Western Thrace - Politics

Politics

The Muslim minority of Thrace has been a source of diplomatic tension between Greece and Turkey. Turkey considers the whole of the Muslim minority a strictly Turkish minority. Greece, on the other hand, considers the whole minority to be Greek citizens of diverse origins and a recognised religious minority under Greece's international obligations (Treaty of Lausanne). Athens affords no official recognition to a Turkish or any other ethnicity.

Such documents as the said paper of the Greek Consulate Berlin have no effect on the minority politics of Greece concerning the concession of any ethnic identity to the Muslim minority and they primarily serve as information publications about Greece to the world.

Within the larger definition of the Muslim minority, the Turks of Western Thrace were exempted from the 1922-1923 Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey and were granted special rights within the framework of Lausanne Treaty, such as education in the Turkish language.

However, there are ethnic differences within the 'Turkish' minority. The estimated numbers of its constituent ethnic groups are given in a document of the Greek Consulate Berlin as follows:

• total number of Muslim Minority is: ~120,000
• Turkish: ~50%)
• Pomaks: ~35%
• Roma origin: ~15%

According to official census of 1920 made by the Government of the Entente (led by French general Sharpe) Western Thrace was a population of 204,700, of whom: Turks 36.5% (74,720 Muslims), Bulgarians 32.2% (65,927 = 54,079 Christians and 11,848 Muslims), Greeks 27.4% (56,114 Christians), Jews 1.5% (2985) Armenians 0.9% (1880), others 3066.

In point of view of the Turkish researches the population of Western Thrace in 1923 was 191,699, of whom 129,120 (67%) were Turks Muslims and 33,910 (18%) were Greeks; the remaining 28,669 (15%) were mostly Bulgarians, along with small numbers of Jews and Armenians (before the population exchange).

By the Bulgarian census in 1919 of the population of Western Thrace was 219 723 of whom: Turks 35.4% (77 726 Muslims), Bulgarians 46.3% (101 766 - 81 457 Christians and 20 309 Muslims), Greeks 14.8% (32 553 Christians), Jews 1.4% (3066) Armenians 1.5% (3369), others 0,9% (2000).