A STUDY OF CLASHES IN DILLIRGA AND HOW THEY WERE REFLECTED IN OFFICIAL ANNALS

ULUS IRKAD

Before I start I would like to give quotations from the book “National Memory and Turkish Cypriot textbooks (International Textbook Research pages 387-388)” by Niyazi Kızılyurek.

“National memory is existential to build a nation. Each nation – state or each nationalism creates its own national memory, which justifies the existence of the state in the particular territory and contributes to the unity of the nation. Therefore, cult of history and cult of the nation are not to separate. This turns the nation into a community of myths. The myths are symbolically influential structures, which help to the permanent functions of legitimization and regulation of national being. In the myth, we find the past, the present and the future of the nation united. Therefore, national memory is impossible without myths. Cult of the history and myths are essential part of the national memory as the ideological system of the nation 8Flacke, 1998, p. 19/20).” (Prg.1)

“National memory is a form of the collective memry, which functions like a “theater” of certain chosen events, and is only indirectly transmittable through media, education, and not directly through the individual participation. These events need to be reconstructed in such a symbolic way so that the national memory.

There is no such a thing as the past as organic part of the memory, simply because there are no pure facts of the memory. Only after the symbolic reconstruction can “these events” or “facts” become functional for the national consciousness. And this process of symbolic re-construction is not free of political interest and orientations of the nation in the given moment. Above all, national memory is an unavoidable condition for the construction and embodiment of the national identity (p.387, prg.5).

By looking into the national memory identity, and the transmission of national memory in Cyprus, the crucial point is that the points of reference for memory and identity do not refer to Cyprus itself but to factors outside: Greece, Turkey and greek and Turkish nationalism (Pingel). (p.387, prg.6)

The reason for this is the fact that the ultimate aim to unite with “mother Greece” and “mother Turkey” respectively became the main goal of the nationalisms in Cvyprus. The result was the denial of the state building within Cyprus and the development of the two mutually exclusive ethnocultural communities. Cyprus and the development of the two mutually exclusive ethnocultural communities. Cyprus was not perceived as a self-contained territory, in which an independent state could be created but as a piece of territory, which assumes meaning only if it is a part of the “super family” of the Greek and/or Turkish nation.” (P.338, prg.1)

In “Cyprus History”, another book written by Dr Vehbi Zeki, the following is written(Page 141,Dillirga Operation) :

“The first incident that initiated the Dillirga clashes took place on 6th August 1964. Greeks without any reason started firing with heavy artillery on the villages of Erenköy, Bozdağ and Alevkaya. The Turkish fighters who were prepared for their defense and the people they represented, instantly replied in the same manner. In the fighting that took place on this day four Greek guerillas was killed and another one was critically wounded.

Heavy clashes continued on the following day.The Greeks without paying any attention to the UN Peace Corps warnings continued attacking with increasing intensity.

The Turkish fighters who vowed to defend their land stood solidly with courage unparalleled anywhere. The situation became serious and all approaches to Makarios to stop the clashes failed.

Upon further deteriotion of the situation, appeals were made to Makarios rule to intervene and stop the fightings, but all these fell on deaf ears.

Turkish planes directly intervened for the first time on 7th August 1964.Four jet fighters flew over Polis as a warning. The planes returned without hitting any targets.Diplomatic contacts increase in Ankara. The Greek Ambassador to Ankara was warned to stop the fightings around Dillirga.But the mainland and the local Greek forces increased their attacks saying that they would force the Turks on the island into the sea and nothing could save them. Modern weapons were used against the Turkish fighters.There was a major difference between them and the Turkish fighters.This was the power of their unwavering faith.

The Turkish jet planes again appeared over the Dillirga Hills on 8th August 1964. The sky seemed to explode by the terrible hum of planes.

The Greeks were shocked to see the planes.The reporters who were following the fightings on that day reported that the Greeks began leaving their positions and fleeing.The thirty four Turkish planes pounded on the Greek positions and destroyed them all.

At the end of this air attack 40% of the Greek forces at Dillirga were completeley destroyed.

In the fighing that took place today the plane piloted by Cengis Topel received a direct hit. While the plane crashed to the ground the pilot ejected and parachuted safely.But he was taken prisoner by the Greeks and was mercilessly killed. His corpse was brought to the turkish Sector on 11th August and following a sad ceremony, his coffin was transferred to Turkey for burial.The Cyprus Turks will forever remember Cengis Topel and mention his name with gratitute.

Cemal Gursel, the then Turkish president, while commenting about this to the correspondence said,”These attacks will continue until Greeks gain their minds.”

The Greeks who believed to get aid from some countries resumed their attack on a much bigger scale on 9th August.Fighting started in more fierce proportions. The Greeks still continued to believe thet they would force the Turks into the sea.Once more the sky was covered with the thunder of the Turkish planes. This time 64 planes joined the misssion and poured death on the Greeks.The Greek artillery was silenced by napalm bombs.

A Greek war ship attacking the Turkish positions from the sea, was also sunk.

The foreign reporters and UN soldiers who were there could not conceal their appreciation on the skill shown by the Turkish planes. The planes gave direct hits to all position destroying them completely.

The air attacks greatly reduced the Greek forces.The Greek attack was completely stopped.The Greeks conceded their failure. Makarios said he was ready to accept all Turkish conditions.

Wth the wipe out of the Greek forces placed around Dillirga, the fighing came to en end.”

Dr Vehbi Zeki does not mention of about five hundred university students who came from Turkey to Dillirga to join in the fightings.He also concealed the fact from the new generations stating that the first attack came from the Greeks,His guide line in the evaluation of the fighting had been “I do not commit any wrong, every evil comes from my enemy.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF DILLIRGA FROM TMT AND TURKISH POINT OF VIEW.

The Turkish textbooks do not mention the importance of Dillirga for TMT and Turkey.

Recent researches are now shedding light on the importance of the region to both opposing powers.In the Periodical published by the Cyprus Turkish Cultural Association (January 1997 volume 10 NO:1 ) in an interview with Dr. Ertan Tatlicioglu, a student who took part in the fightings, mentioned that although he was a young student he was a member of TMT. He was ordered to go to Limassol to join in the fightings there, but he was not allowed to go beyond Nicosia by the Greeks and after staying for three days in Bozdağ Region he returned to Turkey, but by a cyphered order he was trained in the Zir village with the other university students.

The reporter asks the following question to Dr. Ertan Tatlicioglu:

“ What was your thought, aims and feelings while going to Erenkoy?”

“ From what I heard, Turkey in order to manifest the partion of the of the island planned to gather all Cyprus Turks within a region. By placing militia at various points and enforcing these with new conscripts a permanent base of deployment was planned.Paphos was one the the regions planned for such a scope. Smaller villages were to be joined to these stations strengthening their defences against probable Greek attacks. By this way any Greek plans to attack and destroy unprotected villages to spread their cmplete sovereignty over the whole island would be impeded. By time these three regions would spread and integrate paving the way to the partition of the island without going into a major fighting. Details that reached us all indicated to the presence of such a plot.

In another interview with Pof.Fevzi Çakmak, (Cyprus Letter March 1996, Volume 9 NO:2) a university student during the Dillirga fightings,states the following to the question ,” Did the the Cyprus cause gain anything with your two year stay at Dillirga?”

- One should not approach the subject solely through personal but by communal perspective. The bombardment carried out by the Turkish jets in Dillirga fighting, is an open proof of Turkeys interest and concern in the developments in Cyprus. This is one of the basic items in the developments. This does not resemble the Chaldiran war,( go, come, fight, win and come back again).The Nicosia happenings are also another mile stone. What took place in Kofinou is also a major development. These all built up to the bombardment.The Turkısh jets did not go beyond reconnesancing. What made this unavoidable was the presence of 500 students. I can not clearly comment what made this inevitable. Was it because all options were run out or was it because nothing else could be done.But whatever the reason is, Turkey was directly drawn into the developments.This makes Erenkoy one of the major mile stones.

In May 1997 edition of the same periodical( Volume 10 NO:3) the srategic importance of the location is pin pointed saying that the Region was the first place arms from Turkey was transferred.( Ref. TMT, Turkish Resistance Organızation-6 Ahmet Göksan)

Ozcan Ercan in his serialized articles under the tıtle of “Reoccupation Operation,

Published in the Milliyet Newspaper states the following:

“ Erenköy, the first base for the supply of arms to the fighters of Cyprus, was also the first place to be put under alert. All arms and armament in nine underground burials was under voluntary protection. Every depot contained necessary arms that would be necessary for the defence of the village. Alevkaya village had one, Bozdag and Mansura villages 4 and Selcuklu and Erenkoy 1 depot.

By an order issued from Lefka Headquarters on 22 December Sunday night, a depot from every village was opened, but all that was found was 14 rifles,

4 rocket laucher type automatic pistols, and one bren type automatic mechanized rifle.For these rifles only two case of 7.7mm , 14 pieces of pistol bullets were recovered with some water pipe bombs. The Cypriot Turks were contented even with these very primitive arms but the bleak shock was to come when they wanted to test them.The rifles were all in rust and did not fire at all They were now doomed. They had to search for means of obtaining new arms.”

The Greek Press reported the developments to their readers in the following manner.(Cyprus Today, 8August)

BRUTAL ATTACK

Turkish fighter aircraft again attacked six greek villages in northwest Cyprus killing at least 24 Greek Cypriot men, women and children and injuring more than 200 others brutal strafing of villages in the area. They also damaged a Cyprus government coastal boat, which was beached. One of the attacking planes was destroyed by anti-aircraft fire near xeros, and its pilot captured.

Earlier the Turkish air force had flown “warning flights” over Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta and an announcement from Ankara radio said thge pilots had been ordered to observe events in the island and “intervene if necessary.” Rerports from Ankara and İstanbul indicated that large-scale preparations were underway for the invasion of Cyprus.

 NEGOTIATION INTERRUPTED

It was learned that just before the air raid began, the government forces were ready to negotiate for the evacuation of all enemy forces concentrated in the Kokkina village.

They were expected to include many army personnel from Turkey who did not to surrender. One proposal considered was that they should be allowed to leave for Turkey under UN escort. (August 8, 1964)

TURKISH PLAN WAS LANDING ON AUGUST 13- SAYS GENERAL GRIVAS (THE TRUTH ABOUT TILLYRIA)

Turkish documents captured during the operation in the Mansoura area earlier this month show that Turkey planned to land troops in Cyprus on August 13, General Grivas told a press conference.

According to the same documnets wjhich are still being translated –the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash together with army officer arrived in the area on August 1.

The former EOKA leader was speaking to local correspondents in the presence of the Minister of the interior, Mr Yorgadjis.

He said the Turks had chosen the Mansoura – Kokkina area as a bridgehead for the creation of a Turkish cantomn. In this they were helped by the existence of Turkish Cypriot villages, facilities for the unloading of military material and men from Turkey, and favourable ground.

 CEMENT FORTIFICATIONS

The area was strongly defended with cement fortifications and heavy arms. Furthermore, in the east, there was another small Turkish Cypriot bridgehead around Limnitis, which prevented government forces from being rushed by the direct route and caused them to follow round-about routes.

General Grivas said the Turks could take up military action to link up the Mansoura and Limnitis bridgeheads and from here expand to Lefka, the Turkish Cypriot townlet further to the east.

In this way they would placeunder their control an area of nearly 200 square miles with possibilities to push through Morpou to Nicosia, to join up with the Turkish area around Geunyeli and Aghirda and strike from the South at the town and area of Kyrenia.

 PROFUSION OF AMMUNITION

Partition would then be completed and the whole of cuyprus would be threatened, the General said.

He went on to give various particulars to support his views.

He said there was ‘ an astonishing profusion of ammunition and military materials at the Mansoura bridgehead- more than one usually meets with a regular army.’ At the area of Ayios Theodoros for example, for every 40 Turkish men there were four bazookas, four rocket launchers and several Brenguns. The arms were of american origin. This area was used as a supply depot for the distrubition of arms to places all over the island, he said.

General Grivas also mentioned the letter found in the possession of the Marley couple, which stated that the objective of the Turkish leadership was to strengthen the Mansoura bridgehead and expand it up to Lefka.

General Grivas estimated that there were 450 men in the area who had arrived from Turkey. They arrived at a quicker tempo in July. The total Turkish strength (including locals) in the area defending the bridgehead was about 1,300 men.

HEAVY GUNS

According to captured Turkish documents, Denktash and a man called Ömer Sami Djochar, as well as a colonel and a lieutenant arrived in the area on August 1, together with 12 heavy guns. According to the same sorce, the landing of Turkish regular army was due on August 13.

But fighting broke out on August 7. general Grivas said: ‘Following Turkish provocation and attack on our units on the locality Akoni, where we lost four men and had wounded, the battle became general.

‘The enemy positions were struck until darkness came, and we made small advances.

‘On the morning of August 8, the enemy defences broke down and their fortifications fell one after the other.

‘At 4.30 pm. We were about to launch an attack to capture the remaining ground (approximately two square miles) around Kokkina, when the enemy air force intervened, firing continuously on our positions with rockets, bombs, machine guns.

‘I was present at this hell of fire and admired the courage of our men. Recruits with only about 20-30 days training fought like war veterans and not only captured extremely strong positions of the enemy bombardment. None of these soldiers abandoned their positions.

 COURAGE AND SACRIFICE

General Grivas paid tribute to officers and men who took part in these battles.

‘ I am an old soldier. This was one of the rare occasions in which I witnessed such courage and self-sacrifice. In one unit, the men had stayed without water for 24 hours yet they advanced non-stop.

Reviewing the achievements, of this succesful operation, he said: a most serious threat has ceased. The Turks from Turkey had already made a landing and were on Cypriot territory. In a short period, as it appears from the Turkish documents in our possession, we should expect a landing of the regular army from Turkey, in which case more bloody battles would take place.’

This Turkish bridgehead was the most important in the island, he said. One of the reasons was that it could be used for the bringing of supplies from the sea.

Today this bridgehead does not exist. That around Kokkina is just as if it did not exist. We have remained in our positions respecting the Security Council resolution about a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Turkish hopes for the creation of an invulnerable independent canton there with political and military leadership have been lost, he said.

 “WE PRAY FOR PEACE”

The General concluded: ‘We have streched to the Turks a hand of peaceful coexistence. Unfortunately we found no response. We hope they have now realised that a solution can’not be achieved through violent means, because the Greek Cypriot people do not yield. They are determined to defend themselves.

‘We pray and wish for a peaceful settlement’

 VIEWS AND NEWS

President Makarios has said that “in the days when Cyprus burned” British and American representatives in the Security Council adopted a position which did not help in the least the swiftest liqudation of the fire in Cyprus.

The interview granted to Tass in Nicosia the President said: ‘Before anything I must state with all my strength that the Greek side had no intention whatever to attack Turkish villages and did not open fire first.’ Tass reported.

 DEVELOPMENTS

On August 5 the events in the Mansoura District developed in the following way. The Turkish rebels had concentrated in this district big military forces including many soldiers and officers freshly arrived from Turkey.

‘The rebels had great stocks of arms shipped to them from Turkey through the western ports of the island.

‘The armed rebels had grabbed all the commanding heights of the Mansoura district from where they incessantly shot at the Greek villages; the president said:

President Makarios added:

‘The extremists also held under fire the roads which unite a series of important villages in the Northern and Western districts of the island; Tass said.

“The Government of the Cyprus Republic demanded that the rebels relinquish the strong points seized by them. The Turkish side however, rejected this demand, just as it did the corresponding request of the United Nations Force in Cyprus, he added.

 STRAFING

The President said: ‘On August 8, 9 and 10 Turkish planes bombed and strafed Greek positions and a number of inhabited localities, although as from August 8, the Government forces ceased fire everywhere. The results of the bombing are truly appaling.

‘President Makarios added: ‘Noteworthy is also the fact that a great amount of the arms and ammunition captured in the Mansoura area belonged to Nato.’

‘At present, the situation is somewhat more stabilized in Cyprus. But the threat of a new aggression has not been completely eliminated. The people of Cyprus are, just as before fully resolved to defend with all their strength and means their homeland.

‘We shall never be forced on our knees by any blackmail, provocation or pressure by the enemies of the Cypriot people.

‘We express the feeling of warmest gratitude to all countries which supported us in these difficult days for Cyprus, the President added.

  (Reuter, August 19)

EVALUATION

Both sides in this conflict try to induce the impression of their innocence stressing the pressure on them. As always the guilty side is the other one. Turkish Cypriots put forward Greek Cypriot attacks on Turkish Cypriots as the start of clashes while Greek Cypriots indicate Turkish division exploits of the island. Both communities endeavour to conceal the facts from their communities showing the other side as culprits in this affair. My reasearch did not dig out much information from textbooks followed in Greek schools. The Turkish Cypriots on the other hand exaggerated the facts to stress their justification in the developments.There was no hint whatsoever to alleviate the pain of the other side. Young students with only a few weeks of training joined the fighting in Dillirga. Some of them died in the fightings.During the Turkish air bombardment a lot of Greeks died as well.Neither Dr. Vehbi Zeki, nor the Greek writers dwelt on these facts.On the contrary the Greek Cypriots still argue that a fully equipped army invaded Dillirga. Both Cypriot Turks and Cypriot Greeks who lived for centuries in that region were forced to evacuate their houses and find safer refuge somewhere else. Hundreds of civilians were either killed or wounded during the Dillirga fighting. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriot press failed in their handling of the developments. The criticism and evaluation of the happenings was carried out by chauvunistic writers. Those who initiated the fightings were not criticisized and sufferings of both communities were side stepped.

If the events and developments that took place in Dillirga are rightly reflected and recorded in textbooks indicating mishaps I tried to stress above, the forthcoming generations will have a better chance to understand all that happened . They can thus try to avoid the recurrence of similar incidence in the future.