World War I and its aftermath Greeks in Turkey

given large greek populations, constantinople , asia minor featured prominently in greek irredentist concept of megali idea (lit. great idea ) during 19th century , 20th century. goal of megali idea liberation of greek-inhabited lands , eventual establishment of successor state byzantine empire constantinople capital.

during world war , aftermath (1914–1923), government of ottoman empire instigated violent campaign against greek population of empire. campaign included massacres, forced deportations involving death marches, , summary expulsions. according various sources, several hundred thousand ottoman greeks died during period. of survivors , refugees, in eastern provinces, took refuge in neighbouring russian empire.

following greece s participation on allied side in world war i, , participation of ottoman empire on side of central powers, greece received order land in smyrna triple entente part of planned partition of ottoman empire.

on may 15, 1919, twenty thousand greek soldiers landed in smyrna, taking control of city , surroundings under cover of greek, french, , british navies. legal justifications landings found in article 7 of armistice of mudros, allowed allies occupy strategic points in event of situation arising threatens security of allies. greeks of smyrna , other christians, greeted greek troops liberators. contrast, majority of muslim population saw them invading force.

greece subsequently awarded eastern thrace chatalja lines @ outskirts of constantinople, islands of imbros , tenedos, , city smyrna , vast hinterland treaty of sèvres, of contained substantial greek populations.

greek soldiers taking posts in smyrna amidst jubilant ethnic greek population of city, 15 may 1919.

during greco-turkish war, conflict followed hellenic occupation of smyrna in may 1919 , continued until great fire of smyrna in september 1922, atrocities perpetrated both hellenic , turkish armies. massacres occurred during greco-turkish war of 1919–1922, british historian arnold j. toynbee wrote greek landings created turkish national movement led mustafa kemal: greeks of pontus , turks of greek occupied territories, in degree victims of mr. venizelos s , mr. lloyd george s original miscalculations @ paris.

after end of greco-turkish war, of greeks remaining in ottoman empire transferred greece under terms of 1923 population exchange between greece , turkey. criteria population exchange not exclusively confined ethnicity or mother language, on religion well. why karamanlides (greek: Καραμανλήδες; turkish: karamanlılar), or karamanlis, turkish-speaking (while employed greek alphabet write it) greek orthodox people of unclear origin , deported native regions of karaman , cappadocia in central anatolia greece well. on other hand, cretan muslims part of exchange re-settled on aegean coast of turkey, in areas formerly inhabited christian greeks. populations of greek descent can still found in pontos, remnants of former greek population converted islam in order escape persecution , later deportation. though these 2 groups of ethnic greek descent, speak turkish mother language , cautious identify greeks, due hostility of turkish state , neighbours towards greek.