Turkey “distorts history” says Greece after claims it “annihilated Turks & Muslims”

In a statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry said “Turkey’s insistence on distorting History is unbecoming of a modern state.”

It called on “Turkey to reflect on its historical responsibilities, especially regarding its conduct towards the Greek minority.”

Turkey should follow Greece’s example and, at long last, work to consolidate good neighbourly relations in our region and, of course, its European perspective, the statement concluded.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday saying among others

We witness that Greece continues to take side with the hostile circles against Turkey and support their baseless stance and allegations.

Turkey has never forgotten the atrocities committed by Greece against Turks and other citizens of the Ottoman Empire. In this regard, it is a well-known fact that Greece has systematically annihilated Turks and Muslims in the region during and after the period of independence from the Ottoman Empire. Even today, Greece continues its inhumane practices against its Turkish minorities, taking it as far as to punish Muftis with imprisonment for performing a Friday prayer.”

Ibrahim Serif tweeted on Thursday that he was given a prison sentence of 80 days for “usurping authority” because he led the Friday prayers in a village in 2016.

Ibrahim Serif was elected as mufti in 1990 by the local Muslim population of Komotini, in Thrace, North-Eastern Greece.

However, Greece doe snot recognize “elected muftis” by only those appointed by the state

Muftis have the jurisdiction to decide on family and inheritance matters for local Muslims.