Türkiye condemns attack on Turkish minority school in Greece

ISTANBUL

Türkiye condemned on Friday an attack carried out by unidentified individuals on a Turkish minority primary school in the village of Karacaoglan in Greece’s Rodopi region of Western Thrace.

“We condemn the attack carried out by unidentified individuals against the primary school belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in the village of Karacaoglan in the Western Thrace region, which was closed by Greek authorities in the 2021-2022 academic year,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on US social media company X.

Emphasizing that responsibility must be established regardless of who carried out the attack, Keceli said Greece is expected to clarify the incident, promptly identify the perpetrators, and take the necessary measures.

“We share the sorrow of our kin living in Karacaoglan and emphasize that, as Türkiye, we will continue to closely follow and defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, which are guaranteed under the Lausanne Peace Treaty,” he added.

The attack in Karacaoglan village came to light on Jan. 4, when local residents noticed the damage, after which police launched an investigation.

The Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board also condemned the attack, recalling that a similar incident had occurred previously as well.