Millî Mücadele Yıllarında Marmara Bölgesi’nde Faaliyet Gösteren Rum ve Ermeni Çeteleri

Mondros Mütarekesiakabinde Osmanlıtopraklarıüzerindeki planlarınıuygulamaya koymak için harekete geçen devletlerden birisi de Yunanistan’dır. Yunanistan, Marmara’ya dönük emelini yani “Megali İdea” dediği “büyük hedef”ini gerçekleştirmek adına Rum Patrikhanesi ile işbirliği içerisinde olmuştur. Yunanistan’ın emeli; İstanbul merkezli büyük bir Yunanistan ortaya çıkarmaktır. Tabii olarak bunu gerçekleştirmek için de OsmanlıDevleti’nin ortadan kaldırılması, bunun yanında da İtilaf Devletlerinin ikna edilmesi gerekmektedir. İşte bu noktada Yunanistan, İtilaf Devletleri nezdinde propaganda çalışmalarıyürütmüş, Marmara Bölgesi’nde, Rum nüfusun hâkim nüfusolduğunu iddia etmiştir. Yunanistan’ın Marmara’ya dönük faaliyetlerine İngilizler de azami ölçüde destek vermişlerdir. Yunanistan ve Rum Patrikhanesinin ortak çalışmalarıile başta İngilizler olmak üzere büyük devletlerin de yardımlarıneticesinde Marmara Bölgesi’nde pek çok Rum çetesi ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Mütareke döneminde Marmara Bölgesi’nde ortaya çıkan/çıkartılan Rum çetelerinden bazıları şunlardır: Todori, Bahari, Kommit, Apostol ve Apostolidis, Kirman ve Kırçaki, Paşaköylü Karaoğlan, Panayot, İstelyanus, Yeniköylü Yorgi, Pandeli, Andon, Karabıyık Dimitri, Vangel ve Vangelos, Çakır Yorgi, Anesti Kaplan Kaptan , Kör Vasil, Milto, Hrisantos, Zafiri ve Milki Milti Kaptan Çetesi. Bu Rum çeteleri, OsmanlıDevleti’ndeki asayişsorunundan istifade etmek suretiyle bölgede pek çok köyü yağmalamışlar, pek çok MüslümanTürk’ü de katletmişlerdir. Hatta Yunan askerleri içerisine katılmak suretiyle hem Osmanlıkuvvetlerine hem de Kuvâ-yıMilliye ve Düzenli Ordu’ya karşımücadele etmişlerdir. Marmara Bölgesi’ndeki çete hareketlerinin içerisinde Ermeni çeteleri de yerlerini almışlardır. Mütareke döneminin karışık ortamında, Fener Rum Patrikhanesi ile Ermeni Patrikhanesi, “ortak düşman” olarak gördükleri OsmanlıDevleti’ne karşıbirlikte hareket etmişler, her hususta birbirlerini desteklemişlerdir. Buna ilaveten Rum ve Ermeni basınıda birbirlerinin toprak taleplerini haklıbulup desteklemişlerdir. Rum ve Ermeni işbirliği Milli Mücadele’nin sonuçlanmasına kadar devam etmiştir. Milli Mücadele yıllarında Ermeniler, Doğu Anadolu’da bir Ermenistan’ın kurulabilmesi için Anadolu’da Yunanistan’ın kesin başarıyısağlamasıgerektiğine inanmışlardır: Bir nevi, “Büyük Ermenistan” yolunun “Büyük Yunanistan”dan geçeceği fikri Ermeniler üzerinde hâkim olmuştur. Bu yüzdendir ki Ermeniler, Yunanistan’ın kesin başarıyıelde edebilmesi için Ermeni çeteleri oluşturmak suretiyle sürece katkısağlamışlardır. Ermeniler tarafından ortaya çıkan/çıkartılan çetelerden bazıları şunlardır: YuvacıklıVahan, Donik Antranik , Hayzakor, Onnik, Dikran ve Ardaş. Bu çeteler de aynıRum çeteleri gibi Marmara Bölgesi’nde huzuru bozmuşlar, pek çok köyü yağmalayıp, pek çok Müslüman Türk’ü de katletmişlerdir.

