Topal Osman

Topal Osman Agha (1883, Giresun – April 1, 1923, Ankara) was a Turkish militia leader of the late Ottoman and early Republican periods, responsible for the mass killings of thousands of Armenians and Greeks. He commanded the 42nd Giresun Volunteer Regiment and 47th Giresun Volunteer Regiment. His last rank was Lieutenant-colonel of militia (Milis Yarbayı).

Balkan Wars
He was a veteran of the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars where he became lame (topal).

Armenian Genocide
He made a name for himself in the spring of 1915 as commander of a squadron of gangs. He later directly served under Mustafa Kemal.

Pontic Genocide
There are many literature in Greek language about Osman Ağa, who was held responsible for most of the persecutions against Greeks, especially when they left the Black Sea region.

Murder of Ali Şükrü Bey
For his work in the national movement, Osman became commander of Mustafa Kemal's special "Bodyguard Regiment." and his loyal vassal Captain of militia Mustafa Kaptan was appointed the commander of the Guard Battalion of the Grand National Assembly. He choked Trabzon deputy Ali Şükrü Bey to death on March 27, 1923, in response to Şükrü's criticism of Mustafa Kemal.

Topal Osman Affair
Mustafa Kemal ordered İsmail Hakkı Bey, who was the commander of the Presidential Guard Battalion, to take Topal Osman and his fellows into custody. Topal was surrounded at his hideout in Seyran Bağları wards and in the resulting exchange of fire, was wounded and captured on April 1, 1923. Later that day, under İsmail Hakkı's orders, he was killed by a shot to the head.

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. According to some sources, his decapitated corpse was hung in the Ulus Square. He now rests in Giresun.

Legacy
Toktamış Ateş of Istanbul University claims that former primer minister Tansu Çiller had once promised to open a university in Topal's name.

A statue of him was erected in his home town of Giresun in 2007. The erection of the statue has been linked to retired General Veli Küçük, currently under arrest for serving as a member of Ergenekon. Küçük's first attempt to erect the statue was in 1981, but it was blocked by the Turkish Historical Society. Küçük tried again in 2001 but failed in his attempt after strong opposition from Mayor Mehmet Işık. It was finally erected in 2007 with the assistance of Ali Kara, chairman of the local small businessmen group of Giresun. Kara was one of the figures whose deposition was taken during the Ergenekon investigation.