Turkey’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned Greece’s decision to close eight schools serving the Muslim minority in Western Thrace, accusing Athens of discrimination.
In a statement the ministry denounced what it described as “systematic practices aimed at undermining the right to education of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.”
“We once again call on Greece to act in accordance with its treaty obligations regarding minority rights and fundamental rights,” the ministry said.
The closures reduce the number of minority schools operating in Western Thrace, a northeastern region bordering Turkey, to 76.
Greek officials say schools are being closed because of declining enrollment and that the closures are not limited to institutions serving the minority.
An estimated 120,000 Muslims, many of whom identify as ethnic Turks, live in Western Thrace. The community has specific religious and educational rights under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Turkey describes the community as the “Turkish minority,” while Greece, citing the terminology of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, officially recognizes it as a Muslim minority.
© Agence France-Presse