The Issue of Compensation for the Losses of Foreigners in the Turco-Greek War of 1897

Ottoman state won the 1897 Turkish-Greece war. This victory was an indication that Turks who had been losing their lands in Balkans slowly were standing still. Poets were being written and compliments were paid to Ottoman administrators and army, especially Sultan Abdulhamid II. However when Ottomans, winners of the war found the European states in front of them in the peace treaties, the situation changed. At the end of negotiations, Ottoman state had to return Thessaly to Greece. As alimony, Ottoman state received back only one third of the amount it spent for war. It received also alimony of 100.000 liras for the harm given by Greek forces to assets and properties of the community. While sublime porte was planning to compensate the losses of citizens with the alimony of 100.000 liras, it confronted the alimony demands of foreigners (European citizens) that had real estates in Thessaly, Thessaloniki and Janina. In fact such a demand was not considered during the signing of the treaty. Ottoman state had to take the losses of all foreigners into consideration except Greece citizens in order not to have problems with European states. Our study, examines the alimony demands of foreigners that Ottomans (who were the winners of 1897 Turk-Greek war) had to bear during the course of peace.