During the tumultuous years of Ottoman disintegration, Greek governments sent under cover agents to Anatolia to organise rebel groups in order to disrupt order and massacre local population. These gangs viciously murdered women, children, elderly indiscriminately in their own villages. Their attempt to assassinate Ataturk on his arrival to Samsun in 19 May 1919 is described by Greek author Hristos Samuelidis in his book "Black Sea":
"When Mustafa Kemal started preparing for the war of independence, Lieutenant Karaiskos, who was sent to Anatolia to organise Pontus youth to rebel against Turks, asked Greek authorities to send arms and munitions urgently to support their rebellion. Lieutenant Karaiskos, operating under the guise of Red Cross, received the generous load of arms and other supplies and stocked them."
" Meanwhile, the Axis countries including Ottoman Empire were defeated at the end of WW1 and Allies were preparing to carve up the Turkish homeland. Greeks had been ordered to take their share and start occupying Izmir. The news of Greek landing in Izmir had reached Samsun. Local Turks were waiting for the fatal blow while Greeks were jubilant. They were anticipating liberation within days. Local Greeks were waiting on the shores of the Black Sea looking for blue and white flags of the Greek Navy. But they were waiting in vain. Only one ugly steamship arrived at the port bringing a determined Turkish officer who would change history and organise a decisive end to Greek presence in Anatolia."
" This was the psychology of the local Greek population when Mustafa Kemal landed in Samsun on 19 May 1919. The voices of jubilation were echoing all around the town celebrating the arrival of famous Turkish leader. Local Greeks were busy with daily life, unaware of the implications of Kemal's arrival."
" Stathios Dimitriadis, son of tobacco merchant Pantzou Dimitriadis, was busy with his father's accounts when he heard the noises. He asked his father what the noises were. His father said "Looks like the Turks". As the noises increased, Stathios was compelled to go out and ask one of the locals what was happening. He was told that a Pasha called Mustafa Kemal was in town."
" Stathios returned to the shop, closed all windows and doors, went upstairs and started watching the proceedings. As a member of Samsun Greek Organisation, he contacted the leader of the organisation Captain Stilo Komidis the following night and told him when Mustafa Kemal was going to leave Samsun. Stilo immediately started to prepare an assassination attempt against the Turkish leader. On the third night, Stilo set up ambush on the road between Samsun and Kavak with the help of 20 hand-picked Greek youths. Stilo, Stathios and others started waiting for Mustafa Kemal's carriage to arrive."
" Three hours after sunrise, a carriage protected by five horsemen appeared. Stathios tried to spot Mustafa Kemal among the passengers. When the carriage was 50 metres away, he said: "Here he is! the one at the back with the cap". The assassins sprayed the carriage with bullets killing all three in it. Captain Stilo, believing that the assassination was carried out successfully, ordered his men to disengage and run."
" The jubilation of Stathios and other Greeks lasted until the next morning. Captain Stilo isolated himself, avoiding contact with people for days, unable to comprehend how he could not kill Mustafa Kemal. The reason was Mustafa Kemal was not in the carriage. They had killed his double and Kemal was in another carriage two miles behind. "
" Stathios returned home and found out about the repercussions of the unsuccessful assassination attempt. He had a very bad feeling about the whole incident. He was not wrong, the assassination attempt to eliminate the architect of Modern Turkey had failed and there were no barriers to stop the flow of events now"