The Society for the Study of Greek History
Nikis 50A, GR-10558, Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Tel +30 1 3222052, Fax +30 1 3252285
E-mail sotgeorg@tee.gr

        August 31, 2001

The Honorable Don Siegelman
Governor of Alabama
State Capitol
Room N-104
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
USA

Dear Governor,

It has come to our attention through the public media, that you have recently proclaimed August 30 as "A Day of Remembrance of the Turkish Tragedy for Liberation to Sovereignty and Independence", at the instigation of an organization called "The Friends of Turkey". We take it this was certainly done in good faith and in the absence of relevant historical facts.

The true events of the brutal persecutions of its Christians subjects by Turkey, even before the involvement of Turkey in the 1914-18 WW I, are accounted for in the book of the Jewish denomination American Ambassador to Turkey 1913-16 Henry Morgenthau, titled "The Secrets of the Bosphorus".

An other authoritative eyewitness testimony of what really transpired in 1922 during the destruction of Smyrna, has been provided by the then American General Consul in the city, George Horton, who already had an about 30 year diplomatic service in this part of the world and can be found in his reports to the State Department, as well as in his book titled "The blight of Asia", first published thereafter in the USA.

We take the liberty to enclose a copy of each of the above two books, reprinted recently by our Society, for your kind consideration and information. You are also invited to visit the overwhelming accumulated third party solid evidence presented at the URL www.greece.org/genocide/quotes about the Genocide of Greeks by Turks, prepared by the Brazilian Roberto Lopes.

Having familiarized your self with the truth of the matter, you will undoubtedly realize that the victims were not the Turks, but the Orthodox Christians, including the Greeks who suffered brutally in the hands of Turks.

It is hoped that following the above historical evidence, you, dear Governor, will promptly withdraw this erroneously made proclamation.

Respectfully,

Gerasimos Apostolatos
         President