Pontic Greek genocide
By early 1920 the Kemalist policy of intimidating Greeks into flight was in full swing. Nationalist army officers near Samsun toured the villages saying that "the Christians [were] the cause of the [Allied] occupation of Constantinople and advocated their extermination". At Unye and Fatsa, Turks posted placards, blaming the Christians "for all their troubles". Kemalists arrested and exiled to Ankara Polycacpos, the Greek bishop of mixed town Ordu. Turks walked arout the town fully armed, except when Allied ship was in port. "They are on their good behavior until the ships leave... Christians feared to venture out of town". In Samsun Nationalists, stressing "the religious side of the question", inflamed Turkish population "by preaching a Holy War... The Greeks are accused of violenting Turkish women, and of destroying the Holy Tombs of Sheikhs at Broussa and other captured towns". Nationalist members of Kemal's parliament in Ankara proposed a law calling for the deportation of all Christians from the Black Sea area. But no such law was passed, because Kemal preferred less publicized methods at that time. Here and there, there were fatalities. In Domuz-Dere seven Greek charcoal-sellers and two children were murdered. At Gelebek station (Hackiri), in April, some 500 Christians were reportedly murdered by irregulars.