ANKARA
Turkish Foreign Ministry has urged Greek authorities to thoroughly investigate recent incidents of suspected arson and vandalism attacks at two mosques in northeastern Greece, an official statement said Saturday.
The Turkish ministry said that it expected Greece to take all necessary measures to provide peace and safety to the Turkish minority community living in Greece's Western Thrace.
“Turkey requests Greek authorities to clarify as soon as possible the reason of these atrocious events, which occurred in sacred places for the Turkish minority of Western Thrace,” the statement said.
A fire broke out at a mosque just before Friday prayers in Komotini city in northeastern Greece that left the roof and interior damaged. Trees in the garden of another nearby mosque in the same area were also damaged in a separate suspected attack. Greek authorities had earlier said they would investigate the incidents to see if they were acts of arson and vandalism.
An elected mufti at the Komotini Ibrahim Sharif told The Anadolu Agency Friday that it was not yet known what exactly caused the fire in the mosque, but there was suspicion that the incidents at both the mosques were related and that there were acts of sabotage.
“These two incidents cannot be a coincidence. Personally, I think that it was sabotage,” the mufti said.
