Turks of Western Thrace
Turks of Western Thrace (Turkish: Batı Trakya Türkleri; Greek: Τούρκοι Δυτικής Θράκης - Turki Dhitikis Thrakis; Bulgarian: Западнотракийски турци - Zapadnotrakiyski turtsi) form a minority group in Greece, traditionally settled in the Western Thrace region of Greece, which is composed of the three prefectures (Xanthi, Rhodope and Evros) out of five of the Greek periphery East Macedonia and Thrace. According to official sources, they number approximately 50,000, out of the approximately 98,000 Thracian Muslims recorded in the 1991 census.[1] The size of the Muslim minority as a whole (as well as the Turkish identifying component) may be slightly different according to various NGOs. According to Human Rights Watch, the Muslim minority numbers between 80,000 and 120,000 (1999), and they will tend to attribute "Turkishness" to the entire minority.[2][3]
Within the larger definition of Muslim minority, Turks of Western Thrace were exempted from the 1922-1923 Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey and were recognized special rights within the framework of Lausanne Treaty, such as education in the Turkish language.
Within Turkey, the term is used either in the form of Batı Trakyalı for being specific on their provenance or of Trakyalı since they are part of a single cultural aire with the native inhabitants of Turkey's Thrace (Eastern Thrace). Outside Thrace, many are also settled in or around İstanbul or İzmir or in the Western Anatolian countryside, and were either born in Western Thrace or can trace close ties there. A non-negligible number of Turks of Western Thrace also live as immigrants in Germany and other European countries.
Politics
In 1990 a new electoral law was introduced in Greece, which set a threshold of at least 3% of the nationwide vote for a party to be represented in the parliament (N.B.:In Turkey in an effort of leaving the Kurdish minority as well as other minorities unrepresented in the parliament, the relevant threshold climbs up to 10%). The participation of members of the Muslim Minority in the Greek parliament is guaranteed as all political parties have muslim candidates from western Thrace. Moreover, 0.5% of the admitted students in Greek universities are guaranteed to be members of the muslim minority.
Notable Turks of Western Thrace
- Şerif Gören: Winner of 1982 Palme d'Or in Cannes Film Festival
- Mustafa Hüseyinoğlu: Actor, plays as Blane Whittaker in CBBC series M.I.High
See also
References
- ^ Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών, Υπηρεσία Ενημέρωσης: Μουσουλμάνικη μειονότητα Θράκης and Ελληνική Επιτροπή για τη διαχείρηση των υδατικών πόρων: Στοιχεία από την πρόσφατη απογραφή του πληθυσμού
- ^ Human Rights Watch document 1999, page 2, footnote
- ^ Human Rights Wacth document 1999, page 11 While it is indeed true that the minority is mixed on an ethnolinguistic basis, being made up of ethnic Turks, Pomaks (Muslim Slavs who speak a Bulgarian dialect), and Romas, the group overwhelmingly identifies itself as Turkish and page 11 footnote: 65-75% real Turkish, 15-25% Turkish Pomaks, 5-10% Turkish Roma
External links
- "The magazine "Mihenk" published by Turks in Western Thrace". Archived from the original on 2006-04-02. Template:Tr icon
- Human Rights Watch document: Destroying ethnic identity - The Turks of Greece, August 1990
- Human Rights Watch document: Greece - Improvements for Turkish minority - Problems remain, April 1992
- Human Rights Watch document: Greece - The Turks of Western Thrace, January 1999
- Umbrella organisation of Western Thrace Turks and UN-ECOSOC member: Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe