TNT History Archives: Greek Occupation of Bursa (1920-1922)/Part I

The following article appeared in the weekly journal 'Yeni Mecmua' 

on 1 May 1923, some seven-plus months after the Greek occupation of 

Bursa ended on 11 September 1922.  

Note: for TNT reports about the Greek occupation 

of Izmir and Western Anatolia in 1919 see a number 

of entries from July and August this year.

Türk held in Mudanya and Bursa click here for a TNT

report about one Ali Sami who was caught by the 

Greeks while running guns to the Turkish nationalists 

at Darıca, on the coast of the Gulf of Izmit.

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Capt. Sophocles Venizelos, son of 

the Greek Prime Minister, posing in

front of the tomb of  Sultan Osman,

founder of the Ottoman dynasty in

Bursa.

"An official Greek communique signed by 'Paraske Volopolus' 

and dated 9 July 1920, declared that the city of Bursa had been taken

after (Turkish) resistance five kilometers east of the city collapsed. 

Also in the same communique, it was stated that (Turkish) forces in

Bursa had been disbanded and prisoners taken, along with cannon,

machine guns and all sorts of ammunition, the amount of which 

remained uncounted."

"On the 11th of September 1922, the Anatolian News Agency sent the 

following urgent telegram to Istanbul 'The leader of the national 

defense in the Turkish Parliament has informed the members of the

happy news that Bursa has been re-taken by our army and the members

applauded heartily in response'. " 

"On 8 July 1920 Bursa fell into captivity that lasted two years, two 

months and two days, ending with liberation on 10 September 1922.

In recent times, before liberation, two people discovered chatting 

together in Bursa would immediately be remanded to the Greek central 

command in Bursa or to the (Greek) Gendarmerie Command.  For this

'crime', the individuals would be brought before a martial law court."

                         Pirinç Han Medresesi

"Capt. 'Paparkiri' at the Gendarmerie Command administered that place

in a particularly bloody fashion, beating and torturing the detainees and 

then 'inviting' them to interrogation, which lasted for 50-60 days in the

stifling heat and humidity of the basement of the Pirinç Hanı Mesresesi

and the Government Building."

"'Witnesses' would soon be found to support the court's decision and

some number of these innocents would be packed off to prison camps

in Athens, Crete and Lesbos, experiencing vicious treatment along the

way."

one victim's account  click here for the first

of an 8-part TNT series about an Edremit 

pharmacist's brutal interrogation there and his

subsequent imprisonment in Athens.

"At the beginning of September, when news began arriving that our

(Turkish) army had re-taken Eskişehir, there was quite a bit of 

agitated activity among the Greek soldiers in Bursa."  

"On the 8th of the month, the local Greeks and Armenians  took to the 

roads, mixing in with those fleeing from Eskişehir and Kütahya after 

the Turkish army's victory at Sakarya.  Day and night, the sound of 

creaking wagon wheels and anguished cries and moans filled Bursa.

On the one hand, the Gendarmes prodded the nursing children and

patients dragged from their hospital beds, while, on the other hand

they banged on doors, yelling 'The Turks are coming! They'll cut you

to ribbons!   Get a move on!'"

Map shows Greek advance in 1920 from Izmir,

lower left, toward Bursa, upper right.  Edremit

is at upper mid-left-center, near the coast.

 //END of PART ONE//