Οι Έλληνες της Βιθυνίας και το εθνικό κέντρο, 1898-1903: Ανέκδοτες μαρτυρίες από το αρχείο του συλλόγου "Ανατολή"

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses a series of letters addressed between 1898
and 1903 by George Paschalides, a pharmacist at Pera in Constantinople to
Margaritis Evangelides, professor at the University of Athens and chairman of
the Association of Asia Minor natives in Athens «Anatoli» (Orient). Both
correspondents were natives of Bithynia in Northwestern Asia Minor. The
letters deal for the most part with the educational needs and difficulties facing
two Orthodox Armenian-speaking communities in the region, Ortaköi and
Choudi. In requesting the Association’s assistance, Paschalides expresses at the
same time the expectations and disappointments of Asia Minor Greeks at the
neglect they felt was shown towards them by the Greek consular authorities in
Constantinople but also by educational agencies in Athens, especially the Philekpaideftiki
Etaireia (Education-promotion Society) whose professed aim had
been the encouragement of Greek education among the unredeemed Orthodox
populations of the Ottoman Empire. The correspondent points out that the
Society had failed to carry out its own programme which had aroused so much
hope among education-loving Greeks in Asia Minor. In addition G. Paschalides
refers to other obstacles and difficulties facing the intellectual development
of the Greeks in Constantinople itself, chief among them being official
Ottoman censorship of their newspapers and other publications, which impeded
free expression. After the disappointment from the Philekpaideftiki
Etaireia and from Greek officials, the hopes of Asia Minor Greeks focused on
the Asociation «Anatoli» for the solution of their problems.