E-Mail 'The 95th Anniversary of the Destruction of Greeks and Armenians in Smyrna/Izmir: An Interview with Tehmine Martoyan' To A Friend

20 Comments

1. Our mother had a Turkish bullet in her hand at that time which stayed with her till the day she died in 1967. Her mother was killed there also. The battleship U.S.Arizona was in the harbor,but as far as I know they did not help. Our family got to Greece and stayed there for a long time.

   • Dear Mike Manoogian,

     Thank you for your response. Thank you for your family story.
     Send me an e-mail, please.

     Best regards,
     Tehmine Martoyan

2. My father Sarkis aka “Deli Sarkis” survived the holocaust that was the destruction of the beautiful city of Smyrna. When I interviewed him for the book I wrote about his life: “Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried” and asked him what was worse for him the deportation from the Armenian village of Keramet (Bursa Province, located on the banks of Lake Iznik or the burning of Smyrna he said without a pause the burning of Smyrna. He continued with if you can imagine a hell on earth that was the city when the troops of Kemal Ataturk came in and laid waste to the Christian sections. Horrible beyond belief. The Turks will never ever assume responsibility for their actions always blaming their atrocities on someone else. Thank you for your research and your films. People need to know.
   Ellen

   • Dear Ellen Chesut,

     Thank you for your story. I am interested in your book “Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried”.
     Send me an e-mail, please.

     Regards,
     Tehmine Martoyan

3. From my great-great – grandfather Ghazer Chilinger’s line, martyrs killed in Smyrna:

   The four sons with names unknown of his grand-daughter, their mother Iskoohi Ghazerian Tutunjian, all 4 killed in Smyrna;

   For Gazaros Tavitian, another descendant, killed in Smyrna.

   • Dear jda,

     Thank you for your family story.
     Please, send me an e-mail.

     Kind wishes,
     Tehmine Martoyan

4. Thank you for your research & publication. As my maternal grandfather grew up in Smyrna, & his parents spent over 30 years there, I always felt a camaraderie with Greeks, and any I met in the US certainly knew of the Genocide. A couple years ago, a letter written by my grandfather, Dr.Levon Beshgetoor(ian), was translated. It was from the early 1920s. He had come to the US a few years earlier but knew of the problems rising up again in Turkey, notably Smyrna. He was writing to his father, Professor Garabed Beshgetoorian, still in Smyrna, cautioning him to leave everything and come to the US. Fortunately, my great-grandfather did leave Smyrna, spending the last 20 yrs of his productive life in the metro-Detroit area. I have on my wall a framed print of the Smyrna Harbor, dated 1678. Visiting Izmir in 1970 to walk along the harbor perhaps as my grandparents did, was truly a special feeling. Any historic information about Smyrna, including its brutal destruction in 1922 is as valued to me as that of the interior towns of my other ancestors. Again, thank you for the information and graphic photos from that time.

   • Dear Joan Kasabach(ian) Swain,

     Thank you for a nice family story.
     Send me an e-mail, please.

     Kind wishes,
     Tehmine Martoyan

   • Just today googling my maternal great-grandfather, coming upon your article (again) but not having seeing your 2+ yr old request for my em…..this is my first chance to reply….for whatever reason you wanted to be in touch in 5/2020.

5. 350,000 people were saved from Smyrna in 1922. That was 25,000 Armenians, 25,000 Jews, and 300,000 Greeks. Do you know who was responsible for the rescue? I have the records, if you are interested. I do not believe Armenians know.

   • Dear Roger Jennings,

     Thank you for your information.
     Send me an e-mail, please.

     Best regards,
     Tehmine Martoyan

6. My father, Gregoire Gurgian, and family escaped the day the burning started. 50+ relatives were killed. They went to France. He told me about all the death and destruction.

   • Dear Ralph Gurgian,

     Thank you for your family story.
     Please send me an e-mail.

     Best wishes,
     Tehmine Martoyan

7. Hello,

   my name is Didier MAZMANIAN, great-grandson of Armenians who fled the genocide to France. I would like to contact George SHIRINIAN. Could you tell me how to contact him?
   I would like to ask him questions about the Armenian genocide.
   Thank you for your help.

   • Hello,

     Dear Didier MAZMANIAN,

     Thank you for your response.
     I will write you via email.

     Regards,
     Tehmine Martoyan

8. Dear Director,
   I’m a local history writer from Odemis/SMYRNA (Turkey). At my city Odemis, there were a wealty family Davidians (or Tavitians)at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century. I have some information about this family, but not able to reach fruitful information about them. Most probably, they immigrate to USA, around 1915. One of the son of the family is Mr. Seroppe, who was a lawyer.
   If someone can tell someting about this family, I will be grateful. My aim is to uncover the past days of Odemis life.
   Wit best wishes.
   Bekir

   • Dear Bekir Keskin,

     Thank you for your response.

     I will send a mail to you.

     Best regards,
     Tehmine

9. Not sure if there is a list of survivors from this horrific event. If anyone could assist me or point me in the right direction I would really appreciate that. Thank you!

10. My paternal grandfather Ioannis Ioannides escaped from Smyrna with his mother, Maria Grivas Ioannou, and sisters Theodora, Vasilia, Georgia in 1920 to the mainland of Greece. Ioannis, with Maria and Vasilia, boarded on SS Pannonia for New York and landed on August 1920. Theodora and Georgia went to live in Pireaus. Another sister, Chyrsanthe was already in Springfield, MA. Before his escape, his father Dimitrios Ioannou was stabbed by the Turks. Dimitrios died in Ioannis’ arms when Ioannis was about 9 or 10 years old. That memory left him with rage about how the Turks treated the civilians. I want to know the location where he grew up in Smyrna. Ioannis’ parents were from Smyrna, not sure about their parents. I am determined to find more cousins! Thank you for the powerful article. Keep researching!

11. Thank you for your research. My name is Siran Abeshyan from US. My maternal great parents were from Smyrna. They were prominent family of architects of 4 brothers. I know only two of the brothers names, Aram Alajajian who was my great grand father and Haig Alajajian. Aram had two daughters and a son. All 4 brothers were killed. The 2 daughters and the son were saved. The older daughter Siran Alajajian (my grandmother) end up in Greece. The sibling end up in Lebonan. In 1930’s the youngest sister Mary came to US. Unfortunately my grandmother died before I was born. I don’t have too much information on the family, but I have an original family photo of the brothers and my Grandmothers family portrait where she seems to be 1 year old. I’m not sure if the escaped from the fires or were there any massacres of Armenians and Greeks in Smyrna prior to the fires and destruction of Smyrna. Furtunetly I met my grandmothers sister Mary Ouzunian(married name) back in 1990’s who was a few years old. She had a hard time talking about it. She described that day as a HELL on earth. She remembered her parents were murdered and she lost her sister(my grandmother). What is not sure is weather my family was mudered during the fires or before. Here is why I am questioning that my grandmother was born around 1901 or 1902. According to my mom she was in her early teens when her rescuers covered her face with mod and dressed her in boys clothing in order to smaller her. If she was in her early teens than she must of rescued before 1922: Then this makes me conclude that there may have been massacres in Smyrna prior to 1922. Unless my information is not accurate. I would really appreciate if you could shed some light on my confusion. Furthermore, I am very much interested on the list of (if any) of Armenians living in Smyrna prior to 1922. Especially of Alajajian family including Magakian family(maternal grand father) would be so grateful if anybody can shed some light in search of my family’s history.

Comments are closed.