4 Ağustos 2019 Pazar

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

//Ed. Note: Pharmacist Muzaffer (Akpınar) of Edremit
describes the horrors of his 43 days of interrogation in
the basement of the Greek occupation forces in the city.//


"Greek Atrocities" English 1921 This booklet was published
by the Turkish government in English in 1921 to document
Greek transgressions for the international audience. But,
as always, there is this competing Greek narrative from 
the same time frame:



                   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The questions posed to me, in order: my particulars, my reason for 
being in Edremit and my occupation.

Arrests in Edremit:

I was questioned about a secret and armed organization operating in 
Edremit for a long time; about its members and volunteers; about a 
plot in which I would massacre all the Christians and soldiers on 
Easter; about my pharmacy being the organization’s meeting place; 
about our contacts with raiders who would conduct attacks in 
Anatolia; about our ongoing contacts with Çanakkale; and the 
existence of this same organization in villages.  

As evidence of this they said they had two letters.  They asked other 
incredible questions to which I responded, in order, with incredulity.  
I said that everyone was too scared by the military presence to have 
outside contacts and that to do so would be an act of insanity.  
also explained in sensible terms that, in particular, those of us with 
educations and able to discern right from wrong would never engage 
in such dangerous activities and that doing so would only invite 
calamaties.  However, since what I said flew in the face of their long-
held beliefs they did not accept my defense and rejected it with 
unrestrained violence, throwing me into the cellar of the building 
they had made their occupation headquarters.

Interrogation by Bastinado:

They had me lie down on the ground with the strap of a Mauser rifle 
passed over my legs and tied around my neck.  An officer, assisted 
by an interpreter and a Gendarmerie soldier, who assumed the duty 
of the interrogation and who was determined to expose the supposed 
secret organization, gave the soldier a whip woven of 15, 20 thin 
wires and abour a yard long.  They began to beat me with it and I 
repeated my defence again in a loud voice, asserting that I was 
innocent and that the accusations against me were ficticious.  

But the blows from the whip only increased in violence. My strength 
gave out and I fainted.  I couldn’t see the area around me, nor could 
I feel the pain.  There was a brief pause but then I saw three 
bloodthirsty characters with eyes like hyenas in front of me.  I sank 
to the bottom of the wall, with all parts of me lying on wet ground.  
I realized that I had passed out from the violent blows and that they 
had thrown water on me to revive me.  

turkish greek war torture ile ilgili görsel sonucu

These moments of calm were quite brief, though, and they began to 
ask the same questions all over again.  I said that a government that 
claimed to have come to Anatolia to spread rights and justice would 
not engage in atrocities such as this but that by doing so they had 
created an atmosphere of terror.  I asserted that, in short, their approach 
was wrong and that I had no information whatsoever about the 
questions they were asking me.  The officer became angry and spouted 
filthy curses at me, ordering that I be beaten almost to the death.  

So this iteration of the interrogation was worse than the initial one.  
When I opened my eyes in the damp, fetid darkness of the cellar, the 
only thing I saw was a soldier of the despicable and vile country of 
snakes roaming around in his dirty boots.  My feet had swelled so 
badly from the blows that my socks were ready to explode.  I was 
exhausted and every part of me hurt.  There was no help, though.  
Only this terror and calamity.  In the horrific darkness of the night, 
with no sense of well-being, I fell into a deep sleep.  

The next day the same questions were posed and the torture continued.  
This is just the account of one of the 43 days I spent in this chamber of 
horrors.  I had no contact with anyone on the outside and was not 
allowed to speak with anyone.  I gave up any hope of rescue from this 
hell hole but I made up my mind to record these crimes for posterity 
after my death, pulling a calling card from my pocket on which I 
preserved the following words:

“I am exhausted from Greek tyranny and torture inflicted on me as 
the slanderous target of an honorless ....  Since they gave me no chance 
to make statements I will soon expire.  But I will die with the honor 
that befits a Turkish youth and maintain my strength until my last 
breath. Farewell.

3 May 1922
In the cellar of the Greek Occupation Bureau in Edremit”

//END of PART XXVIII-C//

Hiç yorum yok:

Yorum Gönder