The September 6-7 Events in 12 Points

Lefter Küçükandoniadis lived on Hamam Street, near Isabella Öztaşçıyan's house. He was the son of a very poor sewer worker, Lefter...

But he was also the star striker for the National Team and Fenerbahçe.

He scored many goals in the Crescent Star jersey..

He even scored against Greece in Athens...

The Greeks chanted for him, "Turko, Turko."

Assailants driving a garbage truck came to his house too.

They got out of the truck and started throwing stones...

They were yelling, "Shoot this wicked man."

Lefter Küçükandonyadis recounts what happened next.

Fifteen days ago, when I scored, I was on the shoulders... That day, I was met with rocks and paint cans... Worst of all, the kids I gave pocket money to attacked my house. There were no windows or doors left. My daughters were young, and they tried to kill them. The police chief from Istanbul came to my house. He said, "Oh my God," when he saw what he saw that night..

The Septemer 6-7 Events led to the exodus of a large portion of Turkey's Greek population. Following this event, which marked a significant turning point in Turkey's social and political history, a large portion of the Greeks living in Turkey left the country. It also caused significant pressure on other non-Muslim communities in Turkey. The Greek community suffered significant economic, social, and psychological damage, leading to a shift in the demographic structure of Istanbul.

The September 6-7 Events are considered one of the darkest stains in Turkey's history and are remembered as a trauma that profoundly affected Turkish-Greek relations. Furthermore, the state's role in the events has been a subject of debate for many years. The events were a significant turning point in Turkey's social and political history and still hold a significant place in Turkey's collective memory.

Mavi Boncuk |

In Memory of the September 6-7 Events...

Prime Minister Adnan Menderes meeting with Hikmet Bil, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Turkish Society, one day before the events.

[*] "Either Taksim or Death"

The Turning Point of Our Recent History in 12 Points: The September 6-7 Events

Translated from Source 

61 years have passed since the acts of destruction and looting targeting minorities, especially Greeks, living in Istanbul. Referring to the "mosaic" metaphor commonly used at the time to describe the country's social diversity, the September 6-7 Events have become a part of our history, with the description "the mosaic cracked."

1. The Events Coincided with the Cyprus Talks

The events occurred during the Cyprus talks in London. EOKA, led by Grivas, had launched terrorist attacks against British and Turkish residents of the island, sparking widespread public outrage. Meanwhile, the UK invited Turkey and Greece to a trilateral conference in London to discuss the issue. The conference began on August 29, with Foreign Minister Fatih Rüştü Zorlu representing Turkey.

2. The fuse was lit by a false report.

59 years ago, non-Muslims living in Istanbul were targeted by a false report. While Foreign Affairs officials were in London conducting their Cyprus meetings, news spread that a bomb had been dropped on Atatürk's house in Thessaloniki by Greeks. On September 6, 1955, thousands of people took to the streets armed with pickaxes, axes, and clubs, burning and destroying homes and businesses belonging to non-Muslims.

In reality, a small-scale explosive thrown into the garden shattered two windows of the building.

3. "Our Father's House Bombed"

The Istanbul Express newspaper published its second edition just two hours before the incident, with the headline "Our Father's House Bombed." The newspaper, which had a circulation of around 20,000, printed 290,000 copies on September 6th.

It was claimed that they had stockpiled paper in advance for this purpose.

4. Go, destroy, break, destroy!

On September 6, 1955, thousands of people took to the streets armed with pickaxes, axes, and sticks, and, according to official Turkish sources, destroyed 4,214 houses, 1,004 workplaces, 73 churches, 1 synagogue, 2 monasteries, 26 schools, and 5,317 other buildings, including factories, hotels, and more.

5. Churches and cemeteries also suffered their share.

Sacred images, crosses, icons, and other sacred objects inside churches were destroyed, and all 73 Greek Orthodox churches in Istanbul were set ablaze.

6. "I think we missed the mark"

Eleven people were killed in the incidents, which led Celal Bayar to remark to Interior Minister Namık Gedik, "I think we missed the mark," loud enough for those around him to hear, upon seeing the damage on İstiklal Street. According to a report by Helsinki Watch, the death toll was recorded at 15.

7. The destruction spread to other neighborhoods.

The destruction simultaneously spread to other neighborhoods in Istanbul with a large Greek population: Beyoğlu, Kurtuluş, Şişli, Nişantaşı, Eminönü, Fatih, Balat, Eyüp, Bakırköy, Yeşilköy, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Bebek, and even Moda, Kadıköy, Kuzguncuk, and Çengelköy.

8. Thousands of Greeks emigrated from Türkiye.

Following the events, thousands of Greeks living in Türkiye emigrated. The Greek population in Istanbul, which had fallen to approximately 100,000 in 1925 as a result of the population exchange, had fallen to 2,500 in 2006.

 

9. A large rally was held in Taksim Square.

[*] "Either Taksim or Death"

In response to the declaration issued by the "Cyprus is Turkish Society" (KTC) and statements issued by various student unions, a protest rally was held in Taksim Square. Following this rally, some groups headed towards İstiklal Avenue and broke the windows of businesses owned by non-Muslims.

