The Greek Muslim migration : rethinking the role of security and nationalism within the 1923 compulsory exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey

Abstract

In my Masters Thesis, I examine the 1923 Compulsory Population Exchange between Greece and Turkey (CEOPBGT). Endorsed at a convention in Lausanne, Switzerland, the forced transfer of over one million Anatolian Greek Christians from Turkey to Greece, and of roughly 400,000 Greek Muslims from Greece to Turkey, occurred during a period when Turkey and Greece were actively pursuing nation-building projects. In my theory, I inform about the downside of state-centric security rhetoric and ethnonationalism associated with population expulsion. In my case study, I specifically address the Lausanne Convention’s role in "nationalizing" identity and defining who belongs and who does not in nationally particularistic ways. My investigation seeks to illustrate that the national territorial narrative produced by the CEOPBGT was in discord with how transferees comprehended their own sense of community and place in the world. To this end, I provide evidence such as stories of the Greek Muslim migration to show how displacement distorts, challenges and negotiates a migrant’s sense of identity and security. Ultimately, I hope that my thesis may add a unique perspective to the current literature seeking to understand sources of the politicized conflict between Greece and Turkey, as well as offering general insight into the International Relations discipline regarding the phenomenon of forced population transfer.