by Prof. Dr. Mevlüt Çelebi, Ege University Izmir
I. During the World War, Britain, France and Russia made some promises to Italy and Greece in order to get them to join the war on their side. Izmir was promised to both Greece and Italy. After the Armistice of Mudros signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Entente States, there was a great struggle between Italy and Greece in Izmir and at the Paris Peace Conference. The British supported Greece, which they saw as a more controllable state in the Eastern Mediterranean instead of a strong Italy. With the acceptance of France and the United States of America, they decided at the Paris Peace Conference that Greek troops would occupy Smyrna on 6 May 1919.
Greek troops started to occupy Izmir on 15 May 1919. Italian journalist Ernesto Vassalo, who followed the occupation from the Italian ship anchored at the dock, published his thoughts and impressions about the occupation of Izmir in Il Tempo newspaper on 7 and 9 June 1919 for two days. Firstly, the Italian journalist described the preparations for the invasion and the day of the invasion as follows:
“Without the energetic support and even direction of the Allies, especially Britain, Greece would never have occupied Smyrna and would never have been able to advance inland as it is now doing. As a result of Allied solidarity, many American, British and French ships, as well as the Greek warships Averoff, Kilkis and Limnos, entered Smyrna waters.
‘Why have they come? Everyone, especially the Turks, asked with curiosity and fear. ‘To restore or secure public order? No. Public order was never disturbed… The city of Smyrna woke up on the morning of 15 May as calm as ever, but soon the Greek population, unusually, hoisted a large number of Greek, British, French and American flags, which seemed to foreshadow the events to come… At eight o’clock the first seven Greek ships entered the bay in convoy, escorted by British and Greek warships. A large Greek crowd had gathered along the quay.
The Turks were waiting with curiosity. Among the crowd were the Greek Metropolitan with his piercing gaze and the leaders of the Greek community… The moment when the first Greek soldier stepped ashore, carrying the standard of the regiment of the First Division, was a moment of great emotion for the Greek crowd present. Then hundreds of soldiers lined up behind the standard bearer. The Metropolitan moved the holy cross to welcome them. The cheers of the surging crowd echoed; flowers were sprinkled liberally on the soldiers. At 10.20 a.m., the soldiers marched along the promenade, accompanied by music, flagbearers and an enthusiastic crowd of Greek people.
The march along the quay ended when they reached Konak Square and suddenly a gunshot was heard. There was panic and general confusion. This was followed by other gunshots. One after another gunshots were heard; more and more intense. There was confusion and panic. The crowd that had filled the square started to run towards Kordon, but the road was blocked by soldiers and the cortege. Those fleeing back towards the city center flowed like a river. Many threw themselves into the sea out of fear. After recovering from the initial surprise, the Greek soldiers opened heavy fire on the Turkish barracks and on houses where they suspected shots had been fired. The crack of a machine gun was also heard. The governor was inside the Konak with some officials and those who had fled there, who advised the raising of the white flag as a sign of surrender. But no one dared to do so. Finally a white sheet was found and brought to the Konak.
As soon as the firing ceased, a large-scale arrest of Turks began. The arrested were largely in groups, with their hands on their heads, coming out of the governor’s office or the barracks, having been wounded in the initial firing and hospitalized. They were greeted with spittle and insults, with pointed pieces of metal or with stocks and grips. They were caught in the middle of soldiers with bayonets. They were directed to Greek ships where there was no preparation for detention. They often had to shout three times ‘Zito Venizelos! The voices of frightened and terrified old men, women and Turkish soldiers could be heard: Venizelos! In the street the torture of the prisoners increased. The Greek crowd laughed at them.
The prisoners, bruised and battered, with blood dripping from every side, could barely walk and begged for mercy. Pistol shots were fired from the windows of some Greek houses at the prisoners walking on the shore among the Greek soldiers. Many local Greeks, dressed as soldiers, were excited to massacre the Turks. The fez became an occasion for killing. Along the promenade, those who had fallen to the ground – shot or merely wounded – were stripped of their valuables and thrown into the sea. On the main street, an Allied officer saw a Greek approach a Turkish man held in handcuffs between two Greek soldiers and shoot him in the back of the head. Greek youths were having fun.
A Turkish lieutenant-colonel, dripping with blood like the other prisoners, was pushed forward by Greek soldiers. He was seen to fall on one knee. The Turkish officer, over fifty years old, exhausted and in pain, fell to the ground a few meters from the Italian battleship Bronzetti. Greek soldiers passing by the Turkish colonel kicked and jeered him. A Greek soldier approached the old Turkish officer – moaning on his knees – drank the water he had brought to his mouth with his palms, and bayoneted him in the back. There was a Greek officer very close by, but he remained indifferent. The Turkish officer was carried by our sailors to the deck of our ship Duilio, where the doctor was. He was then transferred to a hospital in the city.
Some of the Greek people sought personal revenge. They helped Greek soldiers to arrest Turks and their great hatred of the Turks found a space to explode. Local Greeks were seen traveling by themselves or with Greek patrols on their heads. On the night of 15 May different and exaggerated figures are given about the deaths. Reliable sources have assured me of the following death figures: 300 Turks, 100 Greeks and 2 Greek soldiers. At the same time, Turkish stores in the market and in many parts of the city were being looted, while Turks were being arrested everywhere. The city was left to the greedy and thieving Greek rabble. Doors were smashed, everything that a lesser man could do was done. The Turkish police were either arrested or disappeared. Murderers and thieves ruled. Most of the robberies were committed by armed Greeks who broke into the houses of wealthy Turks and took their money, jewellery and silverware under threat.”
1 “The Occupation of Izmir from the Pen of an Italian Journalist“, Journal of Contemporary Turkish Historical Studies, -Special Issue on the Occupation of Izmir-, Volume: XIX, Issue: Special, Year: 2019, pp. 131-154.