10. When events spiraled out of control

As events spiraled out of control, Adnan Menderes was summoned from Sapanca and martial law was declared. Initially, 3,151 people were arrested in connection with the events. This number later rose to 5,104.

11. Political upheaval

During this period, Interior Minister Namık Gedik resigned and was replaced by Defense Minister Ethem Menderes, with Minister Fuat Köprülü assuming the role of acting Defense Minister. The head of the National Security Services (MAH), the governor of Izmir, the commanders of the units stationed in Izmir, the Istanbul police chief, and three generals were dismissed by the government. A number of officials were reassigned on the grounds that they were responsible for failing to prevent the events.

The London conference was interrupted, and the Cyprus issue was now presented to the world public in a different light, as a Turkish-Greek dispute.

12. Like a Confession...[1]

Retired Brigadier General Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu[2], head of the Special Warfare Department (ÖHD), head of the General Staff Intelligence Department, and former senior ranks on the National Security Council, told journalist Fatih Güllapoğlu:

“Let me give you another example. The Cyprus Operation in 1974. If the ÖHD hadn't existed, would that operation, in other words, both operations, have been so successful? (...) Special Warfare Department members were sent to the island disguised as bankers, journalists, and civil servants, and these colleagues organized the civilian resistance on the island and raised public awareness. They smuggled weapons onto the island in small, 10-ton boats. Then consider the events of September 6-7...

-Excuse me, Pasha, I don't understand, the events of September 6-7?

-Of course. September 6-7 was also a Special Warfare operation. And it was a magnificent organization. It achieved its goal. I ask you, this was a magnificent event. Wasn't it an organization?

-Yes, Pasha!...”

[1] “Some Tips for the Turkish Gladio,” Tempo Magazine, No. 24, June 9-15, 1991

[2] Süleyman Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu (1 September 1928 – 2 January 2016) was a Turkish general. He was Secretary-General of the National Security Council from 1988 to 1990.

[*] "Either Taksim or Death" was the name given to rallies held in Türkiye and Cyprus in the late 1950s, calling for the annexation of the entire island of Cyprus to Türkiye and against Greece and the Greek Cypriots. These rallies were accompanied by the political slogan "Either Taksim or Death" chanted at the demonstrations and were referred to as a term for Türkiye's Partition policy.

During these years, Türkiye's Cyprus policy also became clearer. Turkey strongly opposed the annexation of Cyprus to Greece. "Taksim" was proposed as the best solution to protect the interests of both Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye. The Turkish press also launched a campaign calling for the island to be annexed to the Republic of Turkey if it seceded from the United Kingdom.

History

Greek Cypriot protests against the British administration intensified in the 1950s in Cyprus. The guerrilla army formed by the Greek Cypriots, EOKA, engaged in clashes with the British and demanded the unification of the island with Greece.[5] In response, Turkish Cypriots formed a political party with Fazıl Küçük and his friends. The party, formerly known as the Cyprus National Turkish Unity Party (CUP), was changed to the Cyprus Turkish Party following a congress held on August 15, 1955, and through contacts with Hikmet Bil, president of the Cyprus Turkish Association.[6] On April 1, 1955, he founded the Cyprus Turkish Resistance Union against the Greek Cypriot EOKA. In September 1955, he founded the Volkan organization. In 1955, he went to London with two other Turkish Cypriot delegates to observe the trilateral conference held between the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom. However, no results were achieved Names such as Fazıl Küçük, Şakir Özel, Selçuk Hoca, Rauf Denktaş, Burhan Nalbantoğlu and Mustafa Kemal Tanrısevdi took part in this organization.[2]In the late 1950s, rallies known as "Either Taksim or Death" began in public squares.The first "Either Taksim or Death" rally was held in Cyprus, and thousands of Turkish Cypriots participated. Among the demonstrations held in Türkiye, the four rallies attracted particular attention due to their large turnout. The first took place in Ankara on 12 June 1956, the second in Beyazıt Square, Istanbul, on 7 June 1958, and the third in Ankara on 12 June 1958. The third rally, organized by the National Student Federation at Anıtkabir, was the largest of these, with approximately 200,000 participants. In the ceremonial square at Anıtkabir, effigies of black-bearded priests representing Makarios III were burned and hanged from gallows. Fazıl Küçük also gave a speech at the rally.[9] The fourth rally began in Beyazıt on 15 March 1964 and ended in Taksim. The day before the June 7, 1958, rally in Beyazıt, an estimated 300,000 people came to the square, motivated by reports from Cyprus that 54 Turks had been killed.

The rally, which began in Beyazıt and ended in Taksim Square, pioneered "Either Taksim, or Death" rallies in various parts of Türkiye. Following the Istanbul rally, 43 public demonstrations were held throughout Türkiye over the years. Fazıl Küçük, who went to Türkiye in 1958, addressed rallies held in various parts of Türkiye, particularly in Istanbul and Ankara. However, as negotiations with the United Kingdom failed to yield results, the Greek Cypriots' demand for Enosis and the Turkish Cypriots' demand for Taksim remained unfulfilled.