FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
Istiklal Street, Ayhan Isik Street. Arcan Apt. Floor:1 No: 16 Beyoglu - Istanbul
CONTACT INFORMATION
SOSYAL MEDYA HESAPLARI
FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
Istiklal Street, Ayhan Isik Street. Arcan Apt. Floor:1 No: 16 Beyoglu - Istanbul
CONTACT INFORMATION
SOSYAL MEDYA HESAPLARI
FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
Istiklal Street, Ayhan Isik Street. Arcan Apt. Floor:1 No: 16 Beyoglu - Istanbul
CONTACT INFORMATION
SOSYAL MEDYA HESAPLARI
Brief History of LMV
The Situation of the Immigrants in the Ottoman Period
and the First Organizations
1
From the beginning of the 1800s onwards, the Ottoman Empire had to take various measures for the settlement of Muslim peoples migrating from the Balkans and other lost lands to Anatolia. The state established settlement commissions for the migrants; in addition, civil societies were formed to meet the needs of these communities. One of these societies, the Rumelian Islamic Migrants Society, was founded in 1908 and undertook the task of defending the rights of the migrants and settling them in suitable regions.
Even before the population exchange regulated by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 began, some societies were active to meet the needs of the immigrants. The Eastern Macedonia and Macedonians Associations were among the prominent organizations at the beginning of the exchange. The Exchange Association emerged as a structure that brought these groups together after the Treaty of Lausanne to protect the rights of the immigrants.
The Establishment Process of the Lausanne Exchangees Foundation
2
The Lausanne Exchangees Foundation (LMV) was founded after the Marmara Earthquake in Türkiye on August 17, 1999, and the subsequent earthquake in Athens on September 7, when a natural atmosphere of friendship and solidarity developed between the two peoples. In November 1999, an initiative called the “Great Exchange Children Initiative” was launched. The aim of this initiative is to bring together Turkish citizens of exchange origin to preserve their own culture and history, and to carry out activities that will strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Turkey and Greece.
The entrepreneurs held their first major organization with the “Istanbul Meeting of Exchangees” event held on January 30, 2000. This meeting had a great impact on the public and received wide coverage in the press in both Türkiye and Greece. The official establishment of the foundation took place on May 24, 2001.
Purpose and Principles of the Foundation
3
The Lausanne Refugees Foundation is a non-governmental organization that carries out activities to protect the cultural and historical heritage of the refugees and to strengthen the friendly and peaceful relations between the peoples of Turkey and Greece. The main goals of the foundation are as follows:
- To protect the cultural heritage of those who came to Anatolia through the population exchange and to pass it on to future generations.
- To promote friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Türkiye and Greece.
- To document the exchange with scientific research and increase knowledge in this field.
- To protect the cultural and artistic values left behind by the refugees in Türkiye and Greece.
Featured Activities and Projects
4
Vakfın gerçekleştirdiği önemli faaliyetler arasında, mübadil kültürünü yaşatma, mübadillerin hikayelerini kayda geçirme ve halklar arası dostluk bağlarını güçlendirme amacı güden çeşitli projeler bulunmaktadır. Öne çıkan projelerden bazıları şunlardır:
- Yeniden Kurulan Yaşamlar. 80. Yıldönümünde düzenlenen bir sempozyumla mübadil hikayeleri ve kültürel mirasları ele alınmıştır.
- Belleklerdeki Güzellik: Mübadele Türküleri Projesi. Mübadele dönemine ait türküler ve halk ezgileri arşivlenmiştir.
- Meriç Nehri Kıyılarında Avrupa’yı Tartışmak Projesi. Trakya bölgesini bir Avrupa kültür alanı olarak değerlendirme ve tanıtma amacı güdülmüştür.
- Mübadele Müzesi Projesi. Mübadelenin tarihini ve etkilerini gelecek nesillere aktarmak için bir müze oluşturma çalışmaları başlatılmıştır.
Anma Törenleri ve Etkinlikler
5
LMV organizes various commemoration ceremonies every year in order not to let the suffering experienced during the exchange be forgotten. In this context, every year on January 30, red carnations are left in the settlements of exchangees that are close to the sea "in memory of those who lost their lives in wars and migration routes." This event has become a symbolic activity of the foundation since 2003.
In the activities leading up to the foundation's 100th anniversary, exchangee associations from all over Türkiye published a joint commemoration message and continued their efforts to keep the memory of the exchangees alive. This joint statement was first signed by 15 organizations on the 89th anniversary, and the number of signatory organizations has increased continuously in the following years. The number of members of the foundation has increased rapidly with participants from the exchangee settlements in Türkiye, and today it operates in cooperation with nearly 80 organizations.
Foundation Structure and Membership Profile
6
The Lausanne Refugees Foundation is comprised of individuals from all over Türkiye who are of a refugee origin. Among the 23 founding members are first generation Greek-born refugees, as well as their children and grandchildren. The foundation's membership profile comes from a wide geography and is open to all refugees, without any criterion of affiliation to a specific region.
It is observed that the majority of the founding members of the Foundation are highly educated individuals and that women and men are equally active. The Foundation continues its activities with the financial and voluntary contributions of its members, without receiving any government support.
In conclusion
7
The Lausanne Refugees Foundation not only preserves the cultural and historical heritage of the individuals of refugee origin, but also acts as a bridge that promotes peace and friendship between the peoples of Turkey and Greece. The Foundation's aim to contribute to the healing of historical wounds and leave a hopeful legacy for future generations distinguishes it from other civil society organizations.
Our Institutions
MUDANYA REGIONAL REPRESENTATION
CUMHURU AKSAN
ARMIT NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION STREET NO:3 MUDANYA / BURSA
AEGEAN REGION REPRESENTATION
EMEL ACAR
BORNOVA MUNICIPALITY ATATURK CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS CAMPUS KOŞUKAVAK MAH. 4169/2 STREET NO:5 BORNOVA / İZMİR
ÇATALCA REGIONAL REPRESENTATION
MUG EURPEK TOKER
KALE ICI DISTRICT SPRING STREET NO:2 CATALCA
ERDEK REGIONAL REPRESENTATION
TURKAN AKDAG OZTURK
YALI NEIGHBORHOOD İSTİKLAL STREET.NO: 13/1 ERDEK / BALIKESİR