Unknown "tag" houses of Christians in Istanbul
25.08.2009
12:38
(DiePresse.com)
In several districts of Istanbul, the homes of Christians have been marked with colored stickers. The labeling of the houses is evidently connected with increased harassment of Christian residents.
Comment From the archives:Obama's trip to Europe ended in Istanbul (07.04.2009)In the traditionally inhabited by members of the Christian minority neighborhoods Ferikoy Kurtulus and some houses have been marked recently with green and red signs. They should clearly draw attention to Armenian and Greek residents. The labeling of the houses coincided with complaints of increased harassment of Christian residents, asked the deputies Sebahat Tuncel said in a parliamentary inquiry.
Interior Minister Besir Atalay will now comment on the incidents. "Who are these markings have been placed?", Citing the press from the inquiry. The Ministry should also clarify whether such enforcement investigations and actions have been initiated.
Patriarch Bartholomew on death listOf the Phanar in Istanbul resident Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is on a death list of the secular-nationalist Ergenekon secret society stand to be accused of the bombings by Turkey to topple into chaos.The EU Commission has repeatedly urged Turkey to take effective measures to improve the plight of non-Muslim populations.
Christians commemorate the pogrom-1955The labeling of Christian houses in Istanbul evokes the memory of the pogrom against the Christian minorities from September 1955. At that time, before the houses and shops of Christians marked by nationalist activists have been. Were triggered bloody riots with dozens of casualties in Istanbul and Izmir, ostensibly by the Cyprus conflict - in the background was the search for scapegoats at a time when Turkey was in a financially critical situation.
A fanatical mob set in Istanbul, 72 Orthodox churches and 30 schools burned, desecrated Christian cemeteries and destroyed about 3,500 homes and more than 4,000 stores. The police watched idly, was looted and raped. The Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, who thematized in his work and the mass murder of Armenians in 1915, described the blind destructive frenzy in his youthful memories.
(APA)
2 comments:
Austian Correspondent ESW translated from DIE PRESSE
Patriarch on a death list
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Marked for Further Action
by Baron Bodissey
Our Austrian correspondent ESW has translated a report from Die Presse about ominous new developments in Istanbul that bode ill for Turkey’s few remaining Christians:
Strangers “marking” Christian buildings in Istanbul
Buildings inhabited by Christians have been marked with insignias in several districts of Istanbul. The labeling of the buildings are clearly done in concert with increasing harassment of the Christian inhabitants.
Some buildings in the traditionally Christian districts of Feriköy and Kurtulus have recently been labeled with green and red signs. Apparently they were affixed to point to buildings inhabited by Armenians and Greeks. The labels appear to be in conjunction with complaints from Christians about increasing harassment, according to Sehabat Tuncel, a member of parliament asked in a parliamentary questioning.
Besir Atalay, minister of interior, is now forced to answer these allegations. “Who affixed these markings?” is only one of the questions cited by the press. The ministry must also make clear whether the police received orders to take action and investigate.
Patriarch on a death list
Residing in the Phanar in Istanbul, ecumenical patriarch Bartholomaios I has apparently been added to a death list kept by the nationalist-laicist secret society “Ergenekon”, which is accused of trying to push Turkey into chaos with its assassination attempts.
The EU Commission has repeatedly requested Turkey’s cooperation on effective measures to improve the precarious situation of the non-Muslim population.
Remembering the 1955 pogrom on Christians
The marking on Christian buildings in Istanbul is a reminder of pogrom against Christian minorities in September 1955. Back then Christian buildings and shops had been marked by nationalist activists. The bloody riots with dozens of dead in Istanbul and Izmir were ostensibly triggered by the Cyprus conflict; however, the true reason was the search for scapegoats at a time of economic recession for Turkey.
A mob of fanatics burned down seventy-two Orthodox churches and more than thirty schools in Istanbul, defaced Christian cemeteries, and destroyed around 3,500 homes and more than 4,000 shops. The police watched the plundering and raping, not lifting a finger. Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk, who also writes about the Armenian genocide of 1915, describes the blind destruction in his memoirs.
We posted on this today with appropriate references to AOI and OCL. (If this is a repeat comment, please delete).
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