Greece persistently violates education rights of Western Thrace Turks

Greece continues to systematically violate the education rights of the Western Thrace Turks, which are guaranteed by the Treaty of Lausanne.

Aydin Ahmet, president of the Western Thrace Turkish Teachers’ Association, commented on the closure of four more Turkish minority primary schools due to insufficient student numbers and economic reasons.

Ahmet emphasized that the Greek government continues its policy of closing minority schools each year under the pretext of student numbers falling below nine.

“This year, four more schools will remain closed. The primary schools in Hacıören, Keziren, Payamlar in Rodopi, and Karaköy in Xanthi will not reopen for the 2024-2025 academic year,” he said.

Ahmet noted that the number of Turkish primary schools has decreased from 231 in 1995 to 86, highlighting that this practice has led to a significant reduction in the number of minority schools.

He pointed out that the Greek State makes decisions regarding minority education without consulting the minority community and that promises to reopen closed schools if the number of students exceeds nine within two years have not been fulfilled.

Greece does not permit opening of bilingual kindergartens

Ahmet also addressed issues such as the inability of Western Thrace Turkish teachers who have graduated from education faculties in Türkiye to work in minority schools and the lack of bilingual minority kindergartens in Greece, where kindergarten education is compulsory.

“For a child to develop self-confidence, education in their mother tongue is crucial. In a state kindergarten where the child’s language isn’t used, fostering self-confidence becomes impossible. As a teacher with experience in bilingual state schools in Vienna, I assert that children build more confidence and receive a healthier education when their mother tongue is utilized. A place where one’s identity is suppressed cannot provide a truly healthy education,” he said.

Ahmet added that the Turkish minority’s requests for bilingual kindergartens have been ignored, while state kindergartens have propagated the idea that minority primary schools are of poor quality and insufficient.