Christian houses in Istanbul marked

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.