Greece has decided to close several more Turkish minority primary schools operating in Western Thrace; with these closures, the number of minority schools in the region has fallen from over 300 to under 100 in the past century. Greece attributes these closures to "declining student numbers"; minority representatives and Turkey view the decisions as an assimilation policy and a violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. So why exactly are these schools closing one by one? Let us examine both the current and historical background to the matter.
What Happened? The Latest Decision
The news that brought the issue to attention was a decision by the Greek Ministry of Education published in the Official Gazette, closing a group of Turkish minority primary schools in Western Thrace (the Greek name for the Thrace region; the main cities are Xanthi, Gümülcine/Rhodope, and Evros provinces). According to the source reporting the news, with this latest decision, the number of minority schools fell to 76. Different sources give the current total as approximately between 80 and 100; the exact figure varies depending on when and what was counted (primary schools only or including secondary-high schools). But the picture is clear: a continuous and almost one-directional decline has been happening for decades.
Western Thrace's Turkish Minority: A Brief Background
Western Thrace is a region in northeastern Greece, near the Turkish border. Here lives a Muslim-Turkish minority of approximately 100–150 thousand people, whose native language is Turkish. The existence of this community and its schools is no accident; it stems directly from the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Lausanne grants the Muslim minority in Western Thrace the right to education in their own language (in practice, Turkish). This right is tied to a principle of reciprocity (mutuality): the rights granted to the Muslim-Turkish minority in Western Thrace mirror those granted to the Greek-Orthodox minority in Istanbul, like two sides of a mirror. The two countries defined the framework of minority education through agreements signed in 1951 and 1968. As a result, bilingual minority schools (Turkish-Greek in Western Thrace and Greek-Turkish in Istanbul) were established on both sides.
How Did the Number of Schools Diminish?
Looking at the figures is enough to see how sharp the current picture is:
| Period | Turkish minority schools (approximate) |
|---|---|
| 1926 | 307 schools |
| Early 2000s | ~210 schools |
| 2011–2021 | 126 schools closed |
| 2025 | ~80–100 schools (varies by source) |
Another notable point is this: Closed schools are practically never reopened. Even if student numbers later increase, closed schools do not return to operation, as documented by both local and international monitoring organizations.
So Why Are They Closing? Two Narratives
This question has no single answer; understanding the situation requires reading both the official justification and the structural realities behind it.
1) Greece's official justification: Student numbers
Athens' explanation is straightforward: Schools with very few or no students are being closed for administrative and financial reasons. Indeed, in many village schools, student numbers have fallen to single digits. This is technically an accurate observation.
2) But why did student numbers decline? Structural causes
This is the truly critical question. For the decline in student numbers is not a neutral demographic story that occurred naturally; it is largely the result of migration and economic conditions:
- Economic backwardness: Western Thrace is one of Greece's least developed regions; per capita income is significantly below the national average.
- Migration waves: Following the tobacco crisis of the 1960s and 70s, many families lost their livelihood and migrated to Germany (today, tens of thousands of Western Thracian Turks live in Germany). Some also moved to Turkey or to major cities.
- Population erosion: The proportion of Turks in the region has declined from approximately two-thirds of the local population in the 1920s to roughly one-third today.
- Preference shift: Some families send their children to Greek-language public schools or private high schools rather than minority schools, believing their children will have stronger prospects in university and employment.
3) The minority's and Turkey's perspective: Assimilation and neglect
According to minority representatives and Turkey, however, the issue cannot be explained by demographics alone. In their view:
- The closures are part of a systematic assimilation policy and are permanent: even if numbers increase, schools are not reopened.
- Minority schools' curriculum, teacher training system, and textbooks have been neglected for decades. This neglect has accelerated families' departure from minority schools.
- This has created a vicious cycle: Neglect → families send children elsewhere → student numbers drop → "no students" so schools close → minority education weakens further.
For this reason, Turkey formally condemns the closure decisions; international human rights organizations (such as Minority Rights Group and Human Rights Watch) have also been reporting on the problems of minority education in Western Thrace for years.
Lausanne's Two Sides: The Reciprocity Principle
The most sensitive point of the issue is the reciprocity principle in Lausanne. Turkish minority schools in Western Thrace and Greek minority schools in Istanbul are legally considered mirror images. Throughout history, both communities have shrunk and minority schools on both sides have declined similarly. For this reason, each closure in Western Thrace is not just a local education matter; it is also read as a test of a historical balance and a treaty between two nations.
Why Does It Matter?
A school closing might look like a minor administrative action on paper. But for a minority, education in their own language is the most fundamental tool for transmitting identity, culture, and memory from generation to generation. The Western Thrace example shows how a community caught between two nations experiences strain at the intersection of demographics, economics, politics, and a century-old treaty. The short answer to "Why are they closing?" does not fit into a single sentence: it is a process combining both genuine population decline and the neglect and policies that accelerate it, and one difficult to reverse.
Note: This article is a background/explanatory piece based on open sources (Anadolu Agency and Turkish media, Minority Rights Group, Human Rights Watch, the Treaty of Lausanne text, and academic works). Since school numbers vary by source and date, the figures provided are approximate; for current official figures, we recommend consulting the relevant authorities.
