Turkish-Greek population swap marks 102nd year

ANKARA

The Turkish-Greek population exchange, a pivotal event that transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands, marked its 102nd anniversary on Jan. 30, with several cities hosting commemorative events to honor the exchange.

As part of commemorative events, members of a Balkan Turks solidarity association from the Black Sea city of Samsun traveled to the capital Ankara to pay a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The delegation, including the descendants of those involved in the exchange, laid a wreath at Atatürk’s mausoleum and paid tribute to the memory of those affected by the population exchange.

In another ceremony in Samsun, participants gathered at the historic Tütün Pier, where Atatürk landed on May 19, 1919, marking the start of the Turkish War of Independence. They cast carnations into the sea as a tribute to the hardships endured by the exchangees.

In several other cities, including the northwestern province of Bursa, the Black Sea province of Sinop, and the Aegean city of Balıkesir, participants gathered at commemorative events to reflect on the bittersweet yet hopeful memories of the population exchange.

Associate Professor Sabri Can Sannav, the director of the Balkan Research Institute at Trakya University, highlighted the historical significance of the population exchange.

Between 1923 and 1933, approximately 379,000 exchangees arrived in Türkiye, settling primarily in Thrace and Western Anatolia. Edirne, due to its strategic location as a border province, became a key entry point, receiving around 40,000 exchangees. This migration played a crucial role in restoring the region’s population balance, particularly after the losses experienced during the Balkan Wars and the War of Independence.

The exchangees made significant contributions to the economy in the cities they settled in, helping revitalize farming and livestock industries, Sannav noted.