Members of the Turkish minority in Greece's Western Thrace region have raised concerns over the continued closure of minority schools, warning that the measures threaten children's right to education in their native language and the preservation of their cultural identity.
Eight Turkish minority primary schools have had their operations suspended for the 2026-2027 academic year, including five in Rhodope, two in Xanthi and one in Evros, according to Mustafa Trampa, chair of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board and elected mufti of Xanthi (Iskeçe).
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Trampa said the suspensions, officially described as temporary, effectively amounted to permanent closures, undermining the minority community's educational and cultural rights.
He argued that minority education enjoys a special legal status under the Treaty of Lausanne, bilateral agreements and international law, which should protect schools from closure solely because of declining enrollment.
"If we want to preserve our Turkish language, we must also preserve our schools," Trampa said, emphasizing the role of bilingual education in maintaining the community's identity, traditions and religious heritage.
Trampa criticized Greece's policy of suspending schools with low enrollment, pointing to Türkiye's efforts to maintain Greek minority schools in Istanbul and Gökçeada despite similarly limited student numbers.
He urged Athens to adopt a comparable approach, arguing that preserving minority schools would also safeguard the region's cultural diversity.
The closures have also placed additional burdens on families, forcing young children to travel to neighboring villages for education, often under difficult winter conditions, Trampa said.
He warned that losing a school could weaken village life by removing an institution central to the community's cultural and educational activities.
Ozan Ahmetoğlu, chair of the Xanthi Minority Secondary and High School Board, echoed those concerns, criticizing Greek authorities for applying nationwide minimum-enrollment rules to minority schools without accounting for their distinct legal status.
Ahmetoğlu said the number of Turkish minority primary schools had declined significantly in recent years, raising fears about the long-term survival of bilingual education in Western Thrace.
He called on Greece's Education Ministry to engage directly with minority representatives and school administrators to develop mutually acceptable solutions.
According to Ahmetoğlu, repeated requests over the past three decades to improve educational standards in minority schools have gone unanswered, contributing to growing frustration among parents and community leaders.
He said the lack of consultation had fueled concerns that the gradual closure of minority schools could ultimately undermine the community's educational institutions.
Minority representatives insist that their demands extend beyond keeping school buildings open, emphasizing the importance of ensuring children can receive quality education in both Turkish and Greek.
"This is an acquired right, and we want to exercise it," Ahmetoğlu underlined.
He stressed that minority families want their children to develop strong proficiency in Greek while retaining their native language and cultural heritage.
Ahmetoğlu described minority schools as institutions essential to preserving cultural continuity, identity and belonging, urging Greek authorities to recognize their importance.
Both representatives called for renewed dialogue with Athens and greater respect for the minority education framework established under international agreements.