North western part of Greece is home to a Turkish minority, descendants from the 500 year Ottoman rule of the region. These people are moslem, speak Turkish yet are not considered by Greece to be Turks, they are labeled as Greeks who believe in Islam. It is against Greek law to label these groups as Turks. Furthermore these populations are under a general pressure to change their religion, language and assimilate into the foreign distinctly different Greek-orthodox culture. Refusal results in a variety of abuse ranging from physical attacks to discrimination of various sorts.

Latest event in the region is the bombing of the Turkish Consulate in the region by Greek fanatics.