Persecution of the Greeks of Constantinople (1964-1965)
Historical Context
The Greek minority in Constantinople, although initially excluded from the Greek-Turkish population exchange of 1923 and the Lausanne Agreement, became the target of intense pressures and political restrictions by the Turkish government. These pressures aimed at the Turkification of the city and the economic dismantling of the Greek communities. The series of measures began with the wealth tax of 1942 and followed by the 1955 pogrom, known as the "Septemvriana," which led to the destruction of Greek properties and churches.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Greek minority in Constantinople became a tool of pressure within the context of Greek-Turkish relations, mainly due to the conflict over Cyprus. The Turkish government used the minority as leverage to serve its political interests.
Development of the Deportations
As political tensions surrounding Cyprus escalated in the early 1960s, Turkey began a series of persecutions against the Greek community in Constantinople. On March 16, 1964, Turkey announced its unilateral denunciation of the 1930 Greek-Turkish convention, which governed the commercial and maritime relations between the two countries. This decision marked the first step in the removal of Greek nationals from Turkey.
Although initially, the Turkish government claimed that the deportations targeted "dangerous individuals" threatening Turkey's internal security, it later admitted that the expulsion of all Greek nationals was the result of political pressure related to the Cyprus issue.
The first wave of expulsions took place in March 1964, mainly affecting businesspeople and other members of the Greek community who were considered "a threat to Turkish security." By the end of 1964, approximately 15,000 Greeks had been deported, and by 1965, the number of Greeks remaining in Constantinople had dramatically decreased from 80,000 to 30,000.
Targeted Individuals
These deportations did not only affect individuals with Greek citizenship but also those of Greek descent who had lived in Turkey before 1918 and held Greek passports. In fact, the deportations affected over 10,000 Greek nationals who lived in Turkey under the 1923 Lausanne Treaty.
The first list of the expelled Greeks was published on March 24, 1964, and in the five days that followed, the first families were deported. By September 1964, the Turkish government had expelled about 5,000 Greeks, and another 10,000-11,000 followed later.
Human Rights Violations and Extermination Strategies
The deportations of the Greeks of Constantinople were accompanied by severe human rights violations. The expelled individuals were forced to sign documents stating that they were leaving the country voluntarily. Moreover, they were restricted in what they could take with them, being allowed only 220 Turkish lira (about 22 US dollars) and 20 kilograms of luggage.
Beyond personal belongings, the Greeks were also expelled from their properties, which were seized by the Turkish government. Banks were instructed to deny loans to Greek businesses, and the bank accounts of the Greeks were frozen.
The Patriarchal complex of St. George became the target of Turkish mobs on several occasions during 1964-1965, as did several Orthodox churches in Constantinople.
Religious and Educational Persecutions
The Ecumenical Patriarchate, along with other religious and educational institutions of the Greek community, was targeted by the Turkish government. The Patriarchate's printing press, which had been operating since 1672, was closed in 1964, and religious publications were banned.
Turkish authorities and the media focused on the Greek community, asserting that the Greeks posed a threat to Turkish security and the economy, arguing that they exploited Turkish society.
The persecution of the Greeks of Constantinople in 1964-1965 was a tragic phase in the history of Greek-Turkish relations. The mass deportation and systematic devaluation of the Greek minority in Constantinople remains a trauma in the relationship between the two countries, which, despite its historical development, continues to affect the local society and the region's politics to this day.
The deportations had multiple and complex consequences for Turkey, both domestically and internationally. It also impacted the concept of a pluralistic society in a country that would tolerate the presence of the remaining non-Muslim elements. On the other hand, it fueled nationalist fanaticism and further deteriorated Greek-Turkish relations.
The expelled individuals primarily found refuge in Greece. In 1965, the "Society of Expelled Greeks from Turkey" was founded in Athens by prominent members of their diaspora. The exodus continued in the following years, with thousands more locals leaving Constantinople, fearing for their lives and property.
The ban on Greeks selling their properties in Turkey was eventually lifted in 1989 by Prime Minister Turgut Özal. This occurred after pressure from the European Union Council in the context of Turkey's EU membership application. However, Turkish authorities continued to impose restrictions and appropriated minority properties through similar legal processes, refusing to allow Greek citizens to own or inherit any form of property. Similarly, donations from members of the Greek minority to non-Muslim minority institutions were considered property of the Turkish state.
As a result of such Turkification policies, several areas of Constantinople inhabited by Greeks were evacuated during the 1950s and 1960s. Some buildings were later occupied by rural migrants who eventually gained ownership after a period of uncontested occupation. Others were sold through unclear legal processes. Today, Constantinople has lost most of its Greek community, marking the end of a continuous Greek presence since ancient times (from the ancient city of Byzantium, which evolved into the Byzantine Empire's Constantinople), as it has now become an urban area where 99.99% of the inhabitants are Muslim.
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