THE MIRACLE A True Story view, that things have turned out like this. At least you children will have a far better chance of making a life for yourselves in Athens, where there is freedom and equality. Here in Turkey, the future for us Greeks in Constantinople is very black. The Turks cite - and implement - the agreements which serve their interests but write off and completely ignore those parts of the agreements they have signed that don't suit them. Look at the way they have used the Treaty of Lausanne which ended the war with Greece in 1923: before the Treaty was signed, there were 300,000 Greeks in Constantinople and another 15,000 on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos. The Turks agreed - ostensibly with difficulty - to exempt Constantinople, Imvros and Tenedos from the agreement on the population exchanges; this was to be offset by the 80,000 Muslims living in Western Thrace, who would not be returned to Turkey. The aim of the Turks was quite clear: they wanted to maintain a Muslim population in Western Thrace, as the Treaty of Lausanne provided, since this served their interests.    "Meanwhile they had plans ready to wipe out the entire Greek population in Turkey, never mind what it said in the Treaty! They began with Imvros and Tenedos. Although the islands were Greek - like all the Aegean islands - they were ceded to Turkey, supposedly for security reasons, as they lay at the entrance to the Dardanelles. However, according to Article 14 of the Treaty of Lausanne, these two islands would have a separate administration and the non-Muslim population would be given guarantees regarding their safety and the protection of their property, their religion, their education and their language.    "What nonsense! The Turks sign things and then proceed to ignore them. Before the ink had dried on the Treaty they had signed, the Turks had closed the Greek schools on the two islands and banned the instruction of the Greek language. Greek children were sent to attend Turkish schools. In 1943, the property owned by the monasteries at Lavra and Koutloumousion were confiscated and the buildings given to Lazes whom they brought over as settlers. Bit by bit, of course, under such conditions of oppression and persecution, the Greek population on Imvros and Tenedos was reduced to next to nothing. We've already heard that a dissolution programme is being put into effect, aimed at removing all traces of Hellenism from these Greek islands and at the same time making them completely Turkish.    "In the meantime, of course, it's been our turn here in Constantinople. In 1928 the Turks burnt Tatavla and renamed it Kurtulus. In 1930, Greeks were banned from certain professions to prevent them from making money. In 1941, the special labour battalions were thought up. In 1942 came the destructive property tax which it was impossible to pay, and more forced labour camps. The looting of our property in 1955 was carried out under the guidance and organisation of the official Turkish state. You were very young then, but I'm sure you remember what a narrow escape I had - otherwise I'd have been dead now.    "And now, in 1964, they are callously deporting us without the slightest grounds for doing so and on the basis of only a summary and totally heartless procedure. What kind of a future can we have in a country which captured our land through violence and bloodshed, and doesn't want us here?    "So let's go to Greece, where the air has the breath of freedom and where if we work as hard as we do here, I'm sure we'll have a much better life.    "Now I want you to go to sleep like good children, and have faith in God."    As my father finished, my mother was unable to hold back any longer and throwing herself into his arms, burst into tears. A few moments later my sister did likewise.    My father managed to stay calm.    "Please don't behave like this! Didn't we say we must show courage and patience? What sort of patience is this, drowned in tears? Off you go to bed, so that I can get a few hours' rest. Don't forget what tomorrow has in store for me ..." 35 to 38 Leonidas Koumakis THE MIRACLE A True Story If you prefer a hard copy of the book, please send an email to HEC-Books@hec.greece.org Previous Page | Initial Page | Site Map | Next Page (39th of 204) © For Internet 2001 HEC and Leonidas Koumakis. Updated on 19 June 2001.