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

//Ed. Note: This report is something of a comprehensive
one, filled with horrific details and mentions of traitors
who went over to the Greek side.//

Other than a few ill individuals whose identities are not known, no one 

is left at the prison camps on Milos and Sakız, at Kalidar near Athens, 

Lusid, Larrisa, Mustafa Paşa Fortress at Hanya (Crete), Dedeağaç and 

Patra.  The return of the sick ones is expected soon, as well.  However, 

based on a reliable intelligence source, it has been confirmed that 

traitors from my barracks in Salonica named  Halil of Küre and Hacı 

Veli, the former Karaviran principal, and that traitors formed a gang in 

the service of the Greeks at Gümülcine, as well.  

In addition, based on the statement of Ali Osmanoğlu Ahmed of 

Söğüt’s Esri village, who was at the Losya camp, one of the prisoners 

at the aformentioned camp from Trabzon and another named Saatçı 

Ahmedüçüncüsü of Izmir began wearing hats, married Greek girls 

and remained there. 

At the Dedeağaç prison camp, there were about 1,000 prisoners.  

Their clothing and food was quite bad and they were made to stay 

in the rain without any roof over them.  Consequently, many of them 

became ill and then died from the cold and ill treatment at the 

hospital.  Tavşanlızade of Söğütlü, was sentenced to 101 years in 

Eskişehir for his service to the National Independence Army.  

Additionally, some individuals from Izmit and the surrounding area 

were brought to the Zeytun Fortress in Hanya and sentenced to 

prison terms of varying lengths for the same reason.

The 1,000 prisoners held at Mustafa Paşa Fortress in Hanya (Crete)

were beaten and degraded by the guards for no reason.  Based on the 

statement of Mehmedoğlu Salim of Burecik village in Söğüt, it is 

understood that the deputy regimental commander came to the 

fortress every other day with his gun in his hand and threatened the

soldiers with death.  When a group of 50 prisoners came to 

Dedeağaç, Armenians from Anatolia attacked them with rocks, 

bombs and guns, killing two of them.  The rest of the prisoners were 

rescued by the Greek officers.

                  Milos Island is at bottom left.

The abovementioned camps’ clothing and food provision were irregular. 

Based on the statements of Mehmedoğlu İbrahim of Söğüt’s İnhisar 

town and Hasanoğlu Hafız Mehmed, 3,000 prisoners died in 3.5 months

at the camp at Milos, where bad air and thirst were prevalent.  Even 

though the prisoners found a cave filled with water, they had to buy a 

can of water for 1.5 franks.  The prisoners were very badly treated  at 

this camp by the Thracians, who gave one okka ((2.8 lbs)) of bread to 

16 prisoners.

According to the statement by Hüseyinoğlu Osman of Hisar village, 

there were 50 prisoners at the camp on Sakız Island.  At night the 

Greek soldiers would come, make the prisoners lie on the ground, 

threaten them with death and take their money.  According to the 

statements of Mustafaoğlu Ali, Mustafaoğlu İbrahim, Aliosmanoğlu 

İsmail and Aliosmanoğlu İbrahim, all of them from Söğüt’s Küre 

village, when the Thracians came to the Milos camp, their leaders 

gave 81 prisoners over to the Abazas, who had fled Anatolia, and 

these traitors killed the prisoners in the most gruesome way, 

throwing their bodies in a nearby cave afterwards.   The witnesses 

saw that victims had neckties put around their necks and there were 

knife and bayonet wounds on the lifeless bodies. At this same camp, 

according to the statement of a Thracian with a broken arm and the 

aforementioned 4 witnesses from Küre, some 1,800 Thracians were 

boarded onto a very small and narrow ship.  The Greeks, using the 

excuse that some prisoners had died in a stampede below decks 

caused by a murder, actually threw 600 prisoners into the sea at the 

Milos camp while they were still alive.  Many of them drowned in 

the water and only the aforementioned witnesses were saved.

   Beyaz Kale (White Fortress) at Salonica (Thessaloniki)

Again, based on statements of these same individuals, when they 

were at the Beyaz Fortress in Salonica, about 600 prisoners were 

ordered to be moved and a group of 150 of them, including the 

witnesses, tied up the captain and crew during the voyage and 

asked 3 Turkish captains on board to take them to Izmir. However, 

when these individuals were being split up and boarded onto two 

ships the Greeks responded and put all the prisoners into one ship, 

stuffed them into the hold and only provided them water in return 

for money.  Very few of the prisoners were allowed to leave to 

relieve themselves.  Since the Greeks were well aware of the 

prisoners’ weak points, they were happy to publicly humiliate 

them in this way.  Upon arrival in Athens, the prisoners were kept 

on the ship and the Athens government was informed about what 

had happened.  So as punishment, the prisoners were taken to Milos,

famous for its putrid air and lack of water.

14 June1923           Team Acting Commander

Ömer