??????? ??? ??????-???????? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? “Sizilia” ??? “Maria Theresa” ???? ????? ??? ?????? (I.M.K. – E.K.I.M.)
Continued from page 10
THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE UNION
It was October 15, 1878, and in the old suburb ‘Halepa’
of Chania, a historic agreement was signed. After centuries of struggles, revolutions and sacrifices, Cretans had
won a first major battle against the Turks. Committed
from the treaty with the Great Powers in Berlin three
months before, the Ottoman Empire had to make significant reforms since the Christian element was strong
in Crete and the fresh commitment of the Porte was to
respect the people who for centuries were oppressed.
In Crete, the Sultan allowed administrative and social
changes that gave, through the Convention of Halepa, a
wider autonomy to the island. However, whatever privileges were granted by the Sultan became nullified de
facto because the Cretans wanted more freedom not just
privileges. In addition, the Turks themselves sabotaged
these privileges based on the idea that the Cretans always caused trouble.
In 1896, in a context of violent conflicts, the Great
Powers tried to impose an order on the island without
satisfying the just demands of the Cretans. Even with
the custody of the four prefectures of Crete by the Great
Powers and the bombing of Chania after a provocation
of the Turks who wanted to throw the blame to the Cretans, the people did not bend. Spyros Kayales defied the
cannonballs of the Allied Fleet in Akrotiri, outside Chania, and instead of the broken pole of the Greek Flag, he
erected his body holding the national symbol. The Italian
admiral Canevaro was astonished by this bravery and to12
KPHTH | NOVEMBER 2013
gether with other officers he ordered ceasefire.
The 1898 atrocities in Heraklion were the turning
point of the Ottoman occupation because the murders
made the Great Powers intervene decisive ??F?W?6V?@?&??6RvV?&vR6??FV?'W&r?v?V6?6'W&r?6V6??B6????b???rvV?&vR??bw&VV6R?v??6?RF?F?R?6??B0???v?6???76???W"?bF?Rw&VB?vW'2F?F?R6V?WF?????W2( ?7&WF?7FFR?( ?F?R7&WF?266WFVB???v?F?w&VBV?F?W6?6?2wV&?F?"?b??FWV?FV?6R??F?RW'?6Rv2????B6???S?F?RV????v?F????F?W"w&VV6R?F??2v2F?RG&V??BF?R&FV?BFW6?&R?bV?VgF?W&??2fV?V??2?v???B?&VG?V?vvV@????6V?b??&Wf??WF???'?76V?&?W2F???RF?RG&V??bF?RV????&V?G???&??6RvV?&vR?Bv?FVBF?v?fW&???R( ?WFW"F?P?w&VB?( ?F?R??G&?6?vV?6R?BWGFW"?6??bV?FW'7F?F??r?bF?R7&WF?6?V?'&?Vv?B?WrW&?6??w2?B???P?fV?V??2?VBF?R&Wf??B?bF?W&?6?2F?vWF?W"v?F??? ?7&WF?2??R&?6???VBF?RV????v?F?w&VV6R??&???#??R?F?R( ?W?W&??V?N( ??bF?R7&WF?7FFR'?F?P?w&VB?vW'2?Bf??VB?F?R7&WF?2v?V?B??B66W@???6V??WF?????"??v?7W?W&??G??bF?R7V?F??@?6W'F?????B&??6RvV?&vR2??v?6???76???W"??F?Rw&VV?v?fW&??V?BF?B??B???VF?FV?&V6?v?RF?RV????&V6W6R?Bv27F???vV??W7V6???gFW"F?Rf??VBv"v?F?F?RGW&?2????r??BF?B??@?v?BF?v?fR&?6RF??Wr&???G6?VB?'WBv?V??????W7G&??V?v'???W?VB&?6?? ( 4?W'?Vv?f????@?'V?v&?FV6?&VB?G2??FWV?FV?6R?F?R&Wf??WF???'??F?FR6?V?B?????vW"&R6??F??VB?