Ahmet Mete, controversial ‘mufti’ among Greek Muslims, dies

By COSTAS KANTOURIS and DEMETRIS NELLAS
Associated Press

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Ahmet Mete, who was recognized by Turkey but not by Greece as the elected mufti for the Muslim population in Greece’s Xanthi region, died Thursday at age 57. His family did not give a cause of death Thursday, but he had been suffering from cancer for several years. Under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the Greek state is responsible for enforcing Islamic law in its Muslim minority and appoints the religious officials known as muftis. But Turkey has encouraged Greek Muslims to elect their own muftis in the regional units of Xanthi and Rodopi. Greece does not recognize the elected muftis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged in a tweet the passing of “our deceased teacher.”