ABSTRACT

The Greek battalion arrived in Eastern Thrace on January 9, 1919 under the pretext of protecting the Uzunköprü-Sirkeci railway operated by the French. The Greeks officially occupied Uzunköprü on July 24, 1920. In order to take control of the region, the Greeks both disrupted the public order and tried to prevent the duty of Ottoman officers and soldiers. While doing this, he sent soldiers, weapons and ammunition to Uzunköprü and its surroundings thanks to the railway. On the other hand, he set up gangs by provoking the Greeks in Uzunköprü and its surroundings. The Greek battalion and Greek gangs targeted both the Turkish, Muslim and Greek civilian population as well as public officials. He carried out many atrocities against these people, such as looting, extortion, theft, rape, massacre, torture, murder, etc. In these events, the Ottoman gendarme tried to protect the civilian population despite the restrictions on the number of soldiers and ammunition imposed by the Mondros Armistice. The persons found guilty in the incidents were meticulously investigated by the gendarmerie and were captured dead or alive. It is seen that the Ottoman gendarmerie was determined to establish public order both through prosecution and clashes with gangs. In this article, it is aimed to reveal the atrocities committed by Greek battalions and Greek gangs in Uzunköprü and its surroundings during the Greek occupation period, based on archival documents. The atrocities that the people faced on an ordinary day during this occupation period were tried to be conveyed.