Muslim Minority of Greece: From Lausanne to the Greek Civil War
Muslim Minority of Greece: From Lausanne to the Greek Civil War

Author(s): Samim Akgönül
Subject(s): Ethnohistory, Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Muslim; minority; Greece; identity; organization; Ottoman Empire; demographic; engineering; nation-building; process;
Summary/Abstract: The Muslim minority in Greece emerged due to the structural identity organization of the Ottoman Empire and the demographic engineering decisions made during the nation-building process. This chapter aims to analyze the situation of this minority between two significant events: the compulsory population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, which exempted Muslims in Western Thrace, and the conclusion of the Greek Civil War with the victory of loyalist forces. Firstly, the impact of the compulsory exchange on the region will be examined. Then, the Treaty of Lausanne will be analyzed from the perspective of the Muslims in Greece. Subsequently, the focus will shift to the demographic changes in Western Thrace between 1923 and 1940. Finally, the chapter will address the situation of the minority during World War II and the Greek Civil War.

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