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Türkiye strongly condemned an attack targeting a Turkish minority primary school in Greece’s Western Thrace region, calling on Greek authorities to swiftly identify those responsible and take necessary measures.
In a written statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said the attack was carried out by unidentified individuals against a primary school belonging to the Western Thrace Turkish Minority in the village of Karacaoglan.
The school had been closed by Greek authorities during the 2021–2022 academic year.
Keceli said Türkiye expects Greek authorities to fully clarify the incident, identify the perpetrators without delay and take appropriate steps, regardless of who is responsible.
He added that Türkiye shares the sorrow of ethnic kin living in Karacaoglan and reiterated that Ankara will continue to closely follow the rights and interests of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority guaranteed under the Treaty of Lausanne.
The attack also drew condemnation from minority organizations.
The Friendship Equality Peace Party (DEB) denounced the damage to the school building, stating that the education rights of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority have long been subject to systematic violations.
The party said minority schools have been unlawfully shut down over the years and stressed that damaging a minority school building amid ongoing pressure is unacceptable.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) also condemned the attack, expressing deep concern and calling for the incident to be swiftly clarified.
The federation urged Greek authorities to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and impose appropriate penalties, emphasizing that attacks targeting minority educational institutions are unacceptable.
The attack came to light on Jan. 4, when local residents noticed damage to the school building. Police launched an investigation following the discovery.
The Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board also condemned the incident, recalling that similar attacks had occurred in the past and warning that repeated acts targeting minority institutions further undermine the community’s sense of security.
Around 150,000 Muslim Turks live in Western Thrace, one of the poorest regions in Greece.
The community has long complained of deteriorating conditions, citing issues such as school closures, restrictions on Turkish-language education and obstacles to electing religious leaders, despite protections under international treaties and rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.
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