The Minority Issue in the Speech and Ataturk's Views on Minorities

Abstract

When the Ottoman Empire began to weaken in various respects after the 17th century, some major states of the period broke into the contest to split the Imperial territory. It is known that the minorities within the state were used as a tool and provoked by the big states in this sharing race, which continued in different conditions and forms until the beginning of the 20th century. Indeed, "minorities subject of great states was not anything other than the tools they use their share of Turkey" Greeks in Trakya, Bosnia, and Herzegovina and Serbia and Slavs in Bulgaria, then the Greeks and Armenians in Anatolia, the Middle East and the Balkans domination to they were starting to struggle for independence with the secret or explicit aid of the great states who wanted to get. In this environment, great rights and privileges were given to the minorities with which the Mondros Armistice was signed. Moreover, as if these privileges were insufficient, decisions were taken for a number of minorities, especially Greeks and Armenians, to establish dormitories in Anatolia. At the Paris Peace Conference and the Sevres Treaty, the "powers" who wanted the patronage of the minorities found a practice area. Izmir was occupied by the Greeks. A Greek movement was launched into Anatolia. Pontus gangs started to operate in the Black Sea in order to establish a Greek state.