Sunday, March 17, 2019

ARŞİVİMİZDEN: “KAYIP” YAKINI SOFULLA LOİZU ANISINA…

ARŞİVİMİZDEN: "KAYIP" YAKINI SOFULLA LOİZU ANISINA…

Maraşlı Sofulla Loizu, "Komikebir'in zengini" olarak bilinen "kayıp" Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yla evlenmişti… Maraş'tan Komikebir'e gelin gitmişti… Ailesi, Maraş'taki Hotel Florida'nın sahibiydi…
Onunla 2010 yılı Temmuz ayında tanışmış ve kendisiyle "kayıp" eşine ilişkin bir röportaj yapmıştım… Bundan önce de Kayıplar Komitesi yetkililerine "kayıp" Andreas Pavlos Loizu'ya ilişkin bazı olası gömü yerlerini göstermiştik sevgili arkadaşım Komikebirli Hristina Pavlu Solomi Patça ve Loizu'nun oğlu Luiz Loizu ile birlikte…
Sofulla Hanım'ı dün kaybettik… Cenazesi 19 Mart 2019 Salı günü Eylence'de yapılacak ve ailesi tarafından toprağa verilecek…
Sofulla Hanım, 1974'te "kayıp" edilen eşini bir ömür boyu bekledi durdu… Bu dünyadan göçüp gitti ve "kayıp" eşinin gömü yeri hala bulunamadı…
Onun hatırasını saygıyla anıyor, ailesinin acısını paylaşıyorum…

Onunla 2010 Temmuzu'nda küçük göçmen evciğinde yapmış olduğum röportajı tekrar yayınlayarak, hayatını ve çektiği acıları okurlarımla bir kez daha paylaşmak istiyorum…

Işıklarda uyusun Sofulla Hanım…

YENİDÜZEN'de "Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler" başlıklı yazı dizimizde Sofulla Hanım'la yaptığımız röportaj Temmuz 2010'da yayımlanmıştı…


*** Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler…
Sevgül Uludağ

Caramel_cy@yahoo.com


*** Maraşlı Sofulla Loizu, "Komikebir'in zengini" olarak bilinen "kayıp" eşi Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yu anlatıyor...

Galatya'daki son esir: Komikebirli Andreas Pavlos Loizu...

