Hasan Karaali Hodja,who is performing his duty in the Ibrahim Pap Mosque, was not appointed by the
elected Mufti of The Turkish Community in Western Thrace,He is only an officer appointed by the Greek
Administration.The Turks in Rhodes do not have respect for this MOfti.They firmly believe that Hasan
Karaali Hodja can not represent the Turkish Community as he only serves the interests Evkaf
idaresi(Evkaf Foundation),which was also governed by the Greek authorities.
Therefore, 4 or 5 very old Turks among 4200 Moslim Turks go to worship in the Ibrahim Pap Mosque on
Fridays.
The rest of the Moslims who worship on Fridays in Ibrahim Pap Mosque are Moslims from Benglades
and Pakistan.
In short,the Greek Goverments deny the national identity of our Turkish community in Rhodes and Kos
but accept only their religious identy as Moslim Greek Citizens. Yet,there is a paradox in the present
policy of the Greek Goverments.Though they define the Turks in Rhodes and Kos as Moslim Greek
citizens,they do not allow them to learn their own religion,Islam.
As for the Mosques,the present situation is discouraging.The only mosque open to Moslim Turkish
Workshippers,The Ibrahim Pap Mosque, is open at noon and on Fridays.Also,the mosque is not big
enough compared to the number of the Moslim Turkish worshippers.
Suleymaniye Mosque,which was closed in 1978,and presently used as a museum,has only been open to
the Moslim worshippers on Ramadan and Holy Sacrifice days since 2010.In Kos,only the Germe Mosque
is open to the Moslim worshippers. The Defterdar Ibrahim Pap Mosque,which is in the center of Kos,is
open to the Moslim Turkish worshippers only on fridays under the supervision of the imam appointed by
the Greek authorities.
The Greek Authorities restored the Ali Hilmi Pap Mosque and changed it to the Cyprus House.They
restored the mesjid of war grave as a health center and the mesjid in the Katavya Village to be used as
a cafeteria.They also changed the school in the Gani Ahmet Region to a block of apartments.
Furthermore, the Greek authorities are planning to pull down the mosque in Salakoz.They are also
planning to change the Office of the Mufti in Murat Reis KUlliyesi to a conservatuary building.There are
several other examples to be added to our list.