How we lost Eastern Thrace - Article by the Leader of Golden Dawn N.G. Michaloliakos

12/10/2016 23:46

How we lost Eastern Thrace-Article of N. G. Michaloliakos

Regarding Erdogan’s statements and the Treaty of Lausanne 

 

Reinforced geopolitically, following the repression of the coup and the restauration of the relations with Russia and USA, the sultan of the neo-ottoman, Tayyip Erdoğan, advanced to provocative statements against the Greek sovereignty in Aegean, without hiding his expansive intentions towards Greece. He specifically noted, few days ago, in the 27th conference of the heads of municipalities in Ankara: “The 15th of July is the second war for the Independence of the turkish nation. We have been threatened in Sèvres at 1920 and they convinced us to accept Lausanne at 1923. Some attempted to deceive us, by presenting the Treaty of Lausanne as a victory. In Lausanne we gave away islands, where you can hear yourself from the other side. Whoever participated in the negotiations in Lausanne were not able to rise to the occasion. Nowadays, we experience the consequences of this incapability”.

 

Turkey was the great winner in Lausanne

 

In reality, of course, Turkey was victorious in the Treaty of Lausanne, a treaty that has been violated by Turkey, at the expense of Greece in several cases, which I will report later, since 1923 till today. Few know that in April of 1923, only 7 months after the catastrophe, the Greek Army deployed in Evros River an army consisted of ten effective divisions, nine in infantry and one in cavalry. He additionally presented two regiments of lowland artillery. The Army in Evros aspired to claim, through the Treaty of Lausanne, the Eastern Thrace, while the Fleet was able to guarantee the national freedom to these two Greek islands, Imbros and Tenedos. 

 

Turks in Lausanne had an irreconcilable attitude, yet they had disagreements with all the three major powers at that era, which would have the final word in the Treaty. With England, regarding the domination in Mosul, a city known for her oilfields, a city that is currently in the center of attention of the major powers in the Middle East war. With Italy there were also conflicts, since even Mussolini, prime minister of Italy at that time, had declared to the minister of the Foreign Affairs of Greece, Alexandris that Greece deserves and must occupy Eastern Thrace! Also, Turkey in the times of Kemal had crucial disaccords with France, about economic affairs, concerning war reparations. 

 

Eastern Thrace is lost

 

This process, which lasted several months, ended in the Treaty of Lausanne and was a diplomatic victory for Turkey and a defeat for Greece, took her final form in the end of May of 1923. At May 22, the government of Greece telegraphs at Eleftherios Venizelos as to await until the 26th of May and in case of disagreement, to denounce the ceasefire agreement and order the advance of the Army in Eastern Thrace and the direction of the Fleet towards Dardanelles. In the government’s telegraph it was reported specifically that:

 

“The government, having examined all the different views and considering the opinion of the Army Chief as definite, that even in an unfavorable case, under which the transit of the Fleet through the straits becomes impossible, the military operations through land are considered assured.” (Grigorios Dafnis, Greece among two Wars, page 46). In the 26th of May the ultimatum was expiring, while in the morning of 26th May Eleftherios Venizelos demands to speak in the conference, yet the English representative intervenes and asks for the Turkish representative Ismet to speak first. Well, Ismet proposes the concession of Eastern Thrace in Turkey and Venizelos agrees! 

 

We should note that Kemal possessed no Army, nor divisions in Eastern Thrace, where the majority of residents were Greek. With simply words, we offered Eastern Thrace in Turkey without even fighting, and all these in the profit of the Englishmen, who took of course under their possession the area of Mosul. In his book, Grigorios Dafnis notes that Venizelos was rather cautious about this made in England “solution”, yet he did not revealed this “solution” in the Greek government, knowing that he would face great reactions. So, he put the country before a fait accompli. 

 

The march that never happened…

 

Indeed, there were reactions. Not only the Commander of the Army in Evros Theodoros Pangalos, but also the Fleet Master Chief Chatzikyriakos react and send the following telegraph: “Accepting under these circumstances, for the honor of Greece, the unfortunate solution, because this solution was chosen in breach of the express definite order, given by the ministers of foreign affairs, the Army and Fleet Chiefs, lamenting since the previous day, express their deep chagrin and withdraw from now on their reliance towards the representatives. Pangalos, Chatzikyriakos”

 

In fact, the initial decision of Pangalos and Chatzikyriakos was the order for advancement and occupation of Eastern Thrace. Finally, under intolerable pressure, the Greek Army and Fleet do not move, so– by satisfying completely the English interests for the occupation of the region of Mosul- Eastern Thrace is lost. For each of you, who read this article, is rather simple to imagine how different Greece could be, how much more powerful, geopolitically and strategically, but also demographically, having under possession Eastern Thrace, Imbros and Tenedos, since Greece would also control, in fact, the Dardanelle straits. 

 

Yet, let us return to the affairs of the Treaty of Lausanne. According to this treaty, the Hellenic community would be preserved, to autonomous status in Imbros and Tenedos, while the hundreds of thousands Greeks would remain in Constantinople. The turkish state, by acting criminally at the expense of the Greek people, eradicated from their paternal lands our Greek brothers in Imbros and Tenedos, but also in Constantinople, where now reside approximately three thousand Greeks. 

 

The recent statement of Tayyip Erdoğan, which even surpass the injustice that took place in Lausanne at the expense of the Greek interests and questions the sovereignty in the Greek islands and in Aegean, should surprise nobody. It seems, however, that the story of the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey, which prevailed during the inter-war period, but also after World War II in the profit of NATO, is still influential.

 

This story must end and Greeks, united, ought to perceive that Turkey wants our Land, wants our sea, so we should at last be concerned about this threat. We can no longer, whether because of the American domination following the end of cold war, whether because of a left pacifism, forget this harsh reality. 

