Another Armenian attacked in Istanbul

PanARMENIAN.Net - Another Armenian woman was attacked in Istanbul. The family of the victims decided against calling police, in view of the woman's light injuries, Turkish media say.

According to some sources, Sunday, Jan 27, Istanbul district of Samatya will host a mass rally against increasing attacks on Armenians.

Two elderly Armenian women were attacked in Samatya district of Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan 22 and 23, less than a month after an 84-year-old Armenian woman was brutally murdered in Istanbul, raising the number of violent attacks against elderly Armenian women to at least four in recent months, Asbarez reported.

The Jan 22 attack happened around 5 pm when the victim, 83-year-old Sultan Aykar was about to enter her ground-floor apartment. She then saw an intruder, frightened, she fell. The attacker proceeded to kick her. Hearing her screams, neighbors came down, scaring off the masked man, according to Bianet news agency.

The neighbors described the attacker as a male between the ages of 35 and 40, with gray hair, and dressed in black. During the attack, Aykar suffered damage to her eye. She has now lost sight in that eye, despite surgery on Jan 23. The victim’s daughter, Menzar Etik, said her mother did not have any enemies, as she was a quiet woman. Etik did not believe the attacker’s intention was robbery, as the attacker did not attempt to steal her purse, and there was nothing more than a broken TV in her apartment.

On Jan 23, another attack was reported on yet another elderly Armenian woman. This time the attack happened on the street, near the Samatya High School, sources said. The two assailants ran away. The victim’s was covered with blood. Shortly thereafter, she disappeared. Community members and plainclothes policemen have been unable to find or identify the woman.

The Samatya area is home to many Armenians. The community is weary of these attacks, and there are calls for caution have been made.

In recent years, there have been several attacks against Armenians in Turkey. In early December another Armenian woman was attacked and robbed; while months earlier an Armenian woman was attacked by a taxi driver and called an infidel.

On Jan 6, three assailants tried to kidnap an elderly Armenian woman, according to Turkish sources. The attempt failed.

According to human rights activists, the common thread that runs through all of these crimes is not just their being motivated by hate or being committed in an environment that breeds intolerance against Armenians, but also the efforts of the authorities to play them down and cover them up.