MP Paylan Proposes Parliamentary Inquiry into İstanbul Pogrom to 'Confront the Past'

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In his petition, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Paylan called for the discovery of public officials and civil perpetrators who planned and organized the pogrom, for the identification of the losses of life and property, for the compensation of the material and moral losses of the victims and institutions.

Paylan briefly said the following his petition:

* "The pogrom of September 6-7, 1955, is one of the gravest events in the history of the Republic of Turkey that has not yet been confronted. According to official data, only 73 churches in İstanbul, 8 ayazmas, 2 monasteries, 5,538 houses 3,584 of which belonged to Greeks, and businesses were burned down and looted.

* Also according to official records, 60 women were raped and many were killed. Following the impunity of the pogrom, tens of thousands of Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Syriac citizens were forced to leave the country against oppression and the threat of life security.

* The perpetrators of this pogrom did not receive punishment like many negative events in the history of the Republic, on the contrary, the people involved or caused the events were promoted.

"Public officials promoted"

* For example, Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, who was in charge of the Mobilization Audit Committee during the Pogrom, said, "September 6-7 is a Special Warfare Task. It was a magnificent organization and it achieved its purpose," though he has risen gradually in the bureaucracy over the years, reaching as far as the General Secretariat of the National Security Council between 1988-1990. In fact, Oktay Engin, the perpetrator of the bomb that ignited the wick of the pogrom and dropped on Atatürk's home in Thessaloniki, continued his career in 1992-1993 as the governor of Nevşehir.

* It is useful to look at the above-mentioned words of Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu in order to understand why the pogrom, like other crimes in the history of Turkey, remains a crime that has not been confronted and its perpetrators punished. In this context, it can be seen how the state is involved in certain crimes and how it surrounds the perpetrators with an armor of impunity.

"Parliament has not taken steps so far"

* Although 64 years have passed since this great crime in our country, the parliament has not taken any steps to uncover the perpetrators of the pogrom.

* The discovery of the perpetrators of the pogrom, the determination of the losses of life and property, the compensation of the financial and moral losses of the victims and institutions, and the finding of justice, albeit late, will be an important step that the Parliament will take in the name of confronting the past. Therefore, we demand that a parliamentary inquiry be opened. (HA/VK)