Topal Osman
He showed usefulness in the War of Independence, but in 1923, when it was decided that he was the instigator of Trabzon Deputy Ali Şükrü Bey's murder, he was detained.[7]: 24–29 Topal Osman was known to have been responsible for massacres against Armenians and Greeks in the Pontus region where he was stationed during World War I and post-war years.The majority were sent on a death march, while a selected minority of "good-looking women...were being held for the pleasure of the troops under Osman Ağa," according to an American observer serving aboard the USS Overton.The same pattern repeated: They killed or deported the majority of local Pontian Greeks, but selected some women and girls for the troops' use.[23] Foreign correspondents accused him as the principal organizer of the persecution against the Greeks at the Pontus region and also that he made a great fortune from the plundering of the churches.[24][25] In addition, the Daily Telegraph's correspondent called him the "terror of the Pontus" adding that: "his career of crime and violence, for the equal of which one must go back to the Dark Ages".[27] His activities against the Greeks were so brutal that even Adnan Bey sent a letter to the government in Ankara asking to take measures against Topal Osman.[28] Andrew Mango, in his Atatürk's biography, described Osman as "a sadistic ethnic cleanser of Armenians and Greeks, and the hammer of Mustafa's Kemal Muslim opponents".[29] After the First World War, Topal Osman Ağa continued his operations in the Black Sea region, this time targeting Christian Pontic Greeks.Osman Ağa declared himself mayor of Giresun in order to fight the Pontic paramilitary forces, and exact his gang's ethnic cleansing of the region.He continued his acts by raiding the Greek cinema for insulting Turks inside, attacking Mavridi Mansion to destroy the "Haçika gang", preventing Pontic irregulars coming from various places, including Batum and Ukraine, from entering Giresun.[citation needed] An assassination attempt against him was plotted by pro-Ottoman governor Badi Nedim, but Osman Ağa learned about this plan and had him out from Giresun.[citation needed] In March 1920, Osman Ağa captured a powerboat coming from Greece and took everything inside; which was 1800 Turkish liras, 700 Russian silvers, 600 American dollars and 400 jerry cans.He later executed a pro-Pontic agency clerk named Yorgi as well as two Greek doctors solidifying his legacy as a formidable brute.According to Mustafa Kemal's recent biographer Robert Shenk of the US Naval Institute, Topal Osman was a sadistic ethnic cleanser of Armenians and Greeks."[30] Osman along with his militia forces, were responsible for massacres, deportations, destruction and confiscation of property, extortion, rapes and other atrocities throughout this region including the cities, towns and villages of Samsun, Marsovan, Giresun, Tirebolu, Ünye, Havza and Bulancak.[32] Since there were no forces to protect the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Ali Şükrü suggested formation of a guard platoon, which was accepted.[7]: 102–164 Topal Osman, upon the order he received from Ankara, left the command of the guard unit to Gümüşreisoğlu Mustafa Kaptan in 1921 and went to Giresun.During the war, almost all of the 42nd Regiment, consisting of 2000[citation needed] people, lost their lives, including the commander Hüseyin Avni Alparslan.On 8 June 1922, by the Orders of National Taxes, Osman Ağa attempted to sell all his real estate to fund the army, but was prevented by the wealthy people of Giresun who said he "served enough" by joining the fight and all he has done.[35] 47th Regiment later went to Balıkesir, where Osman Ağa, with help of local civilians, executed Greek bands for tormenting Turks there, no matter their age, as well as raping young girls.Rauf Orbay, in his memoirs, claimed that Mustafa Kaptan confessed Ali Şükrü was murdered in Osman Ağa's house.However, historian Ümit Doğan argues that it is not possible, because the murder is too amateur for him, and also because of the close friendship between Osman and Ali Şükrü grown during and after Battle of Sakarya.[7]: 312–313 On 2 April, at the insistence of the "Second Group", his body was dug up and hung at the gate of the parliament building (today War of Independence Museum) for exhibition to the public.
Topal Osman PashaGiresunOttoman EmpireAnkaraAnkara GovernmentExecution by shootingAli Şükrü BeyKuva-yi MilliyeTurkish Land Forceslieutenant colonelBalkan WarsWorld War ICaucasus campaignTurkish War of IndependenceKoçgiri RebellionGreco-Turkish WarBattle of the SakaryaGreat OffensiveTurkish Medal of IndependenceTurkishNational ForcesArmenianPontic genocidesMustafa KemalTrabzonChepniFirst Balkan WarRussian armytyphoidBayburtHarşitOctober RevolutionArmeniansGreeksPontus regionpost-war yearsÇarşambadeath marchUSS OvertonUSS WilliamsonPontusAdnan BeyAndrew MangoFirst World WarAssociation for Defence of National RightsOccupation of SmyrnaPonticSoviet UnionGreco-Turkish War (1919-1922)GöreleTireboluAkçaabatEastern FrontSamsunMarsovanBulancakGrand National AssemblyİneboluÇerkez EthemKılıç AliAmele TaburlarıNurettin PashaKurdishLausanne ConferenceÇankaya"Second Group"War of Independence MuseumIstanbul UniversityTansu ÇillerSciences PoA Shameful ActKalgoorlie MinerThe West AustralianQueensland TimesWayback MachineTurkish Ministry of Culture and TourismUğur MumcuArmenian genocideArmenians in the Ottoman EmpireArmenian questionTurkish nationalismHamidian massacres (1894–1897)Young Turk Revolution (1908)Adana massacre (1909)1914 Armenian reforms1914 Greek deportationsCongress at ErzerumOttoman Empire in World War IBattle of SarikamishCausesDeportation of Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915Tehcir Law20 Hunchakian gallowsConfiscationForced labourMass rapeDeir ez-ZorRa's al-'AynTerminologyDiyarbekirTrebizondPre-genocide populationGenocide casualtiesPost-genocide populationHidden ArmeniansSurvivorsVorpahavakResistanceArmenian militiaZeitunMusa DaghShabin-KarahisarRescue of ArmeniansTurkish oppositionCommittee of Union and ProgressTalaat DjemalDjevdetReshidBahaeddin ŞakirSpecial OrganizationMay 1915 Triple Entente declarationImperial GermanyPress coverageNear East FoundationNational Armenian Relief Committee