RECIPROCAL SINS

ULUS IRKAD

Eric Hobsbawn states that to erase history from memory or to distort historical facts(Perreur historique) is important in the creation of a nation.During this process every nation endeavours to hide crime it commits against others because it needs myths for its culture to anchor it with a standard national identity into the historical past.According to this approach facts putting into light past events is dangerous. Nations claim to possess rich and long history although in reality they are all new in historical arena. As a result every nation creates a nationalistic version of its historical development and unavoidably evades some facts and thus events are trimmed off from reality and based on unfounded hearsay statements.This outline forms the basis of all forms of historical identity. This is also valid for the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot chauvinistic groups.

As seen in all national forms in Cyprus, nationalism creates its own self defense mechanism and depends on the continution of events it visualizes. According to the chauvinistic mentality there is an unjust and wrong enemy whose presence prevents confrontation with true self deducing to be just in all its performance. The chauvinistic ideology needs an enemy that performs evil all the time to be effective in its arguements.Gellner states that if we also show the same sensitivity towards ourselves as we do towards others chauvinistic policies would lose its power and effect. The enemy becomes essential to form national identity.In the early stage of the formation of the national embryo negative definitions are made towards others and honorable duties are determined for itself. This notion of nationality forms positive and acceptable behaviors and manners for itself but prevents tolerance for others. Every new nation during the formation process consecutively creates notions that denies its presence .It distances itself from other nations but on the other hand brings itself to forefront by indicating its identity.This appears in denial and despise of other identities(Niyazi Kızılyürek,”Ulus Ötesi Kıbrıs” page 41, par 1)

I would like to start how both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots shared similar trends in their sins they committed towards each other with a passage I am to quote from a brochure published by TRNC Department of Museums and Antiquities.

1- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

“AN EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT OF HOW A TURKISH FAMILY WAS BURTCHERED BY GREEK TERRORISTS

The date is the 24th of December 1963... The onslaught of the Greeks against the Turks, which started three days ago, has been going on with all its ferocity; and defenceless women, old men and children are being brutally killed by Greeks. And now Kumsal Area of Nicosia witnesses the wors example of the Greeks savage bloodshed...

The wife and the three infant children of Dr Nihat İlhan, a Major on duty at the camp of the Cyprus Turkish Army Contingent, are mercillesly and dastardly shot dead while hiding in the bathroom of their house, by maddened Greeks who broke into their home. A glaring example of Greek barbarism.

Let us now listen to the relating of the sad incident told by Mr Hasan Yusuf Gudum, an eye witness, who himself was wounded during the same terrible event.

“On the night of the 24th of December, 1963 my wife Feride Hasan and I were paying a visit to the family of Major Dr. Nihat İlhan. Our neighbours Mrs. Ayshe of Mora, her daughter Ishin and Mrs. Ayshe’s sister Novber were also with us. We were all sitting having supper. All of a sudden bullets from the Pedios River direction started to riddle the house,sounding like heavy rain. Thinking that the dining-room where we were sitting was dangerous, we were nine persons. We all hid in the bathroom except my wife who took refuge in the toilet. We waited in fear. Mrs. İlhan the wife of Major Doctor, was standing in the bath with her three children Murat, Kutsi and Hakan in her arms. Suddenly with a great noise we heard the front door open. Greeks had come in and were combing,every corner of the house with their machinegun bullets. During these moments I heard voices saying, in Greek, “You want Taksim (Partition, U.I) eh !” and then bullets started flying in the bathroom. Mrs. İlhan and her three children fell into the bath. They were shot. At this moment the Greeks, who broke into the bathroom, emptied their guns on us again. I heard one of the Major’s children moan, then I fainted.

When I came to myself 2 or 3 hours later, I saw Mrs. İlhan and her three children lying dead in the bath. I and the rest of the neighbours in the bathroom were all seriously wounded. But what had happened to my wife? Then I remebered and immediately ran to the toilet, where, in the doorway, I saw her body. She was brutally murdered.

In the street admist the sound of shots I heard voices crying “Help, help. Is there no one to save us?” I became terrified. I thought that if the Greeks came again and found that I was not dead they would kill me. So I ran to the bedroom and hid myself under the double – bed.

An hour passed by in the distance I could still hear shots. My mouth was dry, so I came out from under the bed and drank some water. Then I put some sweets in my pocket and went back to the bathroom, which was exactly as I had left it an hour ago. There I offered sweets to Mrs Ayshe, her daughter and Mrs Novber who also were all wounded.

We waited in the bathroom until 5 o’clock in the morning. I thought morning would never come. We were all wounded and needed to be taken to hospital. Finally, as we could walk, Mrs. Novber and I, went out into the street hoping to find help, and walked as far as Koshklu Chiflik.

There, we met some people who took us to hospital where we were operated that there were more wounded in the house and they went and brought Mrs. Ayshe and her daughter.

