TNT POW Reports: Turks in Greek Hands (1920-1923)/Part VI

//Ed. Note: This POW spent the bulk of his captivity on
Lefkada Island and his report tracks with that of the 
writer in Part IV of this TNT series, including the 
decision of some Turkish POWs to remain in Greece.//


                         The Second Battle of İnönü

Herewith the statement of Ali Efendi, born 310 (1894), son of Salah 

from Niğde’s İslama village, who has returned from captivity:   

22 May 339 (1923)

                              

Question: Where were you taken prisoner by the Greeks and who else 

was taken prisoner?

Answer:  On 20 March, at Zebura Hill during the Second Battle of İnönü, 

I was taken prisoner with Second Lieutenant  Yusuf Kemal of Aydın and 

another injured officer, whose name and hometown I don’t know, along 

with 30 soldiers.

Q: After you were taken prisoner where were you transported to?

A. With our arms tied, we were transported to Bursa, where we stayed 

for 15 days. From other fronts, officer prisoners who came to Bursa were 

First Lieutenant Halis of Istanbul, Lieutenant Bakî of Istanbul, 

Lieutenant Mahmud Necib of Aydın, Lieutenant Fazıl of Aksaray, 

Lieutenant  Yusuf  Kenan of Aydın, Lieutenant Raif of Ankara, 

Lieutenant Tevfik from ?Elmalı? and another 11 officers whose names 

I cannot remember.  We were all transported together from Mudanya 

to Izmir.

Q: How long were you in Izmir and where were you transported from 

there?

      

A: After staying in Izmir for 24 hours, we went to Athens

Q: When you were transported from Izmir how many of you were there?

A: There were 300 civilians and soldiers.  I didn’t know their names or 

hometowns.

Q: What kind of cruelty and torture did you experience from the Greeks

from the point of capture to Athens?

A: We were transported with all the officers’ arms tied and the soldiers 

given no bread or water.  In fact, a few civilians and soldiers died along 

the way from hunger and beatings. The cruelty they meted out wouldn’t 

even be done by animals, let alone humans.


Lefkada Island and Preveze are located at the green arrow, left.

Q: How long were you in Athens and how did the Greeks treat you 

there? Where exactly were you and how many of you were there?

A: We 12 officers were held in a building named ‘Esperya’ and then 

transported to Perveze.  The soldiers and civilians remained in Athens.  

We were confined on Lefkada Island for 24 months.  There were 150 

officers there.  In a year, the 12 of us were given no salary  and we were 

subjected to various forms of cruelty and torture that defy description.  

In fact, the family of one of us, Gendarmerie Lieutenant Cemal, came to 

the fortress but they were denied access to him.  Myself, Cemal, Major 

Ali Rıza, who was a school teacher in Bursa, Major Muhlis, Major Said, 

Lieutenant Suad and Police Superintendant Hacı were all thrown in the 

dungeon for 3 months because the Greeks said we rebelled.  Before we 

were thrown in the dungeon, a colonel named Kelatsi came with a 

company of soldiers and told the 7 of us that we be shot by firing squad, 

the pretext being that we were a cell of the Kemalist Government.  The 

order to fire was rescinded at the last moment and they changed our 

punishment to 3 months in the dungeon.  After those 3 months we were 

returned to the fortress.

Q: Were there illnesses and deaths among you and if so, what kinds of 

,sicknesses and modes of death?

A: One of us officers died during this time.  There were no other deaths, 

either natural or from illness.

Q: During this period of time were you transported anywhere else and 

how were you discharged?  Did any of you remain there?

A: We were discharged as part of the exchange process at that time.  We 

were not sent anywhere else.  From among us, Lieutenant İsmail Hakkı of 

Afyonkarahisar,  Bağdatlı Lieutenant Abdüllatif and Officer Candidate 

Burhanuddin of Istanbul chose to remain there.  The international 

committee took them to Perveze, where the Greeks removed them from 

our ship.  We came back to Turkey but I don’t know what happened to 

them.

Q: On your return trip how were you and you companions treated?

A: Three or four officers and civilians who were on the deck with us 

during the return died from hunger and torture.  I don’t know about 

anyone else.  This is my statement.

Q: Do you confirm your statement?

A: My statement is true and I stand by it.

Acting First Sergeant, Enehil Acting Team Commander, from 

Aşlama village, Niğde

İzzet Ali


                   Niğde province, the home of İzzet Ali.