The Menhubat (Plunder Detection) Commissions Established to Determine the Damages of the Greek Occupation

The Anatolian adventures of the Greeks, which began with their landing in Smyrna, turned into the Asia Minor Catastrophe after the Great Offensive, and every city, village and town they retreated to was left in ruins and devastation. Turkish troops who captured the region were confronted with a horrific scene and crimes against humanity. The TGNA launched intensive efforts to bring relief to the people of Western Anatolia, who were left homeless, destitute and without clothes. The crimes committed by Greek troops during the invasion and withdrawal were documented by both national and international commissions. The main objectives of the national commissions established in this context were to determine the crimes of treason against the homeland and the army, and the damages to movable and immovable property, and to organize the necessary arrangements for the restoration of the former. The Menhubat Commissions, which are the subject of this article, were established at the end of 1922 upon the proposal of the Government of the TGNA to hear cases of ordinary crimes and to determine the penalties to be imposed on them. However, both the debates on the proposed law and the practices of the Bursa Menhubat Commission show that the commissions’ sole task was not only to hear cases of ordinary crimes, but also to determine the damages and plunder caused by the occupation and to ensure that decisions were made in accordance with scientific procedures in the creation of new settlements.