Event: Conference – “Ferries and Voyage in the Population Exchange Between Turkey and Greece”

Prof. Dr. Kemal Arı

Yaşar University International Law Implementation and Research Center organized a conference titled “Ferries and Voyage in the Population Exchange Between Turkey and Greece” on the centennial of the Lausanne Turkish-Greek Exchange Agreement on 08.02.2023. Dokuz Eylül University Principles of Atatürk and Revolution History Institute Director Prof. Dr. Kemal Ari joined. Implementation and Research Center Director Prof. Dr. Isil Ozkan in her opening speech, emphasized that this was a forced mass migration and that in this way the Orthodox population in Turkey and the Muslim population in Greece were exchanged, the population living in Western Thrace and Istanbul was excluded from the exchange, and the emigrants acquired the citizenship of that state when they arrived in their new country. Prof. Dr. Kemal Ari after stating that he defined this migration as the “Great Exchange” in his speech, explained the effects of this important historical event on both societies. Continuing his speech, Prof. Dr. Kemal Ari stated that the Emigrant Turks were brought to Anatolia by sea, that the transport by ships was first given to an Austrian-Italian partnership, and then, with the efforts of Minister Mustafa Necati Bey, the transport was carried out by Turkish cargo ships and this was a difficult process; He explained the policies adopted at that time and the importance of our cabotage right over our ports from the perspective of a historian.

In order to watch the full video (in Turkish), please see:

 

On photo (left to right): Prof. Dr. Kemal Arı, Prof. Dr. Işıl Özkan