ETHNIC CLEANSING AND THE GREEK GENOCIDE

Today is the sad anniversary of the genocide of the Greek Christian population of Asia Minor by the Ottoman Turks, during World War I and its aftermath.  This dramatic event was instigated by the Ottoman Turks and was based on religion and nationality. 


Apparently, about one and a half million Greeks were either brutally massacred or sent on the notorious death marches and executions.  Some managed to flee to Greece and several found refuge in neighbouring Rusia.  The Turks also burnt anything that had a connection with Greek culture and religion such as churches, hospitals, libraries and museums.


The Allies of World War I condemned the Turkish government-sponsored massacres as crimes against humanity.  More recently, the International Association of Genocide Scholars passed a resolution, in 2017, recognising the Turkish brutal campaign against Christian minorities as genocide, as have the governments of Greece, Cyprus, the USA, Sweden, Armenia, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.


Greeks were in Asia Minor since the Late Bronze Age (1450 BC). The Greek poet Homer lived in the region around 800 BC and the geographer Strabo called Smyrna the first Greek city in Asia Minor.and numerous ancient Greeks were natives of the area including the renowned mathematician Thales from Miletus.


Greek referred to the Black Sea, euphemistically, as Euxinos Pontos (the hospitable sea).  By the 8th century BC, they began navigating its shores and settling down around its coasts.  The largest cities were Trebizond, Sampsouda, Sinope and Heraclea Pontica.


During the Hellenistic period (334 - 1st century BC), which followed the conquest of Alexander the Great, Greek culture and language began to dominate even the interior of Asia Minor. The Hellenisation of the area accelerated under Roman and Byzantine rule. and by the early centuries  AD, the local Indo-European languages had disappeared and were replaced by Koini Greek language. 


From this point on until the Middle Ages, all of the residents of Asia Minor were Orthodox Christians by religion and spoke Greek as their mother tongue.  So when the barbaric Turkish hordes attacked the area the Greek Christians were the largest ethnic and religious group. 

For All Who Were Slaughtered By The Turks