– They Met Their Match
Turkish propaganda suffered a major shock at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw. The elite of the pro-Turkish faction in Thrace had gathered there, accompanied by the “pseudo-Mufti” of Xanthi, Mustafa Trampa—who was even granted entry to the conference with an official badge, registered as a member of an NGO.
After pushing their own propaganda—claiming that they live, more or less, under a regime of apartheid and demanding the recognition of a “Turkish identity”—the group faced an unpleasant surprise. Beniamin Konte, representing the Cultural Association of Pomaks in the Prefecture of Xanthi, took the floor before the diplomatic delegations of the 57 member states and international observers. He laid bare the harsh reality experienced by the Pomak component of the Muslim minority in Thrace. Mr. Konte denounced systematic tactics of intimidation and social exclusion orchestrated by shadowy entities, which seek to impose a monolithic Turkish national identity upon the Pomaks and the Roma—a move that violates the Treaty of Lausanne.
Particularly striking was the moment when—addressing all the OSCE representatives—he denounced the “pseudo-Mufti” Trampa, asserting that he is neither the Mufti of the Pomaks nor of the Muslim minority in Greek Thrace. He emphasized that Trampa lacks any institutional legitimacy from the Greek State and highlighted the irregularities surrounding the conduct of these unofficial elections. Furthermore, he denounced the provision of illicit religious instruction that fosters fear and extremism, citing his own personal experience: his grandfather was barred from the mosque precisely because he had publicly embraced his Pomak roots. In a well-reasoned statement, he firmly asserted the inviolable right of the new generation of Pomaks to freely practice their religious duties—without these being instrumentalized as a vehicle for national assimilation—while demanding respect for their traditions and upholding the right of children to be taught both the Greek language and their own mother tongue, Pomak.
Let us hope that what Benjamin Konte stated at the OSCE will also be heard in Athens—a capital that has neglected the Pomaks, leaving the field wide open for Turkish propaganda apparatuses to stifle any voice that challenges the control and manipulation of the Greek Muslim minority by the Turkish Consulate and its agents in Thrace…
Better late than never
Turkey’s outrage, and the mobilization of its proxies at the OSCE, were, of course, driven by a different motive—one that came to light a few days later. Athens—admittedly with significant delay—decided to move forward with the implementation of state policy by enforcing laws aimed at upgrading the offices of the Muftis. Consequently, the new Muftis of Xanthi and Komotini were sworn in. Turkey began its reaction—initially through public statements, followed by a series of official interventions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and others. The common thread running through all these statements and reactions was the claim that Greece is “acting illegally” by enforcing its own national laws and refusing to recognize Ankara’s handpicked choices—the two “pseudo-muftis.”
These were steps that should have been taken long ago; yet, even if belatedly, they provide a response and help shield the Muftiates in Thrace from Turkish tutelage.
TO PARON
Photo: Digital illustration / paron.gr
