In 1914 , the local Greek population in the area was affected by the violent ethnic cleansing campaign of the Ottoman state , while Ottoman irregular bands , Bashi-bazouks , some were Cretan Muslims , many of them were Muslim refugees , were looting and murdering local Greeks , looting villages south of Menemen . The CUP saw this as retaliation for the Muslims suffering under Greek domination since the Balkan wars ( 1912-1913 ) , in which tens of thousands had left their homes . In Serekieuy , Menemen district , the Greek villagers were killed by these irregulars , after attempting to form some kind of resistance . A few escaped to the town of Menemen , which had a population of 20.000 , the Bashi-bazouks shot who left the town but did n't attack the town itself . After the attacks at the villages at Menemen the same Turkish bands attacked the Phocaea , resulting the Massacre of Phocaea . During the same year , the Greek population of Menemen , as well as of other regions of western Anatolia , was finally forced to leave as part of this plan of ethnic cleansing After World War I Greek troops landed at Smyrna and advanced inland during the Greco-Turkish War ( 1919-1922 ) . After the battle at Bergama retreating Greek army units managed to enter Menemen as part of the Greek occupation zone of Smyrna . However , they had to retreat temporarily from the town after fierce Turkish resistance during which excesses were committed by both sides . The subsequent massacre , on 17 June 1919 , due to these developments , resulted in 200 Turkish civilians being killed by the Greeks . The events were protested by the Ottoman Sheikhulislam . The Greek military claimed that they were attacked in the town , on the other hand an Allied commission , after investigation , believed that their statements was not correct , but they agreed that the massacre was not organized by the Greek Command , but was as a result of the panic and anger of the young Greek troops who were still affected by the Bergama events and whom their officers were not able to calm . At Bergama , the Turkish irregulars who retook the city murdered the Turkish inhabitants who welcomed the Greeks and also massacred and tortured all the Greek soldiers who were prisoners
subsequent massacre
Menemen massacre
Menemen