in a precarious position."
"It was a Sunday. We had just returned from church and were about to have our meal when Turkish soldiers burst into our house. Pointing their rifles, they ordered us into a corner and proceeded to loot gold coins and jewelry, everything of value. Then they ate our food and savagely raped my two sisters. I shall never forget their screams. Like a hen whose nest had been invaded, my mother screamed and pleaded with the soldiers, but it was to no avail. One of them hit her in the head with the butt of his rifle, rendering her unconscious. My father was brutally shot in our front yard."
"I ran outside and saw my father's body, his face in a pool of blood. I could see his lips moving, trying to say something. In a fury, I grabbed one of the soldiers by the leg and bit him. He screamed and kicked me in the stomach, knocking me to the ground. As I lay there, my sight faded and the sky turned a bloody red. My right hand rested on my father's warm blood as I passed out … "
"When I came to, I was back in my mother's arms as she walked on the streets of Smyrna toward the harbor. Thousands and thousands of people were crying and looking for their lost loved ones. Some people with their clothes and skin on fire were screaming in pain. Survivors say they heard the screams two miles away."
"Old people ran into the churches, seeking safety. The Turks had doused the buildings with benzene and set them on fire, with the people inside. Those who were able to escape were shot down by the Turkish soldiers. The whole Greek and Armenian section of Smyrna was an inferno. Some people tried leaving the area, but the Turks herded them back into the fire, beating them mercilessly. They used their bayonets to kill them, either by shooting or mauling them to death. The Turks made their choice. When I was younger, all I wanted was to shoot every Turkish soldier. But now, I only feel pity for them."
"Men, women, and children fell, one after another. The streets were literally covered with dead bodies. Mothers carried their children in their arms, searching for help, even though they knew there was no life left in the small bodies."
"My mother, two sisters, and I ran into a consulate. I do not recall now what country it represented, only that they were willing to offer us protection. But I was scared. I broke loose and ran as fast as my strength would allow. I felt like my feet had wings. I could hear my mother calling, 'Niko! Niko my child!' But I did not stop. Her voice is still an echo in my ears. My heart was beating quickly, like a scared rabbit, and I was short of breath. A Turkish soldier with a fixed bayonet tried to stop me on the street, but I used one of my soccer moves to get around him."