Turkish opposition marks 68th anniversary of Istanbul pogrom

Turkey’s opposition Green Left Party, DEVA Party and Workers' Party of Turkey have commemorated the victims of the 1955 Istanbul pogrom. The pogrom was organized by mobs directed at Istanbul’s non-Muslim residents, primarily its Greek minority, on Sept. 6-7, 1955.

Wednesday September 06 2023 07:21 pm

The pogrom targeted Istanbul's Greek, Armenian and Jewish minorities

Duvar English

Turkey’s opposition Green Left Party (YSP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) have commemorated the victims of the September 6-7, 1955 Istanbul pogrom.

Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) successor Green Left Party said in a tweet that “We condemn the racist attacks against Christian and Jewish citizens on September 6-7, 1955, and commemorate those who lost their lives with respect. This embarrassment against the ancient peoples of this geography must be confronted. Our struggle is to ensure that such attacks do not happen again.”

6-7 Eylül 1955’te Hristiyan ve Musevi yurttaşlara yönelik gerçekleştirilen ırkçı saldırıları kınıyor, yaşamını yitirenleri saygıyla anıyoruz. Bu coğrafyanın kadim halklarına dönük hayata geçirilen bu utançla yüzleşilmelidir. Mücadelemiz, bir daha bu tür saldırıların olmaması… pic.twitter.com/9s2sceIJA7
— Yeşil Sol Parti (@YesillerSol) September 6, 2023

DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan also marked the anniversary of the pogrom, tweeting: “What happened on September 6-7, 1955 has never been erased from the memories of those who lived it. I respectfully commemorate those who lost their lives in the events, those whose houses and (stores) were destroyed, and those who had to leave their country.”

6-7 Eylül 1955’te yaşananlar, yaşayanların hafızalarından hiç silinmedi.

Olaylarda hayatını kaybedenleri, evi ve ekmek teknesi tahrip edilenleri, ülkesini terk etmek zorunda kalanları saygıyla anıyorum.
— Ali Babacan (@alibabacan) September 6, 2023

The TİP said, “The attack on our citizens on 6-7 September was a page of shame that played into the hands of the sovereigns who turned peoples against each other for their interests. We will not forget September 6-7, we will win peace and fraternity for all our citizens.”

6-7 Eylül’de yurttaşlarımıza gerçekleştirilen saldırı, çıkarları için halkları birbirine düşman eden egemenlerin ekmeğine yağ süren bir utanç sayfasıydı.

6-7 Eylül’ü unutmayacağız, barışı ve kardeşliği tüm yurttaşlarımız için kazanacağız. pic.twitter.com/wL5JmNj56I
— Türkiye İşçi Partisi (@tipgenelmerkez) September 6, 2023

The pogrom targeted Istanbul's Greek, Armenian, and Jewish minorities, where mobs ransacked businesses, homes and places of worship belonging to these communities. Thousands of buildings were damaged, hundreds of women were raped and between 15 and 30 people were killed, according to different estimates.

The pogrom was instrumental in driving much of the city's minority population out of Istanbul and Turkey.