 This violence increased against the local Greek population, from March 1920 and especially during June–July 1920, when the advance of the Hellenic Army in the region was imminent.These groups were operating as far as Üsküdar, while some of them were organized by the Turkish Nationalist Movement.As a result of this activity, several villages of the region were burnt and their population decimated, especially in the regions south, north and northeast of Adapazarı, as well as south and southeast of Iznik.