Sultan Ahmet 1940’s/ Ertugrul Mat

Sultan Ahmet 1940’s

During 1940’s Sultan Ahmet Square (formerly the Hippodrome of Constantinople) in Istanbul was not grassy field like it is today but it was rather a barren field where young people played soccer.  Sirkeci, Cankurtaran and Alemdar clubs were playing there.

During summer months RidvanTelgezer’s Circus Company would arrive and they would set up their tents. Ridvan would walk on the rope as if he was walking in the street. Semiha Yanki who would represent Turkey in the Eurovision Song Contest grew up at those Circus tents and performed.

A few times we witnessed three poles (gallows) erected right in the middle of the Sultan Ahmet square and a greasy hanging rope attached. After sun rise anyone who passed by the square saw the hanged criminal’s body. The body would stay there until the evening prayers as a deterrent to other criminals.

The last person that was executed was a child molester.  He was a boater who kidnapped a seven year old girl and molested her. His neck was broken, his tongue was out of his mouth and his face was purple. His head was tilted to one side and his body was moving side to side with the wind all day.

After that the authorities abandoned the idea of displaying the corps that way. The executions continued though; instead of the square the executions took place at the courtyard of Sultan Ahmet Jail House which is today's Four Seasons Hotel…This time the photograph of the executions were sent to the newspapers for all to see.

After that for a long time the public didn’t see the executions nor they saw the pictures of the bodies  until the day they saw the pictures of Hasan Polatkan and Fatin Rustu Zorlu on 15 September 1961and Adnan Menderes on17 September 1961. After the executions the pictures of their dead bodies were sent to the newspapers…

From the Memoirs of Ertugrul Mat
Demokrasi Yolunda Karinca Misali
On the Way to The Democracy

Translated by Elif Erkmen

Menderes_Polatkan_Zorlu RIP