During 1919-1922, when the region came temporarily under Greek control as part of the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres, only half of Ayvalik's initial population returned.[9] In September 1922 Ayvalik was occupied by troops of the Turkish national movement and its Greek population was forcibly evacuated. A total of 3,000 citizens were transported to inland Anatolia as part of the labour battalions and only 23 of them managed to survive.[17]