After the Megalo Idea was put forward, it started gaining support from England, some Balkan states and the Russian Czardom, which was aspiring to expand at the expense of the Ottoman Empire.
An organization was essential to realize the Megalo Idea. To this end, an organization named Filiki Eteria was founded with secretive Russian assistance, in Odessa of Russia in 1824, 21 years after the map of the Megalo Idea had been drawn in 1796,
Alexander I, the Russian Czar, was appointed head of the Filiki Eteria, which started to get organized in the Balkans with the support of the Russian Czardom. This was the first success of the organization. The Rebellion of Morea occurred through the support of the Russia Czar Alexander in 1821.
The Filiki Eteria spread its activities to Cyprus, formed a comprehensive foundation among Ottoman Greeks under the heavy influence of the propaganda conducted by churches and their priests. Filiki Eteria was also the organization secretly backing the rebellion in Cyprus.
MAVRI MIRA ORGANIZATION
Mavri Mira, which was one of the most important terrorist organizations founded after the Armistice of Mondros was supported by the Greek Government. This organization which was founded by the Patriarchate and directed by Venizelos played an important role in the arming of Ottoman Greeks and in bandit activities. The Mavri Mira organization formed and directed the bandit groups; organized meetings and propaganda activities (1).
The Mavri Mira , founded with the support of the Patriarchate in Istanbul in 1919, appeared as the inheritor of the Ethnic Eteria and the implementer of its program.
The striking point about the Mavri Mira was that this organization was under English protection. The organization based its material and spiritual power on its English friends and cooperated with the Priest "Fru", the "Head of a Charity Organization", but who was in reality an agent of the English Secret Service , in order to carry out activities.
A big intelligence organization was founded in Anatolia as a result of the common activities of the Priest Fru, the Patriarchate and Mavri Mira. Based in Istanbul, this organization had agents working with secret code numbers in Bursa, Adapazarı, Ankara, Konya, Karaman, Kayseri, Maraş, Urfa, Diyarbakır and Siirt (2).
Receiving instructions directly from Venizelos, this organization obtained a very high capital through the grants made by the Greek Government. The duty of the Mavri Mira Organization was to form and direct bandit groups in the Ottoman territory; organize meetings and promote the cause. The Official Migrants' Commission and the Greek Salib-i Ahmer Association sometimes cooperated with the Mavri Mira organization. Zaven Efendi, the Armenian Patriarch and Ottoman Greek Tracking organizations were under the control of the Mavri Mira organization (3)."
ASYA-YI SUGRA ORGANIZATION
Like the Mavri Mira Organization, the "Asya-yı Sugra" or " Asia Minor Organization" was founded during the revamping of the Ottoman Greek terrorist organizations in Istanbul after the Armistice of Mondros.
Founded so as to spread Hellenism across Anatolia and annex at least the coast of Western Anatolia to Greece, the "Asya-yı Sugra Organization" cooperated with other Ottoman Greek institutions and organizations to carry out activities in the region.
The organization was planning to occupy the government offices and official institutions through a revolution, to annex the Province of Aydın to Greece and to kill the Turks in the region. Headquartered at Istanbul, the organization was carrying out activities in Izmir, which was obvious for the representatives of the entente powers (1).
» Ottoman Greek-Greek National Defense Organization
» Ottoman Greek-Greek National Union Organization
» Greek Maritime Administration
» Ottoman Greek Tracking Organizations
» Greek Recruitment Branch
GREEK - OTTOMAN GREEK SALİB-İ AHMER ORGANIZATION
"Greek - Ottoman Greek Salib-i Ahmer Organization" was directed by Athens (1) and cooperated with the Mavri Mira organization (2). Colonel Antiyas took the lead of the organization right after the Armistice (3).
Under the pretext of taking care of the immigrants, it was carrying out activities to form gangs and create a suitable atmosphere for a revolution. It sent ammunition and military equipment to Anatolia in cooperation with other Ottoman Greek-Greek organizations under the cloak sending medical assistance and hygienic materials (4). That these organizations carried out activities in such important centers as Istanbul, Izmir and Trabzon were later discovered.
» Committee of Thrace and the Affiliates
» Cultural Purpose Organizations
OTTOMAN GREEK PRESS ORGANIZATION
The Ottoman Greek Press Organization, unlike other Ottoman Greek organizations in Istanbul, was carrying out cultural activities. The organizations supported the Ottoman Greek propaganda made after the Armistice. It printed books, brochures and maps outlining the thoughts of Ottoman Greeks and distributed them to European countries and America.
The Ottoman Greek Press Organization, founded within the Greece Consulate, started its meetings with 8 members under the chairmanship of the Consul. Five out of eight members were Istanbulite Ottoman Greeks , and three of them were Greeks. Vutiras, the writer and owner of the "Neologos Newspaper", was one of the Istanbulite members. The other two members were Pandizidis, one of the Zographion teachers, and Maridis, a writer and Vutiras' brother. Vutiras was appointed head of the organization in 1920.
The Press Organization was collecting documents by means of the Patriarchate for the work to be published ; and the writers under the body of the organization were using these documents.
BEYOGLU OTTOMAN GREEK LITERATURE ORGANIZATION
The Beyoglu Ottoman Greek Literature Organization" or "the Ottoman Greek Literature Silogo" is one of the Ottoman Greek organizations founded after the Armistice in order to carry out cultural activities. It is clear that the organization tried to lay an intellectual foundation for the Ottoman Greek-Greek propaganda in the political field, and to form a public opinion by means of conferences, theatres and publications. Even though its administrative organization, goals and ways of operation were similar to the "Ottoman Greek Press Organization", this organization was trying to raise public awareness.
Starting its activities right after the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Court, the Ottoman Greek Literature Organization was reorganized after the Armistice. Vutiras, the owner of "Neologos Newspaper", was appointed head of the organization. Its members were teachers of Ottoman Greek schools.
Until he held the helm of the Press Organization in 1920 (and when he maintained the lead of both organizations) he attached importance to the propaganda through the press; and he directed Ottoman Greek theatres and Ottoman Greek cinemas in accordance with the goals of the organization.