 

 

N. G. Michaloliakos

Secretary General of People’s Association-Golden Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: xryshaygh.com

Regarding Erdogan’s statements and the Treaty of Lausanne 
Reinforced geopolitically, following the repression of the coup and the restauration of the relations with Russia and USA, the sultan of the neo-ottoman, Tayyip Erdoğan, advanced to provocative statements against the Greek sovereignty in Aegean, without hiding his expansive intentions towards Greece. He specifically noted, few days ago, in the 27th conference of the heads of municipalities in Ankara: “The 15th of July is the second war for the Independence of the turkish nation. We have been threatened in Sèvres at 1920 and they convinced us to accept Lausanne at 1923. Some attempted to deceive us, by presenting the Treaty of Lausanne as a victory. In Lausanne we gave away islands, where you can hear yourself from the other side. Whoever participated in the negotiations in Lausanne were not able to rise to the occasion. Nowadays, we experience the consequences of this incapability”.
Turkey was the great winner in Lausanne
In reality, of course, Turkey was victorious in the Treaty of Lausanne, a treaty that has been violated by Turkey, at the expense of Greece in several cases, which I will report later, since 1923 till today. Few know that in April of 1923, only 7 months after the catastrophe, the Greek Army deployed in Evros River an army consisted of ten effective divisions, nine in infantry and one in cavalry. He additionally presented two regiments of lowland artillery. The Army in Evros aspired to claim, through the Treaty of Lausanne, the Eastern Thrace, while the Fleet was able to guarantee the national freedom to these two Greek islands, Imbros and Tenedos. 
Turks in Lausanne had an irreconcilable attitude, yet they had disagreements with all the three major powers at that era, which would have the final word in the Treaty. With England, regarding the domination in Mosul, a city known for her oilfields, a city that is currently in the center of attention of the major powers in the Middle East war. With Italy there were also conflicts, since even Mussolini, prime minister of Italy at that time, had declared to the minister of the Foreign Affairs of Greece, Alexandris that Greece deserves and must occupy Eastern Thrace! Also, Turkey in the times of Kemal had crucial disaccords with France, about economic affairs, concerning war reparations. 
Eastern Thrace is lost
This process, which lasted several months, ended in the Treaty of Lausanne and was a diplomatic victory for Turkey and a defeat for Greece, took her final form in the end of May of 1923. At May 22, the government of Greece telegraphs at Eleftherios Venizelos as to await until the 26th of May and in case of disagreement, to denounce the ceasefire agreement and order the advance of the Army in Eastern Thrace and the direction of the Fleet towards Dardanelles. In the government’s telegraph it was reported specifically that:
“The government, having examined all the different views and considering the opinion of the Army Chief as definite, that even in an unfavorable case, under which the transit of the Fleet through the straits becomes impossible, the military operations through land are considered assured.” (Grigorios Dafnis, Greece among two Wars, page 46). In the 26th of May the ultimatum was expiring, while in the morning of 26th May Eleftherios Venizelos demands to speak in the conference, yet the English representative intervenes and asks for the Turkish representative Ismet to speak first. Well, Ismet proposes the concession of Eastern Thrace in Turkey and Venizelos agrees! 
We should note that Kemal possessed no Army, nor divisions in Eastern Thrace, where the majority of residents were Greek. With simply words, we offered Eastern Thrace in Turkey without even fighting, and all these in the profit of the Englishmen, who took of course under their possession the area of Mosul. In his book, Grigorios Dafnis notes that Venizelos was rather cautious about this made in England “solution”, yet he did not revealed this “solution” in the Greek government, knowing that he would face great reactions. So, he put the country before a fait accompli. 
The march that never happened…
Indeed, there were reactions. Not only the Commander of the Army in Evros Theodoros Pangalos, but also the Fleet Master Chief Chatzikyriakos react and send the following telegraph: “Accepting under these circumstances, for the honor of Greece, the unfortunate solution, because this solution was chosen in breach of the express definite order, given by the ministers of foreign affairs, the Army and Fleet Chiefs, lamenting since the previous day, express their deep chagrin and withdraw from now on their reliance towards the representatives. Pangalos, Chatzikyriakos”
In fact, the initial decision of Pangalos and Chatzikyriakos was the order for advancement and occupation of Eastern Thrace. Finally, under intolerable pressure, the Greek Army and Fleet do not move, so– by satisfying completely the English interests for the occupation of the region of Mosul- Eastern Thrace is lost. For each of you, who read this article, is rather simple to imagine how different Greece could be, how much more powerful, geopolitically and strategically, but also demographically, having under possession Eastern Thrace, Imbros and Tenedos, since Greece would also control, in fact, the Dardanelle straits. 
Yet, let us return to the affairs of the Treaty of Lausanne. According to this treaty, the Hellenic community would be preserved, to autonomous status in Imbros and Tenedos, while the hundreds of thousands Greeks would remain in Constantinople. The turkish state, by acting criminally at the expense of the Greek people, eradicated from their paternal lands our Greek brothers in Imbros and Tenedos, but also in Constantinople, where now reside approximately three thousand Greeks. 
The recent statement of Tayyip Erdoğan, which even surpass the injustice that took place in Lausanne at the expense of the Greek interests and questions the sovereignty in the Greek islands and in Aegean, should surprise nobody. It seems, however, that the story of the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey, which prevailed during the inter-war period, but also after World War II in the profit of NATO, is still influential.
This story must end and Greeks, united, ought to perceive that Turkey wants our Land, wants our sea, so we should at last be concerned about this threat. We can no longer, whether because of the American domination following the end of cold war, whether because of a left pacifism, forget this harsh reality. 
N. G. Michaloliakos
Secretary General of People’s Association-Golden Dawn
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