A bomb-and-gun attack at Istanbul University killed seven students and exposed alleged police complicity in far-right political violence in Turkey.
Key Facts
- Date
- 16 March 1978
- Deaths
- 7 people
- Injured
- 41 people
- Perpetrating group
- Grey Wolves (Istanbul branch)
- Sentence (branch head)
- 11 years, handed down in 1980
- Released on appeal
- 1982
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In the politically turbulent Turkey of the late 1970s, far-right ultranationalist groups, including the Grey Wolves, were engaged in violent confrontations with leftist movements. Allegations later emerged that a police officer had directed the attackers, suggesting state-adjacent involvement in political violence targeting university students.
On 16 March 1978, a coordinated bomb-and-gun attack struck Istanbul University's Beyazıt campus. Seven students were killed and 41 were wounded. Witnesses reported that police at the scene did not pursue the attackers, raising suspicions of complicity.
The head of the Istanbul branch of the Grey Wolves, Orhan Çakıroğlu, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 1980 but was released on appeal in 1982. After the 30-year statute of limitations expired, the mother of one shooter confirmed his role and claimed he had acted on orders from a police officer, deepening scrutiny of security force involvement.