Treaty of Sèvres (1920); World War, 1914-1918 -- Territorial questions -- Turkey; World War, 1914-1918 -- Turkey
“The pre-war figures for the sanjak of Smyrna, according to the
American estimates, which are the most up-to-date and impartial,
give the following result: Greeks, 375,000; Mussulmans, 325,000;
Jews, 40,000; and Armenians, 18,000. These figures only relate
to the sanjak of Smyrna, and there are other kazas in the
neighbourhood which also show a majority of Greeks.”
Now, according to the official Turkish figures, the sanjak of Smyrna
had, before the war, 377,000 Mussulmans as against 218,000 Greeks,
while during the war the Muslim figure rose to 407,000 and the
Greek figure was considerably reduced. Only in the kazas of Urla,
Shesmeh, Phocœa, and Kara-Burun in the sanjak of Smyrna, are there
Greek majorities; but in no other kaza, whether of Magnesia, Aidin,
or Denizli, is the Greek element in a majority. Moreover, the Greek
minority is important only in the kaza of Seuki in the sanjak of Aidin;
everywhere else it is, as a rule, less than 10 per cent., and only in
two kazas is it 15 or 16 per cent.
The treaty recognises Armenia as a free and independent State, and
the President of the United States is to arbitrate on the question of
the frontier to be fixed between Turkey and Armenia in the vilayets of
Erzerum, Trebizond, Van, and Bitlis. Now, though everybody—including
the Turks—acknowledges that as a principle it is legitimate to form
an Armenian State, yet when we consider the nature of the population
of these vilayets, we cannot help feeling anxious at the condition of
things brought about by this decision.
As a matter of fact, in Erzerum there are 673,000 Mussulmans,
constituting 82·5 per cent. of the population, as against 136,000
Armenians, or 16·5 per cent. In Trebizond the Mussulmans number
921,000, or 82 per cent. of the population, as against 40,000
Armenians, or 23·5 per cent. In the vilayet of Van the Muslim
population is 179,000, or 69 per cent., and the Armenian population
67,000, or 26 per cent. In Bitlis the Mussulmans number 310,000, or
70·5 per cent., as against 119,000 Armenians, constituting 27 per cent.
Thus, in these four vilayets the Mussulmans number 2,083,000, and the
Armenians 362,000, the average being 80 per cent. against 13 per cent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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