After staying three days in the hospital I was sent by plane to Ankara for further treatment. There I have had four months treatment but still I cannot use my arm. On my return to Cyprus, Greeks arrested me at the airport.

All I have related to you above I told the Greeks during my detention. They then released me.

 REFLECTIONS OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

 I would like to bring forward rumours circulating among the Turkish Cypriots on this subject. For example it is claimed that the Turkish fanatics planned the referred murders in order to create legal cover for Turkey to invade Cyprus. Nicos Samson also made the same arguements before. But in a meeting participated by members of two communities I heard a young Greek Cypriot Girl relaying what she heard about the incident at various circles she attended in the Greek Sector that the mother and and children in the bathroom were killed by the Greek Cypriot fanatics themselves .

2- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

ABOUT THE MASSACRE OF AGHIOS VASILIOS

“That presentation was a fearful one and I say: Thank God Turkish troops are there and they cannot extend their statehood over us, because we know how they tried to cover us in that statehood. My people lie buried in common graves as a result of events in Aghios Vasilios in 1963. The whole population of three villages from 16 day old babies to 90 year old people – lie buried in common graves as a result of events in 1974. Hundreds of other people were similarly destroyed by Greek Cypriots. That was their understanding of statehood. That is what we fought against and struggled against for years (UN Speeches On Cyprus, R.R. Denktash, page 31, prg.6)

3- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

(Daily Herald, 1 January 1964, IN ONE NIGHT OF TERROR 3 DRAMA IN A SILENT VILLAGE From Peter Moorhead, Skylloura, Cyprus, Tuesday)

“In this village of shame today I found grim evidence of the hatred between Greek and Turk that has bedevilled this beatiful island.

A few days ago 1000 people lived here, in their solid, stone-built homes which hug the coast road to Kyrenia 13 miles from Nicosia. Then in a night of terror, 350 villagersmen, women and children-vanished. They were Turks...”

1-       EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE GREEK CYPRIOTS

(Avrupa, page 4, 11 February 2001, Sunday, by Ali Osman)

“During the British Colonial period Greeks and maronites, on the ground that they cooperated against the British rule were brought to Sarayonu police headquarters. After their statements were taken by the police they were left free but the British soldiers did not take them to the place they were picked.

They were left into the vast and empty fields of Gonyeli village. They were forced to go to their villages on foot. There were no descent roads then. They suddenly found themselves surrounded by horsemen carrying swords. These were villagers from Gonyeli

The horsmen covered themselves with shrouds.They had green headcovers.More than thirty Greeks and Maronites were assassinated in the fields of Gonyeli..”

2- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE GREEK CYPRIOTS

SURVIVED CAPTAIN TELLS THE MURDER STORY(Cyprus today, May 11 – 12, 1964)

“Greek army captain Panayotis Tarsoulis who survived Monday’s shoting incident in Famagusta, told news correspondents how he and his three companions were moved down by Turks soon after they had shown their identity cards to them.

Captain Tarsoulis discribed the killing of his three companions as ‘cold blooded murder.’ He said he believed he had escaped death because he fainted and the Turks presumed him to be dead.

Captain Tarsoulis said Captain Kapotas has asked him to take to the ancient sites at Salamis with Major Poulis. As he did not have a car he asked Mr Pantelides whom he had met at Easter to take them.

We went to Salamis and toured the ancient monument and on our way back to Famagusta we decided to stop by the sea front to have a drink and perhaps have a swim, he added.

The Captain said: We changed our mind and unfortunately took the wrong road and found ourselves within the Turkish quarter. I had never been to Famagusta before but I think we entered from the seagate.

Pantelides was driving the car and as soon as we realised we were in the Turkish Quarter he turned the car to the left to get out. We were probably in the Turkish Quarter three to five minutes before we were stopped.

About six men – five of them in police uniforms – stopped us and asked us our identity cards and told us to get out of the car. All four of us came out of the car and produced our identity cards. The Turks had a look at them and firing at us in cold blood.

Questioned as to what weapons had been fired by Greeks, he replied that they had not fired any. Major Poulis had a revolver and Pantelides had an outomatic weapon, but the other two were not armed. Both men had left their weapons in the car when they got out to produce their identity cards.

No one had signalled them to stop when they drove into the Turkish quarter. The only time they were asked to stop was when the actual killing took place.

Told that there had been reports that their guns had been fired, the captain said: ‘The Turks may have fired two guns after they had finished their job with us.

Asked whether the Turks knew that three of the men were members of the Greek contingent he said they must have known it when they read the identity cards, which were printed both in Greek and Turkish.

Asked if they were in the Turkish quarter for spying purposes, Captain Tarsoulis said:

“It is ridiculous to think that we had gone into the Turkish quarter in broad daylight to spy. We do not even know the language or the place. As I said before it was my first trip to Famagusta. We had no cameras with us.”

