Papers written by Curzon on the Near and Middle East [‎25v] (50/348)

There were also other villages in which the Greeks killed 1 urks.
On the 30th June, partly as a result of Italian instigation, the Greeks were driven
out of Aidin by the Turks after a three hours’ battle. The Greeks retired without
being seriously pressed down the valley, first to Karabunar, and two days later to
Deirinenjik. Meanwhile, a fresh Greek force of 3,200 men advanced on Aidin from the
north, and on the 4th July the Greeks retook Aidin. Half of the houses were burnt,
and 3,000 Christians and 25,000 Moslems made homeless by these operations. As to
details, Greek and Turkish accounts are entirely at variance. British officers who
have been able to investigate report as follows :—
On evacuating the town of Aidin the Greeks carried off* Turkish notables, including
the governor and officials of the Criminal Court. Some of these were killed on the way
to Smyrna. The rest were imprisoned on arrival at Smyrna on a charge of firing on
the Greek troops.
The Turkish statement that 2,000 Turks were killed by the Greeks is no doubt an
exaggeration, but that the Greeks burnt the Turkish quarter there is no doubt. On
their part the Turks killed at least 400 Greeks on entering the town. Turkish irregulars
burnt the wdiole Christian quarter of Aidin. Most of the Christians took refuge at the
French convent, but they were all robbed and many were killed on their way there.
Some perished in the fire. Several bodies were mutilated. When the Greeks retook
the town there were only 100 Turks in it, and these were not touched, although the
Turks have stated that all Moslems were then massacred.
The Turks killed eleven Greeks who had been left behind at the village of
Karabunar. One of these was an old woman of 80.
The villages of Emir-Keui and Yeni-Keui were burnt by the Greek troops.
About the 14th June there was fighting and cattle-ra : ding between the inhabitants
of two villages on the mainland opposite Samos—the Greek village of Changli and the
Turkish village of Osmanieh. Each side laid the guilt of aggression on the other, and
in addition M. Yenizelos alleged Italian collusion.
On the 22nd June the Turks killed seven Greeks at the village of Balajik.
The village of Kilisseh-Keui was burnt by Greek troops on the 20th June because
the Turkish inhabitants had fired on a train.
On the 27th June the Turkish village of Havuzlu, in the Greek zone, was seen to
be on fire.
On the 28th August the Greeks carried off several railway employees from
Kemer.
On the 6th August Turkish irregulars attacked Aidin again from the north and
inflicted some losses on the Greeks.
(b.) The District North and East of Smyrna.
The Greeks occupied the small coast town of Aivali on the 29th May. Bloodshed
was avoided, as the Turkish forces retired, largely, it is believed, owing to the action of
a British officer who happened to be on the spot. On the 15th July the Greeks were
reported to have pushed beyond the limits of the sub-district (kaza) of Aivali, to
which they had been restricted by the Peace Conference, but there has been no other
development of the situation here.
By the 25th May the Greeks had occupied Manissa (Magnesia), which was outside
their prescribed sphere, and on the 11th June they advanced northwards from
Menemen on Pergama w'hich w^as also outside their sphere. A Greek battalion
entering Pergama was ambushed and withdrew after heavy losses with the rest of the
Greek force to Menemen. Here the Greeks were again attacked by the Turks. For
the excesses which occurred the British Military Control Officer states that the Greeks
were wholly to blame. Ihey killed the Turkish governor and a number of other
Turks (stated by the Turkish Minister tor Foreign Affairs at 200, and by M. Yenizelos
at 20).
On the 23rd June the Greeks landed at Dikeli and reoccupied Pergama, burning
on their way ten Turkish villages, containing 1,0^5 houses. The number of homeless
Turks who assembled in consequence at Soma w r as 70,000.
On the 7th July the Greeks pushed farther beyond their prescribed limits and
attacked the village of Yeni-Chiftlik, north-east of Manissa. Their own casualties were
20, and 70 Turks were killed or wounded. Amongst other things the Greeks
surrounded the estate of a certain Halid Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , and killed and mutilated the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
and four other Turks.