İzmir governor's office does not give green light to 'Museum of Shame' on 1980 coup
The left-wing İzmir ’78 Association was forced to postpone their exhibition “Sept. 12 Museum of Shame” after the governor's office did not give green light to its format. The exhibition commemorates the victims of the September 12, 1980 Turkish coup d'etat.
Duvar English
An exhibition marking Turkey’s tragic experiences during the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup has been postponed after its format received criticism from the governor's office of the Aegean province of İzmir, Mezopotamya news agency reported on Sept. 9
The exhibition named “Sept. 12 Museum of Shame” was put together by the left-wing İzmir ’78 Association with the support of the İzmir Municipality to remember the coup’s victims.
The exhibition presents the life stories, told through letters and photographs, of people who were jailed or lost their lives in the 1980 events.
The exhibition however was postponed to a later date after the governor's office was not pleased about “the exhibition's format” and asked the İzmir '78 Association to revise it.
The September 12, 1980 Turkish coup d'etat was headed by Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren, in which 50 people were executed, 500,000 were arrested and hundreds died in prison.
The coup followed a resurgence of street fighting between leftists and nationalists. Parliament, political parties and trade unions were dissolved. Political life was halted for three years and many civil liberties were suspended.