EVALUATION

After this incident The EOKA organization built barricates on the roads and caught the travelling Turks who were then taken to unknown places and most probably killed. Nothing has been heard about the fate of these Turks till now.More than 800 Turks lost in 1963-64.

4-EXAMPLE OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

MASS GRAVES(How The 1960 Republic Of Cyprus Was Destroyed, By Sabahattin Egeli, Page 100-102)

“There is hardly anybody who doesn’t know the existence of the mass-graves.

We were very touched when we visited the mass grave sites. The people buried there were massacred by the Greek Cypriots and the Greek Cypriot National Guard retreating from Peristeronopigi (Murataga) village on 14 August 1974 which coincided with the second Turkish Peace Operation.

All of them were the villagers of Murataga and Sandallar and their mass graves were unearthed in the presence of the UN and foreign press representatives: Swedish TV and other foreign TV stations recorded and broadcast these scenes.

In these mass graves, lie 89 Turkish Cypriots, ranging from 4 month old babies, to 95 old men. It is horrifying to read the names of 7-8 people were of military age. They were children, women and old people.

The Turkish Cypriots say that it was the Greek Cypriot villagers of Peristeronopigi and the Greek Cypriot National Guard that carried out the massacres.

About 3 kilometres further away we came across another mass grave, that of the village of Aloa (Atlılar). There are 37 people buried here...”

5- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS

TASHKENT OR TOHNI (How The 1960 Republıc of Cyprus Was Destroyed, page 104)

 “We came across the martyrs’ moment made of stone at the entrance of the village. On the monument the word UNUTMAM, the Turkish word for ‘ I DON’T FORGET’ is inscribed. The name of this village before 1974 was Sykhari.

After 1974 it was named ‘Tokhni’ ‘Tashkent’ the name of a Turkish village which is now in the South.

When we entered the village we met Mr Hamza Ethem (aged about 50), Mr Mustafa Sadık (aged about 70) and the schoolteacher of the village Mr Mustafa Aktunç (in his forties).

Our conversation with these people centred around events which took place on 14 August 1974 in Tokhni, when 83 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were massacred by the Greek Cypriots...”

3- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE GREEK CYPRIOTS

APPENDIX 1 (DISAPPEARANCES, The case of the “missing” Cypriots, Second Edition, Published by The Pancyprian Comittee of Parents And Relatives od Undeclared Prisoners Of War And Missing Persons, 4A. Demetriou Street, Tel – 02 – 477794, Nicosia – Cyprus, Page 10)

EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS AND WORN TESTIMONIES DOCUMENTING THE ARREST OF PERSONS, STILL MISSING, BY TURKISH FORCES AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES

* Summary of given by Froso Demetriou from Voni village.

She states that on 14.8.1974 the day the second phase of the Turkish invasion began, while she was at home with her husband and children, 37 soldiers of the Cypriot National Guard took refuge in her house. She provided them with civilian clothes and they burnt their army uniforms and hid their weapons. That night they stayed over at her house and two other adjacent houses which belonged to her relatives. During the night, 35 out of 37 soldires entered their names in a catalogue and the remaining two mentioned their names to her. This list was prepared for her to hand over to the International Red Cross. Also white cloth was hanged over the doors of the houses they were staying to indicate their intention of giving themselves up.

In the morning of 15.8.1974 two of the soldires left the house to see if there was an escape rote and they would return. After a while though, that is about soldires were still out, armed men appeared outside her house and started shooting. She recognised them as the Turkish Cypriots Assasis Fahri from Beykoy, and the Shepherds Halil and Sallahis, the son of the Muktar, both of them from Epiho. The 35 soldiers gave themselves up. All those who were arrested were led on foot in the direction of the Turkish village of Epiho. Ever since then their fate has been unknown.

4- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE GREEK CYPROTS

* summary of testimony given by Lambis Elia from Hartsia village (The same pamphlet, page 11)

“On 13.9.1974 the Turks arrested my two sons, Michael aged 17, and Elia aged 19, and took them to their camp near our village. On the same day I met the Turkish Cypriot, Nazım Ahmet, aged 60, who is a friend of mine and I asked him to take me to the Turkish Army officer. He did take me and the following day, on 14.9.1974, the Turkish Officer allowed me to see my sons for ten minutes.

The next day, 15.9.1974, the officer allowed me to see them again and this time I was with my wife. We saw them for some time in the Turkish camp where they were being held.

On 16.9.1974 at around 14.00, a party of the International Red Cross came to our village. I told them about the arrest of my sons and I led them to the area of the Turkish camp. Unfortunately, however, the Turkish Army Officer denied that he was holding any prisoners and did not allow the Red Cross to carry out an investigation.

Since then, nothing has become known about the fate of my two sons.”

5- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES AGAINST THE GREEK CYPRIOTS( The same pamphlet, page 11)

summary of testimony given by Costas Andreu from Assia, father of the missing Andreas Kassapis.

He states that on 20.8.1974, at around 13:30 while he was in his home at Assia with his son and his son – in – law, Leondios Leondiou, now both missing, his wife and two daughters, the Turkish Cypriot Gemali Batti and his son Asşi from Aphania entered his home and arrested at gunpoint his son and his osn-in-law. They forced them to board a tractor and transfered them to an unknown destination. He further mentions that his son is a US citizen and student.

His name is included in the list of students (No.61) which the Turkish side gave to the Government on 8.11.1974 for the purpose of releasing him..(page 11, The case Of the missing cypriots)

6- EXAMPLES OF ATROCITIES TOWARDS THE GREEK CYPRIOTS

THE CAPTURED GREEK CYPRIOTS

(From the book PASHA AND GENERAL, by Erbil Tuşalp;pages:184-186)

“The late general downloaded detailed information about the prisoners from the computer.First, notes of the young parachuter appeared on the monitor.

On their way to the Hawk Cliff there were 12 Greek soldiers from Greece all holding Greek passports. At the foot of the hill they saw a woman running toward them. The young parachuter recollected that she screamed “he will not kill them”.But when Ismail came back with blood dripping from his dagger he could not hold herself to spit on his face.

They moved into a house. It was obvious that people were living in the house. He was pleased to see the brandy bottles.In order to help forget the happenings on the road he offered champagne to his prisoners. The prisoners refused the drink saying , “It is yours” When he was about to raise his glass to wish them cheers all of a sudden the prisoners began running towards the sea, but soon they returned obviously understanding that they could not possibly swim to their freedom.

They were on the way to Vasili, Lysi, and Kondea.He remembered that they were not far off from Pashakoy(Isha). He saw a bush moving. His finger instinctively moved to the trigger of his rifle.Just at the moment he was about to pull the trigger the hand of a child appeared. He quickly dashed to the bush and pulled out two children, one a boy of four and the other a girl of seven. The war lost its meaning for him. He asked incessantly to the children not to be afraid and caressed them. He pulled out a bandage from his first aid kit and wiped off the mud formed from the running tears on their face. He cleaned their noses and gave them water to drink. He got hold the boy and placed him on his shoulder.The child began to laugh but fear on the girl’s face was still visible.He held her hand and with the boy on his shoulders started to walk. The rift between war and peace became two conflicting values in his head. When the sun came just over their head they sat in the shade of a tree. He saw what hunger meant for children. The two of them devoured the contents of the tinned food he opened for them. He felt something breaking in his heart.

He washed the hands and mouths of the children with water left in his flask.The boy was pulling his sister’s skirt while asking the paracuter to put him back on his shoulders, and he did so without a second thought.The children’s aloofness and distance to war occupied his mind.

He saw Satır Recep from a far.He was taking some civilians somewhere on foot.The girl let hold of his hand and the boy slided down his shoulders and began running towards the group Satir was leading, shouting “mama mama”.It was a source of joy for the woman to find her children she feared to have lost in the middle of the war.The war all of a sudden was filled with happiness for the woman.Mother and children embraced and the sullen faces were lit with joy.She still carried in her heart the pain of losing her children.

The sun slowly continued its journey towards the horizon.Turkish Cypriot fighters began emerging into open from the under cover of the trees. The woman who kept silent till then implored to the parachuter,”I beg you, please do not give us to these men.” Then pointing her children she said, “if not at least keep my children with you.” She now wanted at all cost her children to survive.

 He and Satir left the prisoners and started walking again.He turned back and looked at the children clinging to their mother’s skirt. The parachuter slowly disappeared still feeling the warmth of the little boy on his shoulders.From time to time his eyes glided to his hands but the trembling hands of the two children were not there any more.The young parachuter did not remember how far he walked. Time was blirred in his mind. He might have walked days weeks or even years.The only thing clear was a voice still resounding in his ears.It was the sound of a machinegun spreading from the horizon...”

A RECOUNT OF THE PAST

To erase all that happened in the past causes distortion of history.What is important is to continue questioning and studying all relevant situations within accepted principles.Actually any research without a political approach will be impossible to accept. If arguments and discussions are based on human rights within a unit directed to form the basis of intercommunal peace and democracy then attempts to settle differences will win meaning.The aim of such a communal settlement of differences in reality is reconciliation with the past.Our purpose should not be to punish those who collaborated in atrocities. Both communities should work to establish tolerance and peace and to learn from common mistakes in order to stop their recurrence.We should not forget this;peace can only be accomplished not by disregarding mistakes or belittling what we inherited from the past but accepting boldly its responsibility .Any other approach will cause continuation of inconsistency we are now confronting.