Greece is one of the countries which like to apply its plans on the lands of the Ottoman Empire after the signing of the Treaty of Mudros. Greece commenced an intensive activity in Marmara region as it had various plans on the cities of the region which is under the reign of the Ottoman Empire. In order to realise their aim for the Marmara region, that is the great aim called as Megali Idea, they collaborated with the Rum Patriarchate. The aim of the Greece is to found an Istanbul centred great Greece. To achieve this, The Ottoman Empire must be eliminated and the Allies must be persuaded. In this respect, Greece carried out propaganda activities among the Allies and claimed that Rum population was the dominant population in Marmara Region. At this point, Venizelos, the Prime Minister of Greece, had the population statistical of the region based mostly on the records of the Patriarchy and claimed firmly that this region must belong to the Rums according to this statistical. The English also supported these activities of Greece for the Marmara significantly. As a result of the Greece and Rum Patriarchy collaboration and with the help of the great countries mainly of the English, many Rum irregulars emerged in the Marmara region. In the emergence of these irregulars, the role of the communities and committees, acting such as Mavri Mira, Etnik-i Eterya, Yardım, Trakya and Kordus as result of the Greece and Rum Patriarchy binary, is great. For instance, Mavri Mira Community formed irregulars in terms of Megali Idea and had operations in order to have the Turkish people migrate and replace Rum immigrants for the vacant places by causing chaos in the region. The activities of Mavri Mira Community were supported by the Greece Red Cross. The Greece Red Cross provided dispatching of arms and ammunition to Anatolia under the guise of hygienic and medical material. * Bu makale Selçuk Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Proje Koordinatörlüğü tarafından da desteklenmiş olan Millî Mücadele Yıllarında Marmara Bölgesi’nde Faaliyet Gösteren Müfrezeler, Milis Kuvvetleri ve Çeteler adlı Yüksek Lisans Tezi esas alınarak yeniden düzenlenmiş olan bir bölümdür. ** Okt., Selçuk Üniversitesi Etnik-i Eterya Community, an Istanbul centred community, endeavoured for a great revolt in Istanbul and its vicinity. It opened agents in many places where the Rums live and tormented Turkish people by forming irregulars. Rums in Thrace were rationalized by means of Yardım Help and Thracian committees. Rum irregulars were formed in Thrace and these iregulars struggled to eliminate the Turkish population systematically in the region. Some of the the Rum irregulars emerged/were emerged during the truce in Marmara region are: Todori, Bahari, Kommit, Apostol and Apostolidis, Kirman and Kırçaki, Paşaköylü Karaoğlan, Panayot, İstelyanus, Yeniköylü Yorgi, Pandeli, Andon, Karabıyık Dimitri, Vangel and Vangelos, Çakır Yorgi, Anesti Kaplan Kaptan , Kör Vasil, Milto, Hrisantos, Zafiri and Milki Milti Kaptan Çetesi. These Rum irregulars caused terrorist activities by making use of the public order problems of the Ottoman Empire. They despoiled many villages and killed many Moslem Turks. They even joined among the soldiers of Greece, and struggled against the army of the Ottoman Empire, and also National Forces Kuvâ-yı Milliye and Regular Army. Rum irregulars dared to oppose detective forces of the Ottoman Empire in themselves saying “we don’t want government and gendarme, you either abdicate or we compel you to leave here” in Kemerburgaz. That is, these irregulars worked hard in the region to realize Megali Idea in the region. For example, Rum irregulars tormented Moslem people, killed many men before the folk by scratching their eyes out and cutting their noses in villages of Kandıra, Mantarcılar, Kışla, Karasakal, Karakiraz, Çerkezler, Cebecioğlu, Vareman, Dökiren, Hacı İsmail, Bişkin and İnanlar, and Seyhler town. They raped women collectively and killed them by torture later on. They seized jewellery of the women. They attacked the official institutions. They took thousands of animals and invaluable carpets they had stolen from the mosques with them while they were drawing back to Izmit. Armenian