The Murder of the Greek Bishops and the Conduct of the Greek Army

The Death of the Greek Bishops

The Carnegie Commission confirms that one Greek Bishop, the Bishop of Demir-Hissar, was killed. However, the claim that four Greek Bishops were murdered is not supported by evidence.

Brutal Actions of Greek Soldiers

The Carnegie Commission reports that European witnesses saw Greek soldiers behaving brutally.

Fifteen wounded Bulgarian soldiers took refuge in the Catholic Convent of Paliortsi, near Gheogeli, where they were cared for by the nuns Guided Turkey Tours .

Father Alloati, a priest, informed the Greek Commandant about the soldiers, prompting a search of the convent for a Bulgarian band leader named Arghyr, who was not there.

During the search:

Father Trepitche, a Bulgarian Catholic Priest, and the Armenian doctor of the convent were severely flogged in front of the Greek officers.

A Greek soldier attempted to rape a nun.

A sum of 300 Turkish pounds was stolen.

Five Bulgarian women and a young girl were tortured.

Many peasants were arrested without reason.

The Greek officer in charge threatened to kill Father Alloati and burn down the convent.

The Carnegie Commission comments that if such actions could happen in a building protected by the French flag, then it is likely that Bulgarian peasants suffered far worse.

The Discovery of Greek Soldiers’ Letters

On July 27th, the Bulgarians captured the baggage of the Greek 19th Infantry Regiment at Dobrinichte. Among the items found were letters written by Greek soldiers, which were mostly stamped with the regimental postal mark.

The Carnegie Commission carefully examined these letters and concluded:

The letters were genuine and confirmed the actions and thoughts of the Greek soldiers at the time.

The Carnegie Commission describes serious mistreatment and violence committed by the Greek soldiers, including attacks on civilians, priests, and nuns. The letters discovered provided further evidence of the tensions and cruelty during the conflict.