ATHENS — The Greek government has appointed new muftis in the northern Greek cities of Komotini and Xanthi, moving forward with the controversial selections despite persistent calls from the Turkish minority in Western Thrace to be allowed to elect its own religious leaders.
The developments were formalized through a presidential decree published in Greece’s Official Gazette on Friday. Under the terms of the decree, Bilal Kara Halil, who previously served as a deputy mufti in Xanthi, has been appointed as the new mufti of Komotini. Meanwhile, Şükrü Şerif Damatoğlu, who worked previously as a religious official on the Aegean island of Kos, has been designated as the new mufti of Xanthi. Both appointments carry fixed terms of five years, during which they will officially represent the state-sanctioned religious administration for the Muslim population in their respective jurisdictions.
The appointments immediately drew renewed attention to a long-standing dispute between the Greek state and the region’s Turkish minority regarding the governance of religious affairs. The core of the disagreement centers on whether these prominent spiritual leaders should be chosen through democratic elections organized by the community or appointed directly by the central government in Athens.
The historical roots of the controversy stretch back decades, originating in 1985 when Greek authorities first began implementing a system of direct appointments following the death of Hüseyin Mustafa Efendi, who had served as the elected mufti of Komotini. Prior to that period, the selection process had involved different administrative practices, but the government’s shift toward direct intervention became permanent in 1991. That year, Greece formally amended its domestic legislation by removing statutory provisions concerning the election of muftis, thereby cementing a centralized, appointment-based system administered by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.
This legislative shift created a distinct and enduring dual structure within Western Thrace. Since the early 1990s, state-appointed muftis have operated alongside religious leaders who are independently chosen through elections organized by the Turkish minority. Greek authorities do not officially recognize the legitimacy of the muftis elected by the minority, viewing the state-appointed figures as the sole legal and administrative authorities for Islamic religious matters in the region. Conversely, representatives and members of the Turkish minority continue to regard their own elected religious leaders as the authentic representatives of their community’s spiritual life.
Within the region, this parallel structure means that community members often look to different authorities depending on whether they are dealing with state-recognized civil-religious functions—such as matters related to family law, inheritance, and formal religious administration—or community-led spiritual guidance. Currently, İbrahim Şerif in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa in Xanthi are widely recognized by the minority populace as their legitimate, elected muftis, operating independently of the state-appointed hierarchy.
Representatives of the Turkish minority base their opposition to the government’s appointment system on historical international treaties and foundational domestic legislation. They cite the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which established the modern borders of Greece and Turkey and included specific minority protection provisions, as well as the 1913 Treaty of Athens. Additionally, they point to Law No. 2345, which was enacted in 1920, as the domestic legal basis guaranteeing their historical right to elect their own religious leaders. Drawing on these legal instruments, minority advocates have repeatedly called on the Greek government to abolish the unilateral appointment system and extend official recognition to the religious authorities chosen by the community itself.
On the other side of the issue, the Greek government maintains its steadfast position regarding the appointment system, handling muftis through the prism of public administration and civil service regulations. Athens treats muftis as public officials endowed with specific administrative and judicial competencies, particularly concerning aspects of Islamic personal status law that have historically fallen under their purview in the region. By treating the positions as civil service appointments, the state asserts its constitutional and administrative authority over all official public functions within its territory, declining to alter a framework that it views as consistent with its domestic legal order and sovereign obligations.