Modern historical context of the States of Greece and Turkey as it relates to the minority question

The question of minorities among the post-Ottoman States has had a great influence on the specific foreign policies followed by each particular country and has without doubt deep roots in history. The co-existence of minority and majority religious groups therefore creates an environment of religious pluralism within society. On the other hand, the religious identity of a particular State is actually a feature of national and international affairs in modern societies. This chapter examines the question of religious minorities as well as State religious identity in the context of modern Greece and Turkey. Education, particularly for minorities, is a complicated issue in Greece. Greece follows an education policy of minorities, which is based on a combination of intergovernmental agreements and protocols. The Turkish Ministry of Education provides textbooks and teaching materials that are used for the minority programme, while Greece provides the appropriate schoolbooks used for the Greek programme.