Pontic Greek genocide
1914–1923 genocide of Pontic Greeks / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Pontic Greek genocide,[1] or the Pontic genocide (Greek: Γενοκτονία των Ελλήνων του Πόντου), was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the indigenous Greek community in the Pontus region (the northeast of modern Turkey) in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and its aftermath.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Pontic Greek genocide | |
---|---|
Part of Greek genocide | |
Location | Pontus region – northeast of Anatolia |
Date | 1914–1923 |
Target | Pontic Greeks |
Attack type | Genocide, mass murder, death marches, ethnic cleansing, others |
Deaths | 350,000–360,000[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] |
Perpetrators | Committee of Union and Progress, Turkish National Movement |
Motive | Anti-Greek sentiment, Turkification, Anti-Eastern Orthodox sentiment |
The Pontic Greeks held a continuous presence in the Pontus region since at least 700 BC, over 2,500 years ago. Since 1461 (Ottoman conquest of the Empire of Trebizond), the area was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.[10]
The rise of Turkish nationalism at the beginning of 20th century dramatically increased anti-Greek sentiment within the Ottoman Empire. The genocide began in 1914 by the Young Turk regime, which was led by the Three Pashas, and, after a short interwar pause in 1918–1919, continued until 1923 by the Kemalist regime which was led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Both nationalist movements massacred the Pontians and deported them to the interior regions of Anatolia. This resulted in approximately 350,000 deaths–about half of Pontic pre-genocide population.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
The genocide ended with the deportation of the survivors to Greece during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.[11]
The Pontic genocide is part of the Greek genocide, but it is often covered separately because of the geographic isolation of Pontus and several political and historical features.[12]