Christian houses in Istanbul marked
05.09.2009 18:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Christian houses in the Ferikoy und Kurtulus, areas
in Istanbul, where many Armenians and Greeks live, were marked with
red or green labels in the past weeks, Die Presse reported.

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.

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.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress