Lozan Mübadelesi 30 Ocak 1923
Copyright © 2008-2010 Lozan Mübadelesi - Tüm hakları saklıdır.
After a long and violent war, Turkish and Greek governments decide to subject 2 million people to a population exchange with an unprecedented decision based on the Lausanne Exchange Treaty that had been signed on January 30th, 1923. To both Muslim and Christian poeple living on both countries, this decision means a long immigration to a country which would be called “homeland” that they have never seen and could not even speak the language of, by leaving everything behind including their entire lives.
This mandatory immigration of the Muslims in Greece and the Christians in Anatolia (Turkey) after the war should be investigated from several angles. Forcing people to leave from the land that they have rooted and lived for centuries has caused severe sorrows. Some of them lost their lives on the roads, some on the ships and some after the arrival. This certainly is a Human Tradegy. This situation that had ben experienced by both nations has never been a subject to be discussed in our country. Unfortunately there are only a few researches on this subject to present.
As a third generation immigrant, I have been told by my Grandfather and Grandmother about the immigration years and the experiences of the people. My Grandfather told me that he was 7 years old when he came to Anatolia. They had travelled on a ship from Salonika to Mersin and then they were sent to Nigde. They were surpised because the city has not looked anything like the geography that they have lived on before. The Greek Citizens had lived in this area. They were placed in the houses that the Greeks lived before. Grandfather told me that they had come from Hurpista. The present name of Hurpista is now Argos Orestiko and is around Kastoria in Macedonia.
We conclude that 15.000 immigrants were placed in Nigde. It was very hard for them when they first arrived, they had had adaptation problems and had also experienced a lot of fear. Grandmother told me that they had never lived the house at first and had been scared. It was not possible to adapt to the new land. Grandfather told me that his father had been homesick for Hurpita the homeland all the time and wanted to go back. They used to gather every night and talk about the homeland. But of course it had never happened and no one had been able to go back.
It’s been 86 years and most of the first generation immigrants are not with us anymore, they have passed away from this world. But their experiences and sorrows has always had a place in our hearts.
And always will have...
Tolga Kulpu
2008
This mandatory immigration of the Muslims in Greece and the Christians in Anatolia (Turkey) after the war should be investigated from several angles. Forcing people to leave from the land that they have rooted and lived for centuries has caused severe sorrows. Some of them lost their lives on the roads, some on the ships and some after the arrival. This certainly is a Human Tradegy. This situation that had ben experienced by both nations has never been a subject to be discussed in our country. Unfortunately there are only a few researches on this subject to present.
As a third generation immigrant, I have been told by my Grandfather and Grandmother about the immigration years and the experiences of the people. My Grandfather told me that he was 7 years old when he came to Anatolia. They had travelled on a ship from Salonika to Mersin and then they were sent to Nigde. They were surpised because the city has not looked anything like the geography that they have lived on before. The Greek Citizens had lived in this area. They were placed in the houses that the Greeks lived before. Grandfather told me that they had come from Hurpista. The present name of Hurpista is now Argos Orestiko and is around Kastoria in Macedonia.
We conclude that 15.000 immigrants were placed in Nigde. It was very hard for them when they first arrived, they had had adaptation problems and had also experienced a lot of fear. Grandmother told me that they had never lived the house at first and had been scared. It was not possible to adapt to the new land. Grandfather told me that his father had been homesick for Hurpita the homeland all the time and wanted to go back. They used to gather every night and talk about the homeland. But of course it had never happened and no one had been able to go back.
It’s been 86 years and most of the first generation immigrants are not with us anymore, they have passed away from this world. But their experiences and sorrows has always had a place in our hearts.
And always will have...
Tolga Kulpu
2008
