10 July 1921: 700,000 Greeks Victims of Turks, New York Times

nyt 10july1921

700,000 GREEKS VICTIMS OF TURKS
Charge Made by Washington Legation, Which Puts Dead at That Figure.
KILLINGS AND DEPORTATIONS
These, With Famine, Said to Have Been Responsible for the Tragedy in Asia Minor.


The New York Times,
10 July 1921.


     Special to The New York Times.
   WASHINGTON,  July 9. - Nearly 700,-
000 Greeks have been massacred,  de-
ported, or  have died  of  famine since
the war  with Turkey began, according
to a statement  given out today by the
Greek Legation.  Half of  these  victims
are said to have been Greeks of Pontus
and the others  were  from the interior
of  Asia  Minor.  Part  of the statement
follows:
   "American travelers  and others  just
arriving here from Samsoun, said a dis-
patch from Constantinople, report  hor-
rible details of the persecutions of Chris-
tian populations in that region. The no-
torious murderous chief, Osman Agha,
arrived at Samsun  the second  day of
Bairam,  a Turkish  holiday  similar  to
Easter, inaugurating his  entry  by  the
murder of ten Greeks.  hen, surround-
ing the stores of the American Tobacco
Company, he  arrested  all  the  Greek
clerks, numbering about 800, and had
them transported to an unknown desti-
nation. The Greek  quarter  was  then
surrounded and 1,500 other Greeks ar-
rested and  deported  to  the  interior.
   "The  population  of thirty  other  vil-
lages in the Samsoun region were mas-
sacred  while they   were  being  trans-
ported to the place of exile. The Turkish
authorities prohibited  the  use  of  the
waters of the river contaminated by the
bodies.  Other villages  having  refused
to comply  with the  deportation  order,
were set on fire by the Turks, and the
inhabitants, regardless of age and sex,
were killed.
   "The   American  commission    which
went to this place reported these crimes
and brought back burned bones, which
were shown  to  the  Turkish Governor.
   "Since the  beginning of the  war  the
Turks have exterminated by massacres,
deportations and through  famine  more
than 350,000 Greeks of the Pont (Pontus,
district of  Asia  Minor bordering on the
Black Sea)  and as many  other  Greeks
from the interior  of  Asia  Minor.  This
work  of  extermination  of  an  entire
peaceful population is pursued right be-
fore the  eyes  of  the  civilized world.
   "The Ecumenic Patriarchate is much
worried by reports which are constantly
coming  in   from   Metropolitans,   re-
garding massacres  and  persecution of
Greeks in the interior. The Patriarchate
is preparing for the British  High   Com-
missioner a long memorandum showing
in detail the   Turkish crimes.  At   the
same time the Patriarchate will call the
attention of the   interallied authorities
to violations by the Turks of the regula-
tions laid down by  the interallied  con-
trol at Constantinople   in the arrest of
Greeks coming  from Ismid  and  other
localities of Marmora, under the pretext
that they had participated in activities
against the Turks."


The New York Times, 10 July 1921. Source

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