Turkey remembers mosque bombings after general’s confession
The bombing of two mosques in the Turkish part of Cyprus in 1962 might have been carried out by Turkish Armed Forces, revealed a retired general who inadvertently confessed to ordering the burning of a mosque as part of psychological warfare operations in 1974.
In remarks published by Haber Türk daily on Wednesday, Gen. Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, who led the Special War Department in 1971 and also worked to mobilize civilian resistance during Turkey's military intervention on Cyprus in 1974, said: “In Special War, certain acts of sabotage are staged and blamed on the enemy to increase public resistance.
We did this on Cyprus; we even burnt down a mosque.” In response to the surprised correspondent’s incredulous look the general said, “I am giving an example,” in an attempt to clear things up.
In the interview with Habertürk Yirmibeşoğlu was responding to allegations from Ahmet Özal, son of Turkey’s 8th President Turgut Özal, that Yirmibeşoğlu was behind a failed assassination attempt on his father’s life.
The Taraf daily in an attempt to guess what mosque this could have been, remember the 1962 bombing of the Bayraktar and Ömeriye mosques. Both mosques were very important to Turkish Cypriots. The Bayraktar mosque’s minaret was severely damaged in the explosion and a shrine of Bayraktar -- the flag bearer who died during Cyprus’ conquering by the Ottomans in 1570 – was also damaged.
The incident had caused major outrage at the time. The Greeks had denied any involvement, with the Greek Cypriot Interior Ministry releasing a statement that accused the Turks fort he bombings.
Meanwhile, there were also two journalists Ahmet Muzaffer Gürkan (38) and Ayhan Hikmet (35) who shared the suspicion. Their newspaper wrote about the controversy on the front page. In its Apr. 23 1962 issue, the newspaper said they would announce the real perpetrator of the bombings. Both men were killed on the same day. Gürkan was killed around 8.30 pm with an automatic weapon as he entered his house. Ayhan Hikmet was killed the same night after midnight with a hunting rifle in his bed right before his wife.
In 2005, Hıfsiye Hikmet – the daughter of Ayhan Hikmet – told Turkish Cypriot journalist Sevgül Uludağ that she had no doubts that her father was killed by a Turk. “They killed him so he wouldn’t be able to disclose who bombed the mosque. They said they would announce it in their new issue.” She also said as a child she remembered family elders talking about her father’s killer being Turkish and not Greek.
Meanwhile, the founding president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf Denktaş said that EOKA member Yorgacis had claimed to have evidence that can prove that the bomb was detonated by Turks. He said a cross investigation was started, but there was no evidence indicating that Turkish soldiers planted the bomb.
The retired general and the Special War Department unit he led are s also believed to have wide-ranging information concerning many alleged crimes and activities of behind-the-scene organizations such as JİTEM. This unit and Yirmibeşoğlu are implicated in the Sept. 6-7, 1955 pogrom in İstanbul against minorities, which today is widely believed to have been part of a manipulative plan concocted by Ergenekon-like structures.
Yirmibeşoğlu has admitted that the Sept. 6-7 events were organized by the Special War Department, documented by journalist Fatih Güllapoğlu in his book “Operation with No Tanks or Arms.” In the book, Yirmibeşoğlu is quoted as saying, “Sept. 6-7 is the work of Special War [department], and it is a spectacular organization.” However, he later denied this.
The Turkish Armed Forces’ Special War Department is also believed to be responsible for Turkey’s Bloody Mayday, when 34 died after unknown assailants opened fire on large crowds celebrating Labor Day in the Taksim Square. The 1978 Maraş and 1980 Çorum pogroms against Alevis in these towns are also believed to be the work of this unit. The Sivas massacre of 1993 July 12 – when 36 writers visiting Sivas with atheist writer Aziz Nesin were burnt to death in their hotel by an angry religious fundamentalist mob – is also believed to have been organized by the Special War Department or other similar units inside the military.
A document seized in an Ergenekon related investigation that was also included in the indictment sheds light to the workings of the Special Warp Department. The report, drafted by members of the military plotting to coup d’état, says that some fake operations should be staged in order to keep the people on the “resistance” front. The document is now included as evidence in the indictment against some naval officers who stand accused of having plotted to assassinate two admirals.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-222633-100-turkey-remembers-mosque-bombings-after-generals-confession.html
[b]We did this on Cyprus; we even burnt down a mosque.” In response to the surprised correspondent’s incredulous look the general said, “I am giving an example,” in an attempt to clear things up.[/b
more to come?...can't wait for the next instalment...
a far cry from ataturks, peace at home, peace in the world, by these so-called kemalists...
end of the day it was a landgrab and not a rescue as the tcs like to dream...as proven above the turks never gave a continental regarding their own citizens...why would they worry about the tcs?...
Nice to see you began liking Turkey because some Turks say what you wish to hear... 
