Istanbul Pogrom: What Happened
On the night of 6 to 7 September 1955, mobs attacked the Greek community of Istanbul in a pogrom that destroyed homes, shops, churches, schools and cemeteries. The violence was triggered by a false news report that the house in Thessaloniki where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born had been bombed by Greeks. In fact, a bomb had been placed near the house by a Turkish agent, causing minor damage. The news spread quickly, and organized mobs, many brought into the city by truck, attacked Greek-owned properties across Istanbul. Armenian and Jewish properties were also targeted. Over several hours, thousands of shops and homes and dozens of churches and schools were damaged or destroyed, and Greek cemeteries were desecrated. Several people were killed, and many were injured, and there were reports of sexual violence. The police largely failed to intervene. The pogrom came at a time of rising tensions over Cyprus. It had lasting consequences, accelerating the emigration of the Greek community of Istanbul, which had numbered around 100,000 in the 1950s and today counts only a few thousand people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Istanbul Pogrom?
The Istanbul Pogrom was an attack by organized mobs on the Greek community of Istanbul on the night of 6 to 7 September 1955.
What triggered the Istanbul Pogrom?
It was triggered by a false news report that Greeks had bombed Atatürk's birthplace in Thessaloniki. A bomb had actually been placed by a Turkish agent.
What was destroyed in the Istanbul Pogrom?
Thousands of Greek-owned shops and homes and dozens of churches and schools were damaged or destroyed, and Greek cemeteries were desecrated. Armenian and Jewish properties were also targeted.
How did the pogrom affect the Greeks of Istanbul?
It accelerated the emigration of the Greek community, which numbered around 100,000 in the 1950s and today counts only a few thousand people.
Why did the Istanbul Pogrom happen in 1955?
It came at a time of rising tensions between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus, where Greek Cypriots were campaigning for union with Greece.
