Turks of Western Thrace information

Turks of Western Thrace
Batı Trakya Türkleri
Τούρκοι της Δυτικής Θράκης
Total population
	50,000–120,000
Regions with significant populations
	Western Thrace
Languages
	Turkish, Greek
Religion
	mostly Sunni Islam, minority Alevism
Related ethnic groups
	Turks

Turks of Western Thrace (Turkish: Batı Trakya Türkleri; Greek: Τούρκοι της Δυτικής Θράκης, romanized: Toúrkoi tis Dytikís Thrákis) are ethnic Turks who live in Western Thrace, in the province of East Macedonia and Thrace in Northern Greece.

According to the Greek census of 1991, there were approximately 50,000 of Turkish origin in Western Thrace, out of the approximately 98,000 strong Muslim minority of Greece.^[2] Other sources estimate the size of the Muslim community between 90,000 and 120,000.^[3]^[4] Their community of Western Thrace is not to be confused with Pomaks nor with Muslim Roma people of the same region, counting 35% and 15% of the Muslim minority respectively.^[5]^[6]

Due to the multiethnic character of the Muslim minority of Greece, which includes Greek Muslims, Turks, Pomaks and Roma Muslims, the Government of Greece does not refer to it by a specific ethnic background, nor does recognize any of these ethnicities, including the Turks, as separate ethnic minority in Western Thrace,^[3] instead referring to the whole Muslim minority on religious grounds, as the "Muslim Minority of Western Thrace" or "Greek Muslims". This is in accordance with the Treaty of Lausanne to which Greece, along with Turkey, is a signature member. The Lausanne Treaty, along with the Greek Constitution and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, enshrines the fundamental rights of the Turks and other ethnic groups of East Macedonia and Thrace and the obligations towards them.

^ Ersan, Mehmet Özgür (17 April 2018). Sarı Saltuk. Salon Yayinlari. p. 9. ISBN 978-605-9530-56-9. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
^ Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The Muslim Minority of Greek Thrace". Retrieved 2010-01-20.
^ ^a ^b Whitman 1990, i.
^ Levinson 1998, 41.
^ Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών, Υπηρεσία Ενημέρωσης: Μουσουλμάνικη μειονότητα Θράκης
^ Greek Helsinki Monitor: Religious freedom in Greece

[1] Ersan, Mehmet Özgür (17 April 2018). Sarı Saltuk. Salon Yayinlari. p. 9. ISBN 978-605-9530-56-9. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

[2] Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The Muslim Minority of Greek Thrace". Retrieved 2010-01-20.

[Whitman_1990_loc=i-3] Whitman 1990, i.

[4] Levinson 1998, 41.

[5] Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών, Υπηρεσία Ενημέρωσης: Μουσουλμάνικη μειονότητα Θράκης

[6] Greek Helsinki Monitor: Religious freedom in Greece

Turks of Western Thrace information

and 29 Related for: Turks of Western Thrace information

Turks of Western Thrace

Western Thrace

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe

Muslim minority of Greece

Provisional Government of Western Thrace

Turks in Greece

Turks in Europe

Turkish diaspora

Turkish people

East Thrace

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Turks in Germany

Turks of the Dodecanese

Islam in Greece

British Turks

Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation

Oghuz Turks

Turks in Berlin

Thrace

Greek nationality law

Turks in the Balkans

Immigration to Turkey

Turks in the Netherlands

List of minority political parties

Treaty of Lausanne

Demographics of Greece

Albanians of Western Thrace

Second Hellenic Republic

Komotini

Turkish people
Part of a series of articles on

People List of Turkish people
Population Traditional Areas of Turkish Settlement Turkish majorities: Turkey Northern Cyprus Turkish minorities in the Balkans: Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Greece Kosovo Montenegro North Macedonia Romania Serbia Turkish minorities in the Caucasus: Azerbaijan Georgia (Abkhazia and Meskhetia) Turkish minorities in the Levant: Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon Syria Turkish minorities in North Africa: Algeria Egypt Libya Tunisia Other Turkish minorities: Hungary Saudi Arabia Yemen Modern Turkish diasporas Turkish diasporas in Europe: Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Turkish diasporas in the Americas: Canada Mexico United States Turkish diasporas in Central Asia: Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Turkish diasporas in Oceania: Australia New Zealand Other Turkish diasporas: Japan Kuwait Pakistan Qatar South Africa United Arab Emirates
History Prehistory of Anatolia Prehistory of Eastern Thrace Classical Anatolia Byzantine Anatolia The Seljuqs Anatolian beyliks Ottoman Empire Republic of Turkey
Culture Architecture Art Carpets Cinema Cuisine Culture of the Ottoman Empire Dance Festivals Folklore Literature Miniature Music Nazar boncuğu Public holidays Shadow plays Sports Theatre
Languages Turkish Cypriot Turkish Ottoman Turkish Karamanli Turkish Old Anatolian Turkish Oghuz Turkic & Altaic
Religion Atatürk's Reforms Secularism Freedom of religion Presidency of Religious Affairs Islam (Mosques) Christianity Judaism Bahá'í Faith
v t e