How the Aids of the Indian Muslims to the Turkey Became a Problem During the Exchange Process (1923-1925)

Şule Sevinç KİŞİ

How the Aids of the Indian Muslims to the Turkey Became a Problem During the Exchange Process (1923-1925)

Articles > Article · 2020

Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi (ÇTTAD), International Refereed University Journal, International, 2020, vol 20, pp 541-578

Summary

In Lausanne on 30 January 1923 “Population Emigration Convention” which was based on the mutual replacement of the Orthodox Greeks in Turkey and the Turkish-Muslim population in Greece excluding the Turks in Western Thrace and Greeks in Istanbul was signed. First the “Joint Commission”, consisting of the representatives of Turkish, Greek and neutral countries was established so that the status of those to be exchanged in Turkey and Greece could be identified. The Turkish Government adopted a law in Parliament and decided to establish “Ministry of Exchange, Construction and Settlement” on 13 October 1923 to be responsible for the development, settlement and exchange works. Population exchange business will be conducted through the relevant ministries, civil servants and Turkish Red Crescent Association. According to the Exchange Convention, the aids of Indian Muslims was once again needed to overcome a big and arduous problem, namely the transportation, sheltering and temporary settlement of the Turks who were to be brought from nearly half a million Greece. For this purpose, Mustafa Kemal Pasha personally prepared a declaration asking for the help of the Islamic world. A delegation was formed by the Red Crescent and sent to India in order to deliver this declaration and to receive the money collected. Meanwhile, on 29 October 1923 after switching to the Republican administration, Turkey has entered a rapid process of revolution to reach the level of contemporary civilizations. Within this framework, the laws adopted in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on March 3, 1924, the abolition of the caliphate institution incompatible with the republican regime and the decision to deport the Ottoman dynasty abroad caused confusion among the Indian Muslims who felt connected to the caliphate. Especially the money and aid collector “Indian Committee of the Caliphate” leader and pro-caliphate Seyyid Chotani could not accept the abolition of the caliphate and by spending the collected funds in the purchase of sawmill and construction materials, this money was not brought to Turkey. Therefore Turkey, without any external debt and foreign aid has tried to handle the population exchange with limited job opportunities. On the other hand, Turkish Red Crescent Association ceded the materials which were purchased with aid money and tag along with the second delegation to India and this delegation obtained an income albeit in small amounts, and gradually made efforts to bring Turkey. In this study, the latest aids of the Indian Muslims that transformed into a problem during the time of Population Exchange will be examined.<o:p></o:p>

View details