Crisis Unfolding Over Three September Days
In September 1955, Istanbul was plunged into chaos as martial law was declared, tanks rolled out, and the city resembled a battlefield. The events, often referred to as riots by Turks and pogroms by others, left a deep scar on the centuries-old tradition of coexistence in the city.
Thousands of houses, shops, and schools of the Greek, Armenian, and Jewish minorities were attacked and looted. The destruction was extensive, with half of the shops on the central shopping street in Beyoğlu being destroyed. Thousands of Greeks fled Istanbul, reducing the community from 90,000 to 5,000 within a few years.
Petros Markaris, a seventeen-year-old during these tumultuous times, lived on the island of Heybeliada (Chalki) during the riots. His father was Armenian, and his mother was Greek. Markaris' Turkish classmates did not mention the pogroms after school resumed.
The island remained calm during the riots, but Markaris' father was alarmed. The next morning, he drove to Istanbul to check on their property. Markaris joined Istanbul a day later and witnessed the extensive destruction in the city.
Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish writer and Nobel laureate, describes the riots as transforming Istanbul into a hell for non-Muslims. The responsibility for the events lay with Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, whose government sought scapegoats to divert attention from its economic policy failures.
State agitators promised the mob they could loot at will during the riots, as described by Can Dündar in his crime novel "The Nanny." The Turkish government accused the Greek government of involvement, which vehemently denied any role. Tensions continue to simmer between Turkey and Greece, with hatred and further skirmishes still present.
Markaris refers to the events as riots, tumults, and the September pogrom in his works. In his novella "Three Days," spanning from September 5 to September 8, 1955, he paints a poignant picture of the chaos and fear that gripped Istanbul during those dark days.
The remnants of looted items on Istiklal Street in Beyoğlu included fabrics, carpets, clothes, battered appliances, and more. A young teacher whispered to Markaris that she was ashamed of the events. Newly rich from Anatolia took over apartments and shops at inflated prices, marking a turning point in Turkish history.
Adnan Menderes, the prime minister responsible for the events, still enjoys high esteem in Turkey and has numerous tributes, including streets, an airport, a mausoleum, and a university named after him. Despite the passage of time, the 1955 Istanbul pogroms remain a painful reminder of the darker chapters in Turkey's history.
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