EDİRNE KARAAĞAÇ’A İSKÂN EDİLEN MÜBADİL VE MUHACİRLER (1923-1928)
EXCHANGES AND IMMIGRANTS SETTLED IN ADRIANOPLE KARAAGATCH (1923-1928)

Summary/Abstract: At the Lausanne Peace Conference, Turkey not only gained independence, but also resolved many international or bilateral problems. One of the problems negotiated and resolved between Turkey and Greece at Lausanne was the population exchange. The Exchange Agreement signed between Turkey and Greece on 30 January 1923 introduced the principle of obligation for the population remaining in the exchange area. This was not decided by the peoples, but they had to abide by the decision of the states. They migrated to their new homelands, leaving the lands they had lived in for centuries and recognised as their homeland. One of their new homelands was the Karaagatch neighbourhood of Adrianople, which was abandoned by the Greeks and other non-Muslims. During this period (1923-1928), 258 households of migrants and immigrants were settled in Karaagatch. The majority of the immigrants came from Karacaova, Kayalar and Gevgili, which were located in the Greek territory of Macedonia. There were also immigrants from Western Thrace, which was not included in the scope of the population exchange, especially from villages close to Karaagatch. This study has been prepared based on the information in the Book for exchange and non-exchangeable Immigrants Settled in the Centre of Adrianople taken from the Archive of Adrianople Provincial Directorate of Rural Services. In the book, immigrant and refugees are listed on the basis of the father’s name of the head of the household, the names of those who came with the head of the household, the dates of their settlement, where they came from, in which neighbourhood, street and alley they were settled, and the property and title deed records given to them. The majority of those who came with the head of the household were related by descent. However, there are also those who are not related by blood, such as siblings, children of siblings or adopted orphans. In this sense, 258 households and 1075 population were settled in Karaagatch. Each family was given a house based on the number of inhabitants, and some families were also given commercial properties such as shops and coffee houses. Most of the immigrants who came to Karaagatch were farmers, gardeners and orchardists. In this sense, Karaagatch had fertile lands and those settled here were engaged in gardening. Today, the hot peppers, known as Karaagatch liver pepper, are known as the gift of Karacaova and Gevgili immigrants to the region.

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