"Komikebir'in zengini" olarak bilinen, uzun bir süre Galatya'da (Mehmetçik) savaş esiri olarak tutulan, sonra Lefkoşa'ya Arabahmet bölgesindeki Pavlides Garajı'na götürülerek "esir değiş-tokuşu"nda güneye gönderilmek istenen Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yu tanımış kadar oluyorum... Çok uzun boylu olduğunu, yemeyi, içmeyi, gezmeyi sevdiğini, çok çalışkan olduğunu, her dönem yanında ağırlıkla Karpaz köylerinden Kıbrıslıtürkler olmak üzere 60-70 kişi çalıştığını, zeytinlerinin, harnıplarının, tarlalarının haddi hesabı olmadığını, Karpaz'ın en zengin adamı olarak bilindiğini öğreniyorum. Onu tanıyan bir Kıbrıslıtürk bana "Pavlos o kadar iyi yürekli bir adamdı ki, biz 20 Temmuz 1974'te köyümüzden kaçıp da göçmen olduğumuz zaman, adam Komikebir'den çıkıp taa Kritya'ya (Kilitkaya) gitmiş ve orada tanıdıklarını bulmuş, göçmenlikte sıkı çekmeyelim diye bize bu tanıdıkları vasıtasıyla para göndermişti... Bu kadar düşünceli bir adamdı... Öldürülmeyi asla haketmemişti çünkü hem kendi köyündeki, hem de civar köylerdeki Kıbrıslıtürkler'e çok büyük iyilikleri dokanmıştı" diye anlatıyor.
Bir başka Kıbrıslıtürk, daha da ilginç bir öykü anlatıyor bana: Bir zamanlar Andreas Pavlos Loizu'nun bahçelerine bir Kıbrıslıtürk hırsız dadanmış... Zeytin zamanı, Loizu daha zeytinlerini toplatmaya geçmeden hemen önce bu adam gidip zeytinleri toplar, çalarmış... Harnıpları çalarmış... Andreas Pavlos Loizu çareyi bu Kıbrıslıtürk'e pasaport çıkarıp herşeyini ayarlayıp, Londra biletini de satın alıp onu İngiltere'ye göndermekte bulmuş! Böylece bu Kıbrıslıtürk hırsız, İngiltere'ye Andreas Pavlos Loizu tarafından yerleştirilmiş ve Loizu da hırsızın elinden kurtulmuş! "Varsın İngilizler düşünsündü ne yapacaklarını!" demişti bana bu adam...
Maraş'ta Konstantiya Otel'in (şimdiki Palm Beach Otel) hemen yanıbaşındaki Florida Hotel'in sahiplerinin kızı Sofulla ile evlenmiş... Dört çocukları olmuş, bunlardan iki oğluları ikizmiş...
Komikebir'deki evinden alınıp Galatya'ya götürülmüş. Galatya'da esirler gruplar halinde öldürülürken, o hala tutukluymuş. Onun sonuçta Galatya'da en son esir olarak kulüpte tutulduğunu hatırlayanlar var... Bir Kıbrıslıtürk şahit, "Beyaz atletiyle oturuyordu" diye anlatıyor...
Günlerden bir gün onu almışlar ve Lefkoşa'da Arabahmet bölgesinde savaş esirlerinin tutulduğu Pavlides Garajı'na götürmüşler... Burada onu "esir değiş-tokuşu"yla güneye göndermek istemişler. Fakat o, "Karım Komikebir'de, dört oğlumu gönderdim askere, şimdi ben güneye mi geçeceğim?" diyerek esir değiş-tokuşuyla güneye gönderilmeyi reddetmiş ve onu Pavlides Garajı'ndan alıp güya köyüne götürmek üzere yola koyulmuşlar. Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yla birlikte, Pavlides Garajı'ndan Karpaz'a götürülmekte olan bir kişi daha varmış: Yorgos Savvidis... Yorgos Savvidis'i Boğaz'da indirmişler ve yola devam etmişler. Yorgos Savvidis, aslen Trikomolu (Yeni İskele) imiş ancak Boğaz'da plajda kabinleri kiralayan kişi olduğu için, Boğaz'da yaşamaktaymış ve onu Boğaz'daki evine bırakmışlar... Fakat Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yu Boğaz'dan sonra nereye götürdükleri belli değil çünkü o "kayıp"... Komikebir'deki evine götürmek yerine, onun bazı Sazlıköylü (Livadya) Kıbrıslıtürkler tarafından öldürülmüş olduğu ve Galatya'daki (Mehmetçik) gölün üst başındaki bir tarlaya gömüldüğü yönünde yaygın söylentiler var. Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yla birlikte "hain" damgası vurularak 1974'te Galatya'daki Türk komutanın emriyle öldürülen ve nereye gömüldükleri bilinmediği için "kayıp" olan iki Kıbrıslıtürk'ün yani Cumali Gurtelli Kurtuluş ve Hüseyin Yahat'ın da aynı alana gömülmüş olduğu iddia ediliyor.
Geçtiğimiz günlerde, Andreas Pavlos Loizu'nun oğlu Luiz'le birlikte bu olası gömü yerini ve Galatya gölündeki başka olası toplu mezarları Kayıplar Komitesi'nin Kıbrıslıtürk ve Kıbrıslırum yetkililerine göstermiştik.
Galatya gölünün özelliği, şu anda kupkuru olması... Eğer Galatya gölünde bu yaz kazılar başlamazsa, yağmurlar düşmeye başladıktan sonra, burada kazı yapmak tümüyle imkansız hale gelecek ve Karpaz'dan "kayıp" edