Career
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 in one foot (Turkish: topal).
Greek Genocide
Topal Osman Pasha was one of the key perpetrators of the Greek Genocide particularly in the north eastern region of Turkey historically known as Pontus.
According to Mustafa Kemal"s recent biographer, Topal Osman was a "sadistic ethnic cleanser of Armenians and Greeks." Osman along with his gang of cut throats, were responsible for massacres, deportations, destruction and confiscation of property, extortion, rapes and other atrocities throughout this region including the cities, towns and villages of Samsun, Marsovan, Giresun, Tirebolu, Unye, Havza and Bulancak. Armenian Genocide
Topal Osman was known to have been responsible for massacres against Armenians during the Armenian Genocide in the Pontus region where he was stationed during World War I. While in Trabzon, Osman made a name for himself in the spring of 1915 as commander of a squadron of gangs.
Osman, along with Ishak Çavuş, were known to have partaken in the drowning and massacres of the local Armenian population. During this time, Osman had also profiteered from the confiscation of assets and property belonging to the Armenians.
Koçgiri Rebellion
Murder of Ali Şükrü Bey
Foreign 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 27 March 1923, allegedly 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. Osman was surrounded at his hideout in Seyran Bağları wards, and in the resulting exchange of fire, was wounded and captured on 1 April 1923.
Later that day, under İsmail Hakkı"s orders, he was executed 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. 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.
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. lieutenant 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.
