Turkey Urges Greece to Investigate Mosque Attacks

The Turkish Foreign Ministry asked Greek authorities to investigate two mosque attacks in Komotini, northeastern Greece.

“Turkey requests Greek authorities to clarify, as soon as possible, the reason of these atrocious incidents that occurred in sacred places for the Turkish minority of Western Thrace,” said the official statement released on Saturday.

Two suspected arson attacks took place in two different mosques in Komotini on Friday, just before prayers. A fire damaged the roof and the interior of one mosque, while another fire broke out in the garden trees of a nearby mosque.

The Turkish Ministry said they expect Greek authorities to investigate the incidents and protect the area’s Turkish minority.

Greek authorities said they will investigate to see if the incidents are acts of arson or vandalism.

An elected mufti in Komotini told Turkish “Anadolu Agency” on Friday that the cause of the fires is not yet known but he suspects that they are acts of arson.

“These two incidents cannot be a coincidence. Personally, I think it was sabotage,” the mufti said.