Turkish Atrocities in Macedonia, 1903

Peio K. Yavorov (1878-1914), Bulgarian poet and journalist 

During the current crisis in the Middle East, it is important and necessary to remember that mass killings of Christians have occurred before. Beginning in July 1903, numerous Bulgarians were butchered in Macedonia during the Ilindent Uprising. The following excerpts are taken from mimeographed newspapers that were published in  Bulgaria and edited by the Bulgarian poet Peio K. Yavorov (1878-1914). The translations are mine.

“The village of Nerezi was attacked and burglarized by Albanians and Turkish irregulars; 3 villages were killed. In the villages of Chereshovo and Golamani, there were numerous victims. In the village of Brezica, nine people were arrested and tortured to death.” 

 “In Gumendzha, the Turkish army leveled and destroyed the Bulgarian church. Within ten days’ time more than 200 people in the town and its surrounding areas were arrested.” 

 “Two or three weeks ago in Novo Selo, a spy was killed. Numerous innocent villages were accused of the crime and are sitting in prison, where they are the recipients of torture every day.” 

 “On the evening of August 7, the shepherd Kolio Donchev was attacked near the city of Strumica by a soldier and hit on the head with the butt of a rifle. The poor man lived through the most terrible sufferings for two days before he died.” 

“On the 19^th of August in Thessalonica, twenty five people were freed from prison by the authorities. Having returned to their homes, they were once again arrested for no apparent reason.”

“The monastery of St. John in Veles was completely burned to the ground and destroyed by Turkish troops. Numerous people in the area of the monastery were arrested, tortured, and a killed.”

Source: Kolevski, V., Ed. Collected Works of Peio K. Yavorov, Vol. 4: Critical and Journalistic Works. Sofia: Bulgarian Writer, 1979.