Siege of Turjak

The Siege of Turjak or Battle of Turjak (bitka za Turjak) was fought on 19 September 1943 at the Turjak Castle between the Slovene Partisans on one side and the Slovene former units of the Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia (MVAC) and Slovene Chetniks on the other. The MVAC became defunct with the end of Italian rule. The battle followed the Partisan victory at Grčarice. Partisans encircled Turjak on 14 September, and laid siege to the castle as the defenders refused to surrender. The siege ended on 19 September with a Partisan victory, much thanks to heavy weapons that they had acquired from Italian forces.

The Partisans captured a reported 1,200 prisoners of war from Grčarice, Zapotok and Turjak. Although Partisan data listed 115 sentenced to death, and noted that some were killed while fleeing, estimations of victims are higher. Slovene anti-Partisan sources claim up to 1,000 killed.