Sixty years have passed this year since its events 1964 in Istanbul, Imbro and Tenedo and expulsions of Greeks their nationals.

Maria Kazantzidou, the historian of the Archive of Refugee Hellenism (IAPE), points out to APE-MPE that “in the 1960s there was an anti-Hellenic situation in Constantinople” and a tactic to weaken the Greek Orthodox element, however, as she says, “the Greek population living in Constantinople experienced already unfriendly and not at all peaceful situations since 1930, when the trade friendship agreement and the peace and friendship pact between Greece and Turkey were signed.”

“A police officer came to the house and told us: ‘within 48 hours you must leave'”

Shocking testimony informant with the name “Istanbul 001” is recorded in the Historical Archive of Refugee Hellenism (IAPE) and states:

“It was early September, the weather was good […] we could see far and hear a noise […] when the mob approached near our neighborhood where we lived, we realized that they were entering the Greek houses […] And the flame that we saw from far away in the sky was that Agios Konstantinos was burning, the church […] And then we broke up […] they came into our house, broke down the door, started breaking the downstairs, throwing them out on the street. They went upstairs, broke into one two three rooms, and in the last one they started breaking into ours and then we came out, showed up and my father showed his Turkish ID […] they stopped and we were saved. […] Everything else wasn’t broken and thrown out the window onto the street […] And that’s how that night ended, of course the army came from behind after they finished […] My father’s business became Midian land in Galata. […] at that moment my father fainted but he had a Turkish military friend, – […] he went to the store and supported him.”

The informant “Istanbul 002» in his own testimony which is in the IAPE file. “Again with the Cyprus problem. They found, they discovered an ancient law of 1934 that yes we give Greek Christians a residence permit to come and do work, jobs, of course not all professions. To come and do business in Istanbul, in Turkey,” he says.

At the same time he narrates: “They started in the middle of 1964. The last deportations took place in ’65. But now they were very selective. They no longer kicked out seniors. It was by groups. The groups started, the initial ones of 80 people and every week announcement, status. 80 people. 80 people. Then there were more. 120 people. Then there were 180 people. And my father was one of the first categories! Let me say that he was both a possessor and possessor! Had a grocery store, neighborhood, nothing special […]. A police officer came to the house and told us: ‘within 48 hours you must leave’.”

The informant conveys his own experience through his personal interview “Tenedos 004“: “August 4, 1964, they took me, my father, 15 people, we were in Istanbul. In the foreigners section. And Imbrioi had about fifty.. Well.. We’re going through a check. Turkish Officer: What property did you have in Tenedo, sir? I didn’t know what I was saying anymore, apapa, I didn’t know what I was saying. I mean, I had nothing. He looks me in the eyes – since he knows them, he has them written, he found them out – he says how have you been living? I say I was working, where I could find a living wage, what should I do.. He got angry. He understood that I was lying to him, of course.. […] They take us to the cage and take us to Topkapi. Prison. […] take off my shoes, take off my socks, see my feet, underneath. I passed phalange. […] When they brought me here to Athens, to Syntagma, they took me to the hospital, I couldn’t walk.”

The situation prevailing in Constantinople

Describing the situation that prevailed in Istanbul, Mrs. Kazantzidou comments that “even in the streets of the city, the Romans walked with the fear of not being heard that they speak Greek, because there was an instruction that said ‘citizen, speak Turkish’ and anyone could makes a remark because they spoke their mother tongue.’

“The only way to permanently sever the ties of the Romans with Constantinople was to expel them, to persecute them on the grounds that they were undesirable and harmful. This characterization is very heavy especially for the people of Constantinople, because they offered a lot to the economy of the Turkish state.

The manner in which the deportations took place was unacceptable as there was also a violation of all kinds of human rights. Those people would sign a document that they were not allowed to read and admit that they had committed anything that could lead to deportation: prostitution, double-espionage, drug-trafficking, body-trafficking, black-marketing,…” whatever it fills in.