One of them was to assist Pontic Greek rebels who were fighting Turkish forces in the area.

[9] Recently a large Greek ship named Enosis had been taken over by one Turkish officer and five soldiers on 25 April 1922.

Around 8 pm, US Navy Admiral Robert L. Ghormley went ashore, accompanied by a pharmacist, to see if any Americans were injured or dead.

[7] The New York Times reported the incident on 11 June 1922, stating that the Greeks claimed the firing was directed against the ammunition dumps.

The newspaper further mentioned that few people died and the warehouse of the American Tobacco Company was slightly damaged.