irregulars also took place within the activities of the irregulars in Marmara region. In the chaos atmosphere of the armistice, Fener Rum Patriarchy and Armenian Patriarchy acted together against the Ottoman Empire which they regard as “common enemy” and supported each other in every case. Rum and Armenian Patriarchy stated that the curator of lack of public order in the Ottoman Empire was the Turks. Zaven Efendi, the Armenian Patriarch, tried to depict his collaboration with the Rum Patriarchy frankly by joining their meetings. Both Armenian and Rum press supported each other and consider each other’s land demand as rightful. Rum and Armenian collaboration continued till the conclusion of the National Struggle. Because, Armenians thought the necessity of an absolute Greece achievement in Anatolia in order to found a Armenia in West Anatolia. That is, the thought of the way of “Great Armenia” passes through the “Great Greece” hold by the Armenians. Therefore, Armenians contributed to the process by forming Armenian irregulars so that the Greeks could succeed in absolutely. The role of Hınçak and Taşnak communities who returned back to Istanbul after the treaty of armistice is great in forming of Armenian irregulars. For example, the members of Taşnak committee took the Armenians under their control after the armistice and started to interfere in the patriarchy. They initiated the irregular activities immediately later on. Armenian irregulars were also supported by the states like Greece and the English. Armenians, like Rums, formed scout organizations and young Armenians between the age of 14-22 were trained by Greek officers in these scout organizations. Some of the emerged/were emerged irregulars by Armenians are: Yuvacıklı Vahan, Donik Antranik , Hayzakor, Onnik, Dikran and Ardaş. These irregulars, just as the Rum irregulars, caused chaos in Marmara region, despoiled a lot of villages, killed many Moslem Turks as well. The authorities of the Ottoman Empire tried to take some precautions to preclude the activities of the irregulars while Rum and Armenian irregulars having operations in Marmara region. For instance, a surveillance network of talented civil servants was formed around the patriarchy according to the decision taken as a precaution to sustain public order. The patriarchy and its vicinity were taken under firm control; it was closed for entry and exit when confusion occurs during the times for the high possibility of violation of public order. The armaments of Rums hereabouts were prevented and studies were done to seize their arms and ammunition. The authorities of the Ottoman Empire chose alliance with irregulars in some places to prevent irregular activities. For example, an advisory commission was sent for Yeniköy Rums who were on rebellion to the Ottoman in 1919. The commission declared that Islam and Rum people were under the fair guaranty of the Ottoman and the Entente States. It is also stated that equivalents of the possessions of Rum people lost or seized by Moslems will be paid back by Ziraat Bank. A agreement with Yeniköy Rums were signed and a charity forest close to the region given out to the people of Yeniköylü. But, Yenikoöy Rums did not forsake irregular activities despite this agreement, kept on invading villages killing women, girl and children without any hesitation. The Ottoman Empire was unable to take firm precautions to prevent irregular’s activities as it was a state which is under military occupation by the Entente Powers. A state’s chance, who lands under military occupation, is not so high to apply the decisions it had made to prevent the irregulars. Because it was not easy to initiate a work without the “approval” of the Entente Powers and these states were supporting Rum and Armenian irregulars having operations in Marmara region in terms of weapon, ammunition and subsistence. In the chaos atmosphere of the armistice period, Rum and Armenian irregulars which were formed to found Great Greece and Great Armenia had operations in Marmara Region between 1918-1922, despoiled many villages, killed a lot of Moslem Turk without caring whether they are women, girl or child. These irregular activities continued till the National Struggle succeeds