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history (brief)
The Greek Orthodox minority in Turkey is a small community
made up of the descendants of those who were permitted to
remain in Turkey after the massive and compulsory exchange of
populations agreed under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Greece and the Ottoman Empire had been in dispute over
territories periodically during the nineteenth century and Greece
had
The Greek Orthodox minority in Turkey is a small community
made up of the descendants of those who were permitted to
remain in Turkey after the massive and compulsory exchange of
populations agreed under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Greece and the Ottoman Empire had been in dispute over
territories periodically during the nineteenth century and Greece
had
declared war on Turkey in 1921 in an attempt to secure the Ottoman territories it had been awarded
under the Treaty of Sèvres. The Greek forces were driven from Anatolia by Kemal Atatürk in 1922 and
much of the large Greek population fled, especially from Smyrna (Izmir), a largely Greek city. Under the
Treaty of Lausanne Greeks were eliminated from Turkey with the exception of those in Istanbul, Imvros
Turks were similarly expelled from all Greek territory except Western Thrace. The Treaty of Lausanne
was partially designed as a means of finally ending a century of murderous feuding between the two
communities.
Despite assurances of continued protection from the Turkish authorities there has been a steady
increase in restrictions on Greeks in Turkey. In September 1955 a Turkish mob destroyed much of the
Greek business quarter of Istanbul, Greek churches, cemeteries, schools and historical monuments.
Shops and warehouses were looted and burnt to the ground.
Greeks in Turkey have to live with many prohibitions such as that on the use of Greek in courts,
purchase of land by social and cultural institutions and the establishment of any association based on
race, language or religion. On the islands of Imvros and Tenedos land was compulsorily appropriated,
schools closed and the islands declared military zones, making normal life virtually impossible for the
Greek populations. In 1964 Greek Orthodox priests were forbidden to teach religion or conduct morning
prayers in minority schools and Turks have since been appointed as teachers in all minority schools.
Students were obliged to enrol in their nearest school rather than in a school of their choice and the
teaching of the Greek language has been severely reduced. In 1971 the government closed down the
Department of Advanced Religious Studies of Chalki, thus impeding preparation for office within the
church. Passports are also being withheld from prominent members of the Greek Orthodox community
despite the fact that they are Turkish subjects. Some of these people face restricted movement within
Turkey itself.
Further restrictions were imposed after the Greek/Turkish dispute over Cyprus in 1974. At the height of
the crisis the Turkish government adopted a secret decree which restricted property transactions by
Greeks in Turkey, froze their assets and limited their income, although implementation of this decree
appears to have begun after July 1985. Greece has protested strongly in European forums at Turkish
treatment of its Greek minority.
There has been a continuous decline in the Greek population most of which remains concentrated in
Istanbul. From 100,000 in 1934 it has fallen to 6,000-8,000 today in general total around Istanbul, Prince
islands, Izmir, Gokceada and Bozcaada (*Imvros and Tenedos islands). The Greek population of Imvros
and Tenedos is reported to have fallen from 10,500 in the 1940s to 1,600 in 1977. However despite its
decline and the restrictions it faces, the Greek minority in Istanbul is reported to be a prosperous one
and, along with Armenian and Jewish minorities, to have played an important, although low-profile, role in
the financial and commercial sector.
VARLIK VERGISI (Tax of wealth)
Varlık Vergisi ("Wealth tax" or "Capital tax") was a Turkish tax levied on the wealthy citizens of Turkey in
1942, with the stated aim of raising funds for the country's defense in case of an eventual entry into
World War II.
The bill for the one-off tax was proposed by the Şükrü Saracoğlu government, and the act was adopted
by the Turkish parliament on November 11, 1942. It was imposed on the fixed assets, such as landed
estates, building owners, real estate brokers, businesses, and industrial enterprises of all citizens,
including the minorities. However, those who suffered most severely were non-Muslims like the Jews,
Greeks, Armenians, and Levantines, who controlled a large portion of the economy.
During World War II, Turkey remained neutral until February of 1945. Officially, the tax was devised to fill
the state treasury that would have been needed had Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union invaded the
country. However, it is argued, a main reason for the tax was to nationalize the Turkish economy by
reducing minority populations' influence and control over the country's trade, finance, and industries.
The tax was paid by all citizens of Turkey, but higher tariffs were generally imposed on the country's non-
Muslim inhabitants, often in an arbitrary and unrealistic way.
Around two thousand non-Muslims, who could not pay the enormous amount demanded for this sudden
tax within the time-limit of thirty days, were arrested and sent to a forced labor camp in Aşkale near
Bayburt in eastern Turkey. Twenty-one of these unfortunates died there.
