#istanbul pogrom
Istanbul pogrom (6-7 Eylül olayları, Septemvriana) is the violent attacks against Christian (mainly Greek but also a significant Armenian population) and Jewish residents of Istanbul in 1955 by armed groups of Turks. It is unclear how many people died (sources vary between 11 and 15), or injured (between 30 - 300) but the main consequence of the attacks were the migration of thousands of mainly Greek (but also Armenian and Jewish) families from Istanbul and Turkey, where they had been living for hundreds of years. The number of buildings damaged is 5.300 by official accounts, and 7.000 according to others.
TheTactical Mobilization Group (Turkish branch of Cold War anticommunist Counter-Guerrilla / GLADIO) and the Democrat Party government at the time were behind the attack. It was confessed by those involved (like Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, who held high ranks in the army and the National Security Council (the continuation of the anticommunist establishments)) that the Special Warfare Department armed the people and encouraged them in disguise, leading them to the riots.
The context for the attacks was the ongoing tensions regarding Cyprus. EOKA led by Grivas has attacked English and Turkish residents of the island, causing anger in the Turkish public. Economic hardships were putting a strain on the people and there was growing discontent with the ruling Democrat Party, and the prime minister Menderes’ initially-liberal policies towards non-Muslims were growing stricter.
Meanwhile, Turkish, English and Greek representatives had started meeting in conferences in England starting August 29, and Turkish press and politicians were spreading aggresive and negative propaganda about Rum’s (Greek residents/citizens of Turkey) and Greece.Kıbrıs Türktür Cemiyeti (KTC - ”Cyprus is Turkish” Association) and Türk Milli Talebe Federasyonu (Turkish National Students’ Federation) were leading this negative campaign. The leader of KTC, Hikmet Bil was a writer in the popular Hürriyet newspaper and it was known that other leaders had close contact with the national intelligence agency (MİT, then MAH). Hürriyet was writing that Greeks in İstanbul were sending money to ENOSIS gangs of Cypriot Greeks.
The Turkish representative in the London conferences, foreign minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu sends Bil a telegraph saying that he wants to use the “strong voice of the Turkish public” as an argument at the conference - almost asking for him to initiate the attacks.
During the day of September 5, news saying 3 Rum’s were exposed as spies circulate. A Greek youth is beaten up in Taksim, central neighborhood of İstanbul and a poster saying “Cyprus is Turkish” is left at the Greek patriarchate in İstanbul.
Around noon on September 6, radios broadcast that Atatürk’s house in Thessaloniki has been bombed (in reality, a small explosive thrown into the garden had broken two windows). A Democrat Party (DP) supporting newspaper called “Ekspres” prints 290.000 copies (compared to its usual 20.000) and spreads the news about the “bombing” all across the city. It has been claimed that the newspaper had stocked paper prior to this, in preparation. This issue of Ekspres had a quote by the Secretary General of KTC saying that they would make the ones responsible pay for this. It is known that DP officials were also encouraging the people to take to the streets.
People armed with identical sticks (indicating that they were systematically armed) stone and raid non-Muslim owned shops in İstiklal Avenue and then other districts. Eyewitnesses say that the shops were marked previously and the attackers had lists of people to target, and were told not to kill. More than 200 women are raped by the rioters.
On September 6, the government declares martial law (which had already been considered two weeks ago to quell opposition) but cannot stop the rioters, the riots grow and continue on September 7 as well. President Celal Bayar says that they “overdid it” to the interior minister Namık Gedik when he sees the damages.
According to the US Consulate, %59 of the businesses attacked were Greek, %17 were Armenian, %12 were Jewish and %10 were Muslim owned. Of the houses, %80 were Greek, %9 were Armenian, %5 were Muslim and %3 were Jewish. The Swedish Embassy, foreign businesses and Armenian and English cemeteries were attacked as well. 73 churches and 23 minority schools were vandalized. Father Chrysanthos Mandas was burnt alive in an arson attack on a church, other church officials were beaten viciously and tortured- a 75 year old priest was stripped naked in the street and was dragged behind a car. Eyewitness and journalist Noel Barber says a priest was scalped. Famous photographer Ara Güler and famous football player Lefter Küçükandonyadis have also been targeted, along many other notable people.
There are many accounts of Turkish families in these neighborhoods protecting their neighbors, hiding their children and putting themselves in risk while defending the Greek, Armenian and Jewish families under attack. An airforce captain Reşat Mater (later become Commander of the Air Force) who was off duty hid his neighbors, and then fought rioters with the group of neighborhood boys armed with domestic items, succesfully forming a barricade. Survivors tell stories of even policemen defending them agains rioters. However, the attackers were 200.000 people strong, with people transported in from other cities, and there were many cases of Turkish storeowners and homeowners telling on their non-Muslim neighbors too.
The government responds by arresting known leftists and going on a Communist hunt after the attacks, claiming that they were responsible.KTC was closed down and more than 5000 people were arrested. 34 trade unions were dissolved, the interior minister Namık Gedik resigned. Although there was solid evidence linking KTC leaders to the riots, on September 12 the government started pointing at Turkish Communists, famous writer Aziz Nesin was amongst the those arrested. They were released in December of the same year. Compensations were paid by the government but they weren’t nearly enough to cover the damages, and the communities were wounded and traumatized beyond compensation, leading to mass immigrations from the city. The following years also saw the rise of anti-Greek policies and sentiment, further decreasing the Greek population in İstanbul to its current number of approx. 2500 people.
Michael Stewart from the British Embassy in Ankara said that DP representatives were linked with the attacks. Influenced by the Cold Waratmosphere, US and Britain did not show a significant reaction to the attacks or Menderes, as Turkey was aligned with them and a member of NATO.
Menderes and Bayar were charged after the 1960 coup against the government, the pogrom was a part of the charges. They were executed by hanging.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_pogrom
http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/yilmaz-murat-bilican/6-7-eylul-olaylari-ve-devletin-fas-olmasi,7387
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-7_Eyl%C3%BCl_Olaylar%C4%B1
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