During the evening the “Ineboli” and three other boats returned to Kumlar. The remaining refugees were sent off.
May 20.—At 6·30 the “Bryony” and the boats sent by the Red Crescent left Kumlar for Guemlek.
The refugees were notified that they were to assemble on the beach in order to embark. At mid-day the commission went ashore to see what progress was being made. The Greek officers required that able-bodied men should be left behind, guaranteeing that they would be properly treated. This proposal was accepted by the commission.
The commission again went ashore at 3·30 and saw the last refugees embark. The boats then weighed anchor.
At 4 o’clock the “Bryony” left Guemlek for Tuzla, where she was to wait instructions by wireless concerning the voyage to Yalova.
May 21.—The “Bryony” anchored at Yalova at 8 o’clock. An officer was sent ashore to inform the commander of the Greek detachment that the Inter-Allied Commission had arrived.
At 9 o’clock the Greek officer commanding the detachment came aboard and was questioned by the commission. He stated that when he arrived at Yalova, about a month before, he had found that all the neighbouring villages had been burned. As far as he knew, there were brigands in the neighbourhood, but his orders were only to hold Yalova, and his patrols always kept within a radius of 2½ kilom. of it.
The commission went ashore at 10 o’clock and was met by a crowd of Greek refugees, mostly women.
The commission sat at the Greek headquarters, and heard complaints made by Greek refugees, more particularly those from Fulajik.
It asked the Greek officer to withdraw, and the kaïmakam was heard. He stated that before the war the population of the Yalova district was one-half Christian and one-half Turkish. Yalova itself was a Turkish town.