Aftermath of the September pogrom, 1955

The photograph shows the aftermath of the violence organised against Armenians and Greeks in Turkey in September 1955. On 6 and 7 September, mass pogroms, looting and rapes took place in Constantinople (Istanbul) and Smyrna (Izmir).

A wrecked shop can be seen, its goods scattered over the pavement and the street. A crowd fills the street, and a Turkish flag hangs above.

According to the source, in two days 73 churches, 2 monasteries and 5,538 houses were destroyed, and 60 women were raped. These events are regarded as a state-sponsored operation aimed at strengthening the Turkish national state, as a result of which Armenians and Greeks left the country in large numbers.