Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

Alfred de Zayas
Geneva School of Diplomacy

The Istanbul pogrom (sometimes referred to as Septemvriana) was a government instigated series of riots against the Greek minority of Istanbul in September 1955.
It can be characterized as a ‘‘crime against humanity,’’ comparable in scope to the November 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany, perpetrated by the Nazi authorities against Jewish civilians.
The Septemvriana satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek minority in Istanbul was demonstrably present, the pogrom having been orchestrated by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Even if the number of deaths (estimated at thirty-seven) among members of the Greek community was relatively low, the result of the pogrom was the flight and emigration of the Greek minority of Istanbul, which once
numbered some 100,000 and was subsequently reduced to a few thousand. The vast destruction of Greek property, businesses, and churches provides evidence of the Turkish authorities’ intent to terrorize the Greeks in Istanbul into abandoning the territory, thus eliminating the Greek minority. This practice falls within the ambit of the crime of ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ which the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have interpreted as constituting a form of genocide.
Turkey has been a party to the UNCG since 1950. Although it is not a party to the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, modern international law imposes the principle of non-prescription to genocide and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, the obligation to punish the guilty and the responsibility of Turkey to make reparations to the victims and their survivors have not lapsed.
Seen in isolation, the Istanbul pogrom can be considered a grave crime under both Turkish domestic law and international law. In the historical context of a religion driven eliminationist process accompanied by many pogroms before, during, and after World War I within the territories of the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Greek communities of Pontos and Asia Minor and the atrocities against the Greeks of Smyrna in September 1922, the genocidal character of the Istanbul pogrom becomes apparent. It should be noted, however, that whereas the
characterization of the Septemvriana as a form of genocide lends it greater emotional impact, the legal consequences are essentially the same whether the pogrom is classified under the rubric of genocide or as a crime against humanity.

Let's not forget the suffering of our Greek brothers and sisters brought upon them as a reprisal for our fight for self determination...

Turkish brutality at its worst.

[paliometoxo]

grounds for a "peace operation" me thinks... we must split turkey in two and demand our own state there for our greek brothers

[Oracle]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

... satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek

This applies to what the Turks did to the GCs in the north of Cyprus, 1974 ...

The Turks have persecuted Greeks for centuries!

[runaway]

we must split turkey in two and demand our own state there

Please try it.

[YFred]

we must split turkey in two and demand our own state there

Please try it.

Runaway don't put things like that into Bafitis's head. Do you not realise that he has Chemical, Biological and Nuclear weapons at his disposal in his rear end, generally up his bum?

[paliometoxo]

we must split turkey in two and demand our own state there

Please try it.

my point exactly.. thank you.

the turks invade cyprus for the very same reason as abouv to our greek brothers. yet turks are crying to the world they are the innocent ones when really they are the ones who kill and destroy and take our lands by force. hypocrites who will never have a state in our land

[Simon]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

Alfred de Zayas
Geneva School of Diplomacy

The Istanbul pogrom (sometimes referred to as Septemvriana) was a government instigated series of riots against the Greek minority of Istanbul in September 1955.
It can be characterized as a ‘‘crime against humanity,’’ comparable in scope to the November 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany, perpetrated by the Nazi authorities against Jewish civilians.
The Septemvriana satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek minority in Istanbul was demonstrably present, the pogrom having been orchestrated by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Even if the number of deaths (estimated at thirty-seven) among members of the Greek community was relatively low, the result of the pogrom was the flight and emigration of the Greek minority of Istanbul, which once
numbered some 100,000 and was subsequently reduced to a few thousand. The vast destruction of Greek property, businesses, and churches provides evidence of the Turkish authorities’ intent to terrorize the Greeks in Istanbul into abandoning the territory, thus eliminating the Greek minority. This practice falls within the ambit of the crime of ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ which the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have interpreted as constituting a form of genocide.
Turkey has been a party to the UNCG since 1950. Although it is not a party to the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, modern international law imposes the principle of non-prescription to genocide and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, the obligation to punish the guilty and the responsibility of Turkey to make reparations to the victims and their survivors have not lapsed.
Seen in isolation, the Istanbul pogrom can be considered a grave crime under both Turkish domestic law and international law. In the historical context of a religion driven eliminationist process accompanied by many pogroms before, during, and after World War I within the territories of the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Greek communities of Pontos and Asia Minor and the atrocities against the Greeks of Smyrna in September 1922, the genocidal character of the Istanbul pogrom becomes apparent. It should be noted, however, that whereas the
characterization of the Septemvriana as a form of genocide lends it greater emotional impact, the legal consequences are essentially the same whether the pogrom is classified under the rubric of genocide or as a crime against humanity.

Let's not forget the suffering of our Greek brothers and sisters brought upon them as a reprisal for our fight for self determination...

Turkish brutality at its worst.

As you rightly say, this pogrom appeared to be a reprisal for the GCs fight for self-determination. So these people especially we must not forget. Luckily for the Turks in Thrace, Greece did not inflict the same punishment for Turkey's invasion of 1974.

[insan]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

Alfred de Zayas
Geneva School of Diplomacy

The Istanbul pogrom (sometimes referred to as Septemvriana) was a government instigated series of riots against the Greek minority of Istanbul in September 1955.
It can be characterized as a ‘‘crime against humanity,’’ comparable in scope to the November 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany, perpetrated by the Nazi authorities against Jewish civilians.
The Septemvriana satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek minority in Istanbul was demonstrably present, the pogrom having been orchestrated by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Even if the number of deaths (estimated at thirty-seven) among members of the Greek community was relatively low, the result of the pogrom was the flight and emigration of the Greek minority of Istanbul, which once
numbered some 100,000 and was subsequently reduced to a few thousand. The vast destruction of Greek property, businesses, and churches provides evidence of the Turkish authorities’ intent to terrorize the Greeks in Istanbul into abandoning the territory, thus eliminating the Greek minority. This practice falls within the ambit of the crime of ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ which the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have interpreted as constituting a form of genocide.
Turkey has been a party to the UNCG since 1950. Although it is not a party to the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, modern international law imposes the principle of non-prescription to genocide and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, the obligation to punish the guilty and the responsibility of Turkey to make reparations to the victims and their survivors have not lapsed.
Seen in isolation, the Istanbul pogrom can be considered a grave crime under both Turkish domestic law and international law. In the historical context of a religion driven eliminationist process accompanied by many pogroms before, during, and after World War I within the territories of the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Greek communities of Pontos and Asia Minor and the atrocities against the Greeks of Smyrna in September 1922, the genocidal character of the Istanbul pogrom becomes apparent. It should be noted, however, that whereas the
characterization of the Septemvriana as a form of genocide lends it greater emotional impact, the legal consequences are essentially the same whether the pogrom is classified under the rubric of genocide or as a crime against humanity.

Let's not forget the suffering of our Greek brothers and sisters brought upon them as a reprisal for our fight for self determination...

Turkish brutality at its worst.

As you rightly say, this pogrom appeared to be a reprisal for the GCs fight for self-determination. So these people especially we must not forget. Luckily for the Turks in Thrace, Greece did not inflict the same punishment for Turkey's invasion of 1974.

Really sad... too many innocent Greeks of Istanbul were harmed in order to take the world's attention to Cyprus and alarm them to stop Grivas and EOKA... Although they succeeded what they intended to do; it costed migration of thousands of Greeks to Greece.

[Simon]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

Alfred de Zayas
Geneva School of Diplomacy

The Istanbul pogrom (sometimes referred to as Septemvriana) was a government instigated series of riots against the Greek minority of Istanbul in September 1955.
It can be characterized as a ‘‘crime against humanity,’’ comparable in scope to the November 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany, perpetrated by the Nazi authorities against Jewish civilians.
The Septemvriana satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek minority in Istanbul was demonstrably present, the pogrom having been orchestrated by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Even if the number of deaths (estimated at thirty-seven) among members of the Greek community was relatively low, the result of the pogrom was the flight and emigration of the Greek minority of Istanbul, which once
numbered some 100,000 and was subsequently reduced to a few thousand. The vast destruction of Greek property, businesses, and churches provides evidence of the Turkish authorities’ intent to terrorize the Greeks in Istanbul into abandoning the territory, thus eliminating the Greek minority. This practice falls within the ambit of the crime of ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ which the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have interpreted as constituting a form of genocide.
Turkey has been a party to the UNCG since 1950. Although it is not a party to the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, modern international law imposes the principle of non-prescription to genocide and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, the obligation to punish the guilty and the responsibility of Turkey to make reparations to the victims and their survivors have not lapsed.
Seen in isolation, the Istanbul pogrom can be considered a grave crime under both Turkish domestic law and international law. In the historical context of a religion driven eliminationist process accompanied by many pogroms before, during, and after World War I within the territories of the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Greek communities of Pontos and Asia Minor and the atrocities against the Greeks of Smyrna in September 1922, the genocidal character of the Istanbul pogrom becomes apparent. It should be noted, however, that whereas the
characterization of the Septemvriana as a form of genocide lends it greater emotional impact, the legal consequences are essentially the same whether the pogrom is classified under the rubric of genocide or as a crime against humanity.

Let's not forget the suffering of our Greek brothers and sisters brought upon them as a reprisal for our fight for self determination...

Turkish brutality at its worst.

As you rightly say, this pogrom appeared to be a reprisal for the GCs fight for self-determination. So these people especially we must not forget. Luckily for the Turks in Thrace, Greece did not inflict the same punishment for Turkey's invasion of 1974.

Really sad... too many innocent Greeks of Istanbul were harmed in order to take the world's attention to Cyprus and alarm them to stop Grivas and EOKA... Although they succeeded what they intended to do; it costed migration of thousands of Greeks to Greece.

I don't believe that was the reason they did it. In any event, there were much better and more humane ways to bring people's attention to Cyprus than what they did. If anything, what the Turks did would draw people's attention to Istanbul and away from Cyprus.

[insan]

The Istanbul Pogrom of 6–7 September
1955 in the Light of International Law

Alfred de Zayas
Geneva School of Diplomacy

The Istanbul pogrom (sometimes referred to as Septemvriana) was a government instigated series of riots against the Greek minority of Istanbul in September 1955.
It can be characterized as a ‘‘crime against humanity,’’ comparable in scope to the November 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany, perpetrated by the Nazi authorities against Jewish civilians.
The Septemvriana satisfies the criteria of article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG) because the ‘‘intent to destroy in whole or in part’’ the Greek minority in Istanbul was demonstrably present, the pogrom having been orchestrated by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. Even if the number of deaths (estimated at thirty-seven) among members of the Greek community was relatively low, the result of the pogrom was the flight and emigration of the Greek minority of Istanbul, which once
numbered some 100,000 and was subsequently reduced to a few thousand. The vast destruction of Greek property, businesses, and churches provides evidence of the Turkish authorities’ intent to terrorize the Greeks in Istanbul into abandoning the territory, thus eliminating the Greek minority. This practice falls within the ambit of the crime of ‘‘ethnic cleansing,’’ which the UN General Assembly and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have interpreted as constituting a form of genocide.
Turkey has been a party to the UNCG since 1950. Although it is not a party to the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, modern international law imposes the principle of non-prescription to genocide and crimes against humanity. Accordingly, the obligation to punish the guilty and the responsibility of Turkey to make reparations to the victims and their survivors have not lapsed.
Seen in isolation, the Istanbul pogrom can be considered a grave crime under both Turkish domestic law and international law. In the historical context of a religion driven eliminationist process accompanied by many pogroms before, during, and after World War I within the territories of the Ottoman Empire, including the destruction of the Greek communities of Pontos and Asia Minor and the atrocities against the Greeks of Smyrna in September 1922, the genocidal character of the Istanbul pogrom becomes apparent. It should be noted, however, that whereas the
characterization of the Septemvriana as a form of genocide lends it greater emotional impact, the legal consequences are essentially the same whether the pogrom is classified under the rubric of genocide or as a crime against humanity.

Let's not forget the suffering of our Greek brothers and sisters brought upon them as a reprisal for our fight for self determination...

Turkish brutality at its worst.

As you rightly say, this pogrom appeared to be a reprisal for the GCs fight for self-determination. So these people especially we must not forget. Luckily for the Turks in Thrace, Greece did not inflict the same punishment for Turkey's invasion of 1974.

Really sad... too many innocent Greeks of Istanbul were harmed in order to take the world's attention to Cyprus and alarm them to stop Grivas and EOKA... Although they succeeded what they intended to do; it costed migration of thousands of Greeks to Greece.

I don't believe that was the reason they did it. In any event, there were much better and more humane ways to bring people's attention to Cyprus than what they did. If anything, what the Turks did would draw people's attention to Istanbul and away from Cyprus.

In cold-war era, almost all extreme right wing groups used similar tactics to achieve their goals.

What else could the reason be? There was'nt any strife between Turks and Greeks of Istanbul from 1922 to 1955.