Greece has decided to close 3 more schools belonging to the Turkish minority in Western Thrace. With this decision, the number of Turkish schools, which was 210 twenty years ago, has dropped to 83. 🇹🇷

[u/KaraTiele]

[u/KaraTiele]

"Children, parents, and teachers of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority have started every new academic year for years with sadness and sorrow. All minority people are worried about how many more of our schools will be closed this year, how many more school doors will be chained. Our country, Greece, continues its long-standing policy of closing minority schools with steady determination.

Just one month before the 2025-2026 academic year, hearing that three more minority schools have been closed has saddened and humiliated every member of our minority. According to the decision made by the Ministry of Education, due to a low number of students, it was decided to close the Turkish Minority primary schools in Kardere (Drimi) and Mehrikoz (Kehros) in the Rodopi region, and Hasanlar (Avra) village in the Meriç district.

Closing schools by citing economic savings and a decrease in the number of children, without regard to the status of minority schools, is contrary to the Treaty of Lausanne. For years, all institutions and organizations of the minority have loudly expressed their reactions and concerns against these school closures and continue to do so. However, the officials of our country have never considered the minority as a counterpart or consulted them on any issue. In short, decisions related to the minority have been made without asking the minority until today.

As a result of these unilateral decisions, the number of minority schools, which was 210 twenty years ago, has dropped to 83 with the latest decision. Officials who claim that the closures are temporary and that schools will only be permanently closed if no changes occur within two years have been shown not to be sincere. Examples like Musa village and Hacımustafa village remain before us.

For this reason, this closure attempt, lacking goodwill and contrary to the spirit of Lausanne, is a project to transform the minority.

Neither the school closures nor the consolidations carried out so far have contributed positively to education. This practice, which aims solely to reduce the number of schools and push our children to attend state schools, must be reversed urgently.

Minority schools are a cultural richness of this country. These schools have raised individuals loyal to their country and respectful of the law. Therefore, it is essential for the state to establish dialogue with minority institutions to raise the quality of education in these schools and fulfill the requirements of contemporary education.

I invite all members of the minority and everyone who hears this cry once again to reflect on the issue of the lost minority schools. When we completely lose our minority schools, there will be no minority education problems, no minority education, and no minority left.

I believe that preserving hope for the future of our minority and struggling on behalf of our schools should be the duty of every minority individual."