Istanbul Pogrom

The Istanbul Pogrom, also known as the Istanbul Riots, or the ???????????? in Greek and the 6-7 Eylül Olaylar? in Turkish (both literally Events of September), was a pogrom directed primarily at Istanbul?s 80,000-strong Greek minority on 6–7 September 1955. Jews and Armenians living in the city and their businesses were also targetted in the pogrom, which was orchestrated by the Demokrat Parti-government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes.

Related Topics:
Greek - Turkish - Pogrom - Istanbul?s - Greek - Minority - 6 - 7 September - 1955 - Jews - Armenians - Demokrat Parti - Turkish Prime Minister - Adnan Menderes

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Over a period of nine hours, Istanbul?s Greek community came under sustained assault at the hands of an overwhelming Turkish mob, the most significant portion of which was trucked in to the city for the event. Although the orchestrators of the pogrom did not explicitly call on Greeks to be killed, between 13 and 16 Greeks and at least one Armenian (including two Orthodox clerics) died during or after the pogrom as a result of beatings and arson attacks. Thirty-two Greeks were severely wounded. In addition, dozens of Greek men and women were raped, and a number of men were forcibly circumcised by the mob. The physical and material damage was considerable and over 4,348 Greek-owned businesses, 110 hotels, 27 pharmacies, 23 schools, 21 factories, and 73 churches and over a thousand Greek-owned homes were badly damaged or destroyed.

Related Topics:
Mob - Armenian - Orthodox - Clerics - Arson - Raped - Circumcised - Businesses - Hotels - Pharmacies - Schools - Factories - Churches

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Estimates on the economic cost of the damage vary from the 69.5 million Turkish lira quoted by the Turkish government, the 100 million GBP mentioned by British diplomatic sources, to the 150 million USD estimated by the World Council of Churches, and to the 500 million USD estimated by the Greek government.

Related Topics:
Turkish lira - GBP - USD - World Council of Churches

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The disturbances accelerated a process of emigration that was to lead to the virtual extinction of the Greek minority in Turkey. Numbering 200,000 in 1924, in 2005 the Greek community of Istanbul is estimated to number a mere 1,500 persons.

Related Topics:
Emigration - Extinction - 2005

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