İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Dergisi

Abstract

THE PROTESTING TELEGRAPHS SENT FROM THE CENTRE OF KONYA AND ITS DISTRICTS AGAINST THE OCCUPATION OF IZMIR BY GREEKS

Entente powers who began to share Anatolia after the Mondoros Armistice, gave the situation at Paris Conference, and occupation right of İzmir was given to Greece at Paris Conference. As a result, Greece occupied İzmir according to the is permission on 15th May 1919. Many Turks were killed during the occupation.

The occupation of İzmir was protested by the Turkish. Likewise the Rejection of Annexation Committee had organised a demonstration against the occupation in Maşatlık just before it happened, and the occupation was protested. Besides, the Rejection of Annexation Committee telegraphed to whole country, and the citizens in every part of the country were wanted to protest the occupation by telegraphs. The call from İzmir found the support from Anatolia and the occupation was protested by demonstrations and telegraphs.

The occupation of İzmir was also protested vehemently by Konya Province. In the telegraphs, the facts that the majority of population in İzmir was constituted by Turkish people, there is no case that needed to apply the seventh article of Mondoros Armistice and the occupation was unfair according to the Wilson Principles were emphasized vehemently.

Eventually, the demonstrations organised and the protesting telegraphs against the occupation of İzmir provided the development of national consciousness and prepared the rise of the National Struggle Movement.

Keywords: Occupation of İzmir, Konya, Protesting Telegraphs, Megali Idea, Greeks