Menemen massacre
The Menemen Massacre occurred on June 16–17, 1919 in the town of Menemen.[1] It happened during the Greco Turkish war of 1919-1922. Victims were estimated to be between 100 and 1.000.
Background
Menemen was an Ottoman town in which Greeks and Turks lived together. After the Ottomans lost World War I, Greek troops landed at the coastal town of Smyrna. One Greek detachement occpied Menemen. The Turkish nationalist movement began an armed resistance against the Greeks. There was a battle at the town of Bergama after which the Greek troops retreated. They passed along Menemen where a massacre took place against local Turkish civilians. The events were investigated by a Western delegation, they estimated that between 100 and 200 Turks had been killed and 200 wounded[2] , the Turks themselves claimed 1000 dead. The British reported that the presence of British officers restrained the Greeks in their excesses.[3]
References
- ↑ United States Department of State / Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919 (1919), page 70 [1]
- ↑ Report of the Inter-Allied Commission of Inquiry (May-September 1919) Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine by the Members of the Commission; Adm. Bristol, the US Delegate - Gen. Hare, the British Delegate - Gen. Bunoust, the French Delegate - Gen. Dall'Olio, the Italian Delegate. The statements in defense of the Greek government presented by Col. Mazarakis.
- ↑ Foreign Office document FO 371/4220, № 112194, Calthorpe to Curzon, Constantinople, 22 July 1919.
