PERSECUTIONS OF THE GREEKS IN TURKEY SINCE THE ...

PERSECUTIONS OF THE GREEKS 43
the inhabitants of which, consisting of 3,000 persons,
were taken, on September 6, toward Redosto. Sophides,
a village of the district of Vizye, which is inhabited by
4,000 persons, was evacuated likewise on the 8th of the
same month in the usual cruel manner."
" Samacovo, also of the district of Vizye, and the seat
of the Metropolitan, had its inhabitants, consisting of
5,000 persons, deported on the same day."
" Tourlia and St. Stephano of the district of Vizye,
which villages had a population of 3,150 persons, were
surrounded by Turkish gangs and no inhabitant is now
left there."
" Skopos, of the District of Kirk-Kilisse, was surrounded
by the Turks, and its inhabitants, consisting of
6,000 persons, were sent to various places, after being
compelled to pay to the Turkish Comitadjis 80 Turkish
pounds. The Government officials imposed a fine of
from 20 to 30 Turkish pounds on Jewish merchants on
the ground that they had violated the blockade of the
village."
These brief and dry extracts from reports, supplemented
from other more recent sources, prove that the
Greeks, almost without exception, have been deported.
The regions, such as Thrace, the coast of the sea of
Marmora, that of the Hellespont and Bosphorus, and the
littoral of the Black Sea, which have been completely
denuded of their Greek population, were noted for their
flourishing condition in commerce, education, civilization
and wealth. Having been smitten so heavily by the
Germano-Turks, they have, been to-day transformed into
smoking ruins, upon which Turkish immigrants dance,
an element entirely foreign to these Hellenic sites. A
mere glance on the map will show the magnitude of the
catastrophe.
To sum up, there were destroyed eleven towns and
villages in the district of Gallipoli, having a Greek population
of 24,636 inhabitants; seven towns in that of