Greece is facing criticism for its decision to close four Turkish minority primary schools in a move that critics say is aimed at curbing the right to education for Turks in the country. According to TRT World, the government plans to shut down schools located in Western Thrace, an area with a dense Turkish population. The affected schools are the Hacioren, Keziren, and Payamlar primary schools in Rhodope and the Karakoy primary school in Xanthi (Iskece), all located in northern Greece.
Authorities justify the closures by claiming a “lack of students,” but the Turkish minority sees it as a ploy to force their children into Greek public schools. Local leaders and representatives of the Turkish minority have denounced the government’s action, calling it a systematic plan to diminish the presence of minority schools without consulting the affected communities.
The closures are part of a broader trend to reduce the number of minority schools in Greece, which would decrease from 307 in 1926 to 86 if the recent decision is implemented. Last year, the Eastern Macedonian State of Thrace’s Regional Directorate of First and Second-Grade Schools announced the closure of six Turkish schools in the Rodop (Rhodopi) prefecture and two others in the Iskece (Xanthi).
In 2022, Turkey condemned the closure of four schools by Greek authorities, stating that it violated the Lausanne Peace Treaty signed in 1923, which established rules for the Turkish-Muslim minority in Greece. The Turks in Western Thrace, Greece are home to around 150,000 ethnic Turks whose status was defined by the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty. Their rights were further safeguarded through bilateral and multilateral agreements between the two countries and with the help of other European nations.
Turkey has repeatedly accused Greece of violating the right to education for Turkish minorities. Notably, Articles 40 and 41 of the Treaty of Lausanne grant the minority the right to education in their native language and autonomy in managing educational institutions. However, with these closures, many argue that Greece is failing to meet its treaty obligations.
Last year, a report by Human Rights Watch highlighted the Greek administration’s irregular execution of the Treaty of Lausanne, leading to a “poorly organized” and neglected educational system for the Turkish minority. The closure of schools is not the only challenge faced by the Turkish minority in Greece when seeking education. Other issues include a mixed administrative system, poorly qualified teachers, a lack of bilingual kindergartens, the closure and merging of elementary schools, limited secondary schools, outdated and insufficient learning materials, and the absence of a curriculum for teaching Greek as a second language.
Since 2011, there has been a steady increase in the systematic closure of Turkish minority primary schools in Greece. Each time, the Greek administration claimed it was due to the “absence of students.”
