Turkish FM’s remarks on Greece Muslims irks Athens ahead of talks

Greece has reacted furiously to remarks by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu describing the Muslim minority community in northern Greece as Turkish who were denied full civic rights.

"We want Greece to give the same rights as we provide to the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek minority to the Turks in Western Thrace," Cavusoglu stated on Sunday during a private visit to the northern Greek region of Thrace, according to video footage released by Ankara’s foreign ministry.

According to Press TV, the remarks by Turkey’s top diplomat, however, came just ahead of an official meeting on Monday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Athens, prompting a swift reaction by the Greek foreign ministry.

“Turkey's continuous efforts to distort reality, as well as its claims alleging lack of protection of these citizens' rights or discrimination, are unfounded and are rejected in their entirety," Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexandros Papaioannou said in a news release.

“The Muslim minority in Thrace has about 120,000 Greek inhabitants," he said. "Turkey's constant attempts to distort this reality, as well as the allegations of non-protection of the rights of these citizens, or of discrimination, are unfounded and are rejected in their entirety."

Reporting on Cavusoglu’s Sunday visit to the city of Komotini in Thrace, Turkey’s official Anadolu News Agency said his delegation met with Ibrahim Serif, the Chairman of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board and the elected mufti of Komotini, as well as Ahmet Mete, the elected mufti of Xanthi.

ME