Public order in Izmir in the course of Armistice (1918-1922)

İzmir has attracted the attention of all states with a coast to the Mediterranean throughout history and has been called the " Pearl of the Mediterranean". The city of İzmir, which is both a port city and a cosmopolitan structure, has attracted the attention of many nations, especially Italy and Greece, due to its coastline on the Mediterranean. World War I which emerged as a result of the clonial race after the Industrial Revolution; it has caused both states, such as Greece and İtaly, to claim rights on the city. However, this rivalry between the two nations was used in favor of Greece, which wanted to realize the Megali Idea at will of the British, and this decision reached its final goal with the Mondros Armistice Treaty signed on 30 October 1918. Following the Armistice of Mondros signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Entente States on 30 October 1918, the most important duty that stood before the İstanbul Governments was to ensure that the final peace treaty to be concluded between the parties contains as mild conditions as possible. The precondition for governments to achieve such a goal is; İt was to ensure order and security in the country and to prevent conflicts between Muslim and Christian elements. However, following the signing of the armistice, the Christian elements, encouraged by the attitude of Entente States, didn't delay in starting armed activities against Müslims. One of the regions where these activities were most intense was İzmir and its surroundings. As İzmir was a port city, it was at an important crossroads that enabled it to connect with other regions of Anatolia and had an extremely important place strategically. For this reason, after the armistice, with the encouragement of the Allied forces, especially Greece, the Greks in the region formed many gangs. While the Ottoman security forces whose mobility was limited by the pressure and intervention of the Allied Forces, could'nt be successful in the face of these activities, over time, the groups organized by the National Forces in the region managed to maintain the balance and gradually take control. In this respect the occupation of İzmir on 15 May 1919 and the liberation of İzmir on 9 September 1922, which expresses the prediodic time interval of the armistice period, don't only indicate the beginning and en dates of the Turkish War of Independence but also it represents two important truning points in its determinations to obtain its right. Especially the invasion of İzmir by the Greeks on 15 May 1919 undoubtedly was the spark of the Turkish National Struggle. This process also signifies a period of occupation and massacres, looting movements, changing security and order when Greek soldiers cooperate with the local Greeks in İzmir. As a matter of fact, with the signing of the armistice and its entry into force, a period that threatens all kinds of safety and trust of people in the city has started. The most popular consept of the period, "order", has been the common expression of almost every document, offical or unofficial that almost everyone does'nt let go of their mouths. In particular, the actions of the Greeks in this regard were included in the gendarmerie and police reports of the period, periodicals of the period, memoiers or offical correspondence written by other Turkish military authorities. Ultimately, in this period, the homeland and independence of the Turkish nation was tried to be taken away; security of life, property and honor of the people has disappeared with the occupation and gang activities and this situation has been expressed with the concept of public order. This study examining the public order and security incidents that took place in İzmir during the armistice period and the measures taken against this; It aims to evaluate what has been experienced in the city since the first days of the occupation of İzmir and how the events were reflected in the official correspondence, memories and periodicals of the period. Keywords: Armistice period, İzmir, public order and security, National Forces, Greeks, security measures.