Türkiye slams Greece over closure of Turkish minority schools in Western Thrace

Türkiye on Sunday condemned Greece’s decision to close eight primary schools belonging to the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, saying the move violated the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Greece had decided to shut down the schools “under the pretext of an insufficient number of students,” reducing the total number of minority primary schools in Western Thrace to 76.

Keceli also criticised what he described as new obstacles to first-grade enrollment at the 1st Turkish Minority Primary School of Xanthi, saying the measures were “another example of systematic practices aimed at eroding the educational rights of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.”

“These oppressive decisions and practices constitute a violation of the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne,” he said.

Obligations toward minority