The rigidly-enforced, discriminatory law did not yield the results the government had hoped for.
Companies increased the prices of their products sharply to recoup their losses, creating a spiral of
inflation that wrecked low-income consumers.
under the Treaty of Sèvres. The Greek forces were driven from Anatolia by Kemal Atatürk in 1922 and
much of the large Greek population fled, especially from Smyrna (Izmir), a largely Greek city. Under the
Treaty of Lausanne Greeks were eliminated from Turkey with the exception of those in Istanbul, Imvros
Turks were similarly expelled from all Greek territory except Western Thrace. The Treaty of Lausanne
was partially designed as a means of finally ending a century of murderous feuding between the two
communities.
Despite assurances of continued protection from the Turkish authorities there has been a steady
increase in restrictions on Greeks in Turkey. In September 1955 a Turkish mob destroyed much of the
Greek business quarter of Istanbul, Greek churches, cemeteries, schools and historical monuments.
Shops and warehouses were looted and burnt to the ground.
Greeks in Turkey have to live with many prohibitions such as that on the use of Greek in courts,
purchase of land by social and cultural institutions and the establishment of any association based on
race, language or religion. On the islands of Imvros and Tenedos land was compulsorily appropriated,
schools closed and the islands declared military zones, making normal life virtually impossible for the
Greek populations. In 1964 Greek Orthodox priests were forbidden to teach religion or conduct morning
prayers in minority schools and Turks have since been appointed as teachers in all minority schools.
Students were obliged to enrol in their nearest school rather than in a school of their choice and the
teaching of the Greek language has been severely reduced. In 1971 the government closed down the
Department of Advanced Religious Studies of Chalki, thus impeding preparation for office within the
church. Passports are also being withheld from prominent members of the Greek Orthodox community
despite the fact that they are Turkish subjects. Some of these people face restricted movement within
Turkey itself.
Further restrictions were imposed after the Greek/Turkish dispute over Cyprus in 1974. At the height of
the crisis the Turkish government adopted a secret decree which restricted property transactions by
Greeks in Turkey, froze their assets and limited their income, although implementation of this decree
appears to have begun after July 1985. Greece has protested strongly in European forums at Turkish
treatment of its Greek minority.
There has been a continuous decline in the Greek population most of which remains concentrated in
Istanbul. From 100,000 in 1934 it has fallen to 6,000-8,000 today in general total around Istanbul, Prince
islands, Izmir, Gokceada and Bozcaada (*Imvros and Tenedos islands). The Greek population of Imvros
and Tenedos is reported to have fallen from 10,500 in the 1940s to 1,600 in 1977. However despite its
decline and the restrictions it faces, the Greek minority in Istanbul is reported to be a prosperous one
and, along with Armenian and Jewish minorities, to have played an important, although low-profile, role in
the financial and commercial sector.
VARLIK VERGISI (Tax of wealth)
Varlık Vergisi ("Wealth tax" or "Capital tax") was a Turkish tax levied on the wealthy citizens of Turkey in
1942, with the stated aim of raising funds for the country's defense in case of an eventual entry into
World War II.
The bill for the one-off tax was proposed by the Şükrü Saracoğlu government, and the act was adopted
by the Turkish parliament on November 11, 1942. It was imposed on the fixed assets, such as landed
estates, building owners, real estate brokers, businesses, and industrial enterprises of all citizens,
including the minorities. However, those who suffered most severely were non-Muslims like the Jews,
Greeks, Armenians, and Levantines, who controlled a large portion of the economy.
During World War II, Turkey remained neutral until February of 1945. Officially, the tax was devised to fill
the state treasury that would have been needed had Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union invaded the
country. However, it is argued, a main reason for the tax was to nationalize the Turkish economy by
reducing minority populations' influence and control over the country's trade, finance, and industries.
The tax was paid by all citizens of Turkey, but higher tariffs were generally imposed on the country's non-
Muslim inhabitants, often in an arbitrary and unrealistic way.
Around two thousand non-Muslims, who could not pay the enormous amount demanded for this sudden
tax within the time-limit of thirty days, were arrested and sent to a forced labor camp in Aşkale near
Bayburt in eastern Turkey. Twenty-one of these unfortunates died there.
The rigidly-enforced, discriminatory law did not yield the results the government had hoped for.
Companies increased the prices of their products sharply to recoup their losses, creating a spiral of
inflation that wrecked low-income consumers.
Ελληνικές κοινότητες___
Κωνσταντινούπολη
Greek Communities in Turkey___
history
