National Remembrance Day for the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor

·

The National Remembrance Day for the Genocide of Asia Minor Greeks by the Turkish state was established by a unanimous decision of the Greek Parliament on September 24, 1998 and is celebrated every year on September 14. 

The initiative was taken by three PASOK MPs of Asian Minor descent, Giannis Kapsis, Giannis Diamantidis and Giannis Charalambous, who submitted the relevant bill on May 12, 1997.

To mark the national day, we take a look back at the events leading up to the tragic genocide.

Hellenism in Asia Minor:

Smyrna, the modern-day city of Izmir on the Turkish coast of the Aegean sea, was undoubtedly one of the wealthiest cities of the Ottoman Empire.

Smyrna was undoubtedly one of the wealthiest cities of the Ottoman Empire.

It was home to one of the largest populations of Greeks and Armenians in the Empire. Together, they constituted the Christian community of the city, which lived peacefully side by side with the Muslim and the Jewish communities for centuries.

However, politics, and the competing interests of the main global powers, alongside the rising tide of nationalism and the outbreak of the First World War, were the factors that determined the fate of Smyrna and its citizens for the rest of the twentieth century and beyond.

The Genocide of Greeks in Asia Minor:

As part of the Greco-Turkish War, which raged from 1919 to 1922, Greece’s armed forces went to Smyrna on May 15, 1919. For a brief time, it appeared that the extermination of the Hellenic race had ceased.

But after major military and political errors made by the Greek government, the Turkish army regained control of the city on September 9, 1922.

The great fire of Smyrna began on September 13, 1922, and lasted for approximately nine full days, until September 22.

Eyewitness reports state that the great fire of Smyrna began a few days later on September 13, 1922, and lasted for approximately nine full days, until September 22.

The fire’s results were catastrophic – Over 100,000 Greeks and 30,000 Armenians were killed.

The number of refugees who were forced to leave the city and its surrounding countryside was between 25,000 and 100,000.

Churches, ornate villas, and mansions of great architectural importance, as well as schools and entire market areas, were gone forever without a trace.

The city suffered such enormous damage to its infrastructure that much of it literally had to be rebuilt from the ashes.

Today, the area is an enormous park, known as Kültürpark in Turkish, which serves as Turkey’s largest open-air exhibition center. There are no reminders there of the glory which once was Smyrna.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

‘Bad habits’ turned good: Greece’s massive Op Shop and its charismatic founder

'Paliosinitheies' (Bad Habits in English) is Greece's largest ‘Opportunity’ or ‘Op Shop’ - as we Aussies call it.

Father Dimitri Tsakas’ bold take on papal diplomacy in ‘Between Altars and Alliances’

Father Dimitri Tsakas, a Greek Orthodox priest, offers a rich, expansive, and intellectually sophisticated exploration of Pope Francis' diplomatic legacy.

Artificial Intelligence boosts wildfire detection in Cyprus

As Cyprus faces another intense summer with growing wildfire risks, the Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia is adopting AI.

I understand Greek but struggle to speak it – how can I overcome that barrier

Understanding but not speaking is a common experience of heritage language or background language communities. 

Cyprus: Historical and political responsibilities of a national tragedy (Part 2)

In the previous article, we mentioned that with the Annan Plan we would now have a Federation of two states.

You May Also Like

Mitsotakis calls for sanctions against Turkey in meeting with Cypriot President

The Greek Prime Minister has demanded a more "comprehensive European response” to a country who "asserts the role of the regional trouble-maker".

Peter Mallios awarded the Football NSW State Award

Peter Mallios was awarded the Football NSW State Award at an awards night in Sydney on Saturday, October 29.

Sydney fundraiser to be held for Professor Apostolopoulos’ cancer research

A special fundraiser pop-up event is set to take place at AHEPA NSW Hall to support the research of Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos.