The population exchange between Greece and Turkey, formalized by the Lausanne Treaty in 1923, was a significant event that forcibly relocated around 1.5 million Orthodox Christians from Turkey to Greece and approximately 500,000 Muslims from Greece to Turkey. 

The Treaty of Sèvres, signed after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, aimed to partition Ottoman territories and confine the Ottoman state to a small area. However, this treaty was nullified as a result of the Turkish War of Independence.

Later, the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, which was the last point of World War I. The Treaty of Lausanne was signed on July 24, 1923, between the Republic of Turkey and the Allied Powers in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. This international treaty marked the end of the Ottoman Empire and established the new borders of the Republic of Turkey. As a result of signing the treaty by Republic of Turkey country was recognized. Within the framework of this Agreement, a population exchange was carried out between Turkey and Greece. Population exchange mainly involved the transfer of Muslim and Christian populations. At the same time, the rights of spesific minorities in both countries were guaranteed.

Consequently, over 1 million Christians (millet-i Rûm) had to move from Anatolia (Asian part of Turkey) to Greece, and 500,000 Muslims had to move from Greece to Turkey. Thus, according to this treaty signed on January 30, 1923, peaceful people were forced to migrate due to their religious identity. There are several reasons for this policy from the Turkish side. Main reason was the new Turkish Government's readiness to embark on a Turkish ethnic nation-building process. 

Among the Muslim population migrating from Greece to Turkey, there were also Muslim Roma. During this migration, the exact number of Roma who came to Turkey is unknown, as religious identity was the primary consideration rather than ethnic identity. 

Despite the migrants were provided with certain support by the Turkish Government, they had to live under difficult conditions, especially Roma faced cultural and social adaptation problems in various regions of Turkey. During the resettlement period, economic difficulties and unemployment posed significant obstacles for the Roma. As their culture and traditions were somewhat different from those of the local population in Turkey, they experienced a lot of problems.

After arriving in Turkey, the Roma were settled in various regions and primarily engaged in agricultural work. The Muslim Roma who migrated primarily came from cities in Northern Greece and the Macedonia regions of Greece. These cities include Thessaloniki, Kavala, Komotini, and Drama. After arriving in Turkey, the Roma were settled in various regions. Roma primarily concentrated in the Aegean and Marmara regions. Cities such as Izmir, Manisa, Edirne, Samsun, Kocaeli, Niğde, Bursa, and Balikesir were among the main places where they settled. These cities were economically more developed and had intensive agricultural activities. The Roma were encouraged to settle into a sedentary lifestyle in these regions.

Settlements were mainly established in areas where Christians were forced to leave, and where agricultural production had declined. After settling in Turkey, the Roma  generally engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. In this context, the exchange migrants from Greece played a significant role in the resurgence of production in areas with tobacco fields, vineyards, silk farms, and carpet looms. Additionally, it is important to note that a large portion of the population coming from Greece to Turkey were small-scale farming peasants.

Christians expelled fro Turkey often came from urban, artisan, and bourgeois backgrounds and it helped to create a unique refugee culture in Greece. Refugees in both countries faced issues with housing, especially in the situation of Greece, as Christians population leaving Turkey was much larger than the Muslim population arriving from Greece. Muslims arriving in Turkey were expected to assimilate by adopting the Turkish language and identity, while Christians arriving in Greece often encountered homelessness and xenophobia from the local population.

The Muslim Roma who migrated from Greece to Turkey as a result of the Treaty of Lausanne experienced significant cultural and social transformation. The Roma carried a unique social and cultural identity in the Republic of Turkey, much like they did during the Ottoman Empire. However, the transition to a settled lifestyle brought a lot of challenges for them. These challenges included social integration, economic difficulties, and relations with the local population. 

What is even more burdensome is the human and home factor, with people being forced to leave the place they have lived in for centuries. Being forced to leave one's home, job, street, friends, neighbors, and way of life to move to another country is, of course, unacceptable. Unfortunately, even today, we see ethnic and religious groups being expelled from several countries.