The destruction of Smyrna in 1922. was the culmination of a Turkish campaign to eradicate the Greek population in Asia Minor. known today as Turkey. During this genocide. thousands were killed in forced labor camps. hundreds of Greek towns and villages were destroyed. and 450.000 civilians were massacred by Turkish forces in areas where they composed a majority as on the Black Sea coast. in Pontus. and the Smyrna region. In 1922. Smyrna was the largest city in Asia Minor and a cosmopolitan hub populated by a highly educated Greek community and flourishing middle classes. In September of that year. Turkish troops sacked. burned to the ground. and slaughtered Smyrnas Greek and Armenian inhabitants along with refugees from the countryside.
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refugees