Iron Chickpeas: Crete Cretan lmmigrants Who Were Setteled in Ayvalik

Abstract

This article focuses on the problems which occurred in Ayvalik following the Population Exchanges of 1923 between Turkey and Greece. Primarily, the history of Ayvalik and Crete will be summarized in the article. Ayvalik was chosen as a subject since almost its all population was Greek prior to the population exchange. The article focuses on the refugees of Crete, who lived extreme diffuculties in the adaptation to the new social structure. Serious problems occurred when different refugee groups (from Mytiline and Crete) tried to unite as a single group, act and react together, inter-marry or consider themselves as natives of Ayvalik.