Balkans | The reaction of the Turks of Western Thrace to the football stadium project continues in the historic Turkish cemetery

Mustafa Trampa, the elected Mufti of Xanthi, said regarding the football stadium project in the historic Turkish cemetery, “Immediately after the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the municipality was forced to reverse this decision by holding a meeting again.” He said.

Mustafa Trampa, the elected Mufti of Xanthi, said that with the decision made by the municipality of Polostra in Western Thrace about a year ago, the construction work of a football field in the Ottoman-era Muslim cemetery belonging to the minority in Hurzlu village in Xanthi was a halt when Turkey took up the issue.

In a statement to the APS reporter, Trumpa stated that they started cleaning work at that time so that the cemetery would not appear deserted, and he said: “We carried out a cleaning operation that lasted about 6 months with the construction equipment that we allocated by the government. The municipality, under the supervision of our religious officials working in the neighboring villages “All this happened with the efforts of the late Mufti Ahmed Matti. Shortly after the cleaning work, the municipality tried to occupy the place. We learned that he plans to convert part of the cemetery into a sports stadium.”

The decision was withdrawn after the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Trumpa stated that the tombstones were dismantled and broken within the scope of the works, and that the works were stopped after Turkey published a statement on the matter. Follow Trump:

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made a very important statement about the monarchy. They stated that this was not possible at all and were condemned. After this statement, the case acquired an international dimension. Immediately after the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the municipality was forced to convene a meeting again and withdraw this decision.

Trampa said: “The steps taken to preserve the land as a cemetery have been overshadowed by the Greek authorities. Greece is doing its best to remove traces of Ottoman historical monuments such as baths, mosques, madrasahs and tombs, all over the country and in western Thrace.” Use the phrase.

“We saw the disappearance of the remains of our historical ancestors”

Xanthi’s deputy from the Radical Left Coalition in Syria, Hussein Zaybek, stated that the relevant authorities were contacted immediately after the incident and that the opposition opposed this decision as a whole staff.

“We saw that the historical monuments of our ancestors were destroyed by the destruction of an old cemetery dating back to the Ottoman era by the municipality,” Zebek said, adding that the main problem is the lack of a committee to manage the institution. In that village, and the municipality took advantage of this opportunity and presented a project to Parliament with a project to make it a gymnasium, and he told me that he was coming.

In expressing the difference between Muslim cemeteries and Christian cemeteries, Zebek indicated that ownership of Muslim cemeteries belongs to the minority, and that they remain cemeteries even if they are not used.

Zebek stressed that the legal process on this issue has been deliberately delayed, and stated that if the government changes, a different perspective will be brought to the issue.

Zebek also said that the stones removed from the tomb were taken under the protection of the Western Thracian Turkic community of Xanthi.

Greece’s attempt to build a football stadium in the Turkish cemetery

In March, Balustara municipality workers began working on the historic cemetery and almost destroyed the cemetery.

Local media reports said that the mayor of Balostra, Yorgos Chytridis, admitted that the place in question was a Muslim cemetery, but that there was no board of trustees in the village, and that it was decided to build a football field in the historic cemetery. .

The work was halted following the reaction of the Ministry of External Affairs and Xanthi-like MPs to the decision.

“Necessary initiatives have been taken by Greece with regard to inhumane action”

In a written statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the destruction of the cemetery on March 16 was condemned and “necessary steps have been taken by Greece with regard to the inhumane act understood to have been carried out by order of the mayor of Paulostra (Avdera).” The expression was included.

The statement said that the Greek authorities, who responded positively to Turkey’s initiatives, were expected to complete the investigation they had begun by showing the necessary sensitivity and to restore the cemetery as soon as possible.

AA