For Good or Else? Christian Houses in Turkey marked

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:

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.

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.

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.

http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/religion/503919/index.do?parentid=0&act=2&isanonym=null

Unbekannte "markieren" Häuser von Christen in Istanbul

25.08.2009 | 12:38 | (DiePresse.com)

In mehreren Stadtvierteln von Istanbul sind die Häuser von Christen mit farbigen Plaketten markiert worden. Die Etikettierung der Häuser fällt offenbar mit vermehrten Belästigungen christlicher Bewohner zusammen.

In den traditionell von Angehörigen der christlichen Minderheiten bewohnten Stadtvierteln Feriköy und Kurtulus wurden manche Häuser in jüngster Zeit mit grünen und roten Schildern gekennzeichnet. Sie sollen offenbar auf armenische und griechische Bewohner hinweisen. Die Etikettierung der Häuser falle mit Klagen christlicher Einwohner über vermehrte Belästigungen zusammen, stellte die Abgeordnete Sebahat Tuncel in einer parlamentarischen Anfrage fest.

Innenminister Besir Atalay soll sich nun zu den Vorfällen äußern. "Von wem sind diese Markierungen angebracht worden?", zitiert die Presse aus der Anfrage. Das Ministerium soll auch klarstellen, ob entsprechende polizeiliche Ermittlungen und Maßnahmen eingeleitet worden sind.

Partiarch Bartholomaios auf Todesliste

Der im Phanar in Istanbul residierende Ökumenische Patriarch Bartholomaios I. soll auf einer Todesliste des nationalistisch-laizistischen Geheimbundes Ergenekon stehen, dem zur Last gelegt wird, die Türkei durch Attentate ins Chaos stürzen zu wollen.

Die EU-Kommission hat die Türkei wiederholt aufgefordert, wirksame Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, um die prekäre Lage der nicht-muslimischen Bevölkerungsgruppen zu verbessern.

Erinnerung an Christen-Pogrom 1955

Die Kennzeichnung christlicher Häuser weckt in Istanbul die Erinnerung an das Pogrom gegen die christlichen Minderheiten vom September 1955. Damals waren zuvor die Häuser und Geschäfte der Christen von nationalistischen Aktivisten markiert worden. Ausgelöst wurden die blutigen Ausschreitungen mit Dutzenden von Todesopfern in Istanbul und Izmir vordergründig durch den Zypern-Konflikt - im Hintergrund stand die Suche nach Sündenböcken in einer Zeit, in der sich die Türkei in einer wirtschaftlich kritischen Lage befand.

Ein fanatisierter Mob setzte in Istanbul 72 orthodoxe Kirchen und über 30 Schulen in Brand, schändete christliche Friedhöfe und verwüstete rund 3500 Wohnhäuser und mehr als 4000 Geschäfte. Die Polizei sah untätig zu, wie geplündert und vergewaltigt wurde. Der Nobelpreisträger Orhan Pamuk, der in seinem Werk auch den Massenmord an den Armeniern von 1915 thematisierte, schilderte die blinde Zerstörungswut in seinen Jugenderinnerungen.

(APA)

Babelfish translation:

Unknown one " markieren" Houses of Christians in Istanbul

25.08.2009 | 12:38 | (DiePresse.com)

In several city quarters from Istanbul the houses of Christians with colored plaques were marked. Labeling the houses obviously coincides with increased annoyances of Christian inhabitants. In traditionally the city quarters Feriköy and Kurtulus inhabited by members of the Christian minorities some houses were marked in recent time by green and red signs.

They are to obviously refer to Armenian and Greek inhabitants. Labeling the houses coincides with complaints of Christian inhabitants over increased annoyances, determined the delegate Sebahat Tuncel in a parliamentary inquiry. Minister of the Interior Besir Atalay is to express itself now to the incidents. " From whom were these markings attached? " , the press from the inquiry quotes. The Ministry is to also get straight whether appropriate police investigations and measures were introduced.

Partiarch Bartholomaios on list of the dead

The ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I. residing in the Phanar in Istanbul is to stand on a list of the dead of the nationalistisch laizistischen secret federation Ergenekon, to which to the load is put to want to fall Turkey by assassination attempts into the chaos. The European Commission requested Turkey repetitive to seize effective measures in order to improve the precarious situation of the non-Muslim subpopulations.

Memory of Christian Pogrom 1955

The marking of Christian houses wakes the memory of the Pogrom in Istanbul against the Christian minorities from September 1955. At that time the houses and business of the Christians had been marked before of nationalistic activists. The bloody excesses with dozens of victims in Istanbul and Izmir superficial were released by the Cyprus conflict - in the background the search for scapegoats was located in a time, in which Turkey was in an economically critical situation. A fanatisierter mobilization set 72 orthodox churches in Istanbul and over 30 schools in fire, violated Christian cemeteries and devastated approximately 3500 houses and more than 4000 business. The police watched dormant, how was pillaged and raped. The Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk, which brought up for discussion the mass murder at the Armenians of 1915 in its work also, described the blind destructive frenzy in its youth memories.

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