An analysis of the Muslim Turkish minority in Western Thrace within the framework of Will Kymlicka's "Liberal Theory of Minority Rights and Multicultural Citizenship"

This doctoral thesis examines the situation of the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority based on Will Kymlicka's "Liberal Theory of Minority Rights and Multicultural Citizenship." The main purpose of the research is to analyze why the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority has coexisted with the Orthodox majority in Greece for over a century without serious conflict, despite the violation of their rights recognized primarily by the Treaty of Lausanne and other international/bilateral agreements, and to compare this situation with Kymlicka's theoretical framework. To this end, a "case study" design from qualitative research methods was employed. Data were collected through literature review, archival research, and in-depth interviews with representatives from various segments of the minority community. While the study centers on Kymlicka's concepts such as national minorities, self-government rights, external protections, and internal restrictions, it also draws upon different theoretical approaches, including Charles Taylor's "politics of recognition" and Bhikhu Parekh's critiques of multiculturalism. The research findings indicate that the multicultural and conflict-free coexistence in Western Thrace has been sustained not primarily by Greece's tolerant policies, but rather by the minority's deep commitment to its own cultural identity, language, and religion, the legal security provided by the Treaty of Lausanne (external protections), and its internal social dynamics. The minority's demand for identity recognition and the challenges faced in areas like education, religious autonomy, and political representation reveal points of both convergence and divergence with Kymlicka's liberal theory of minority rights.