” under the Treaty of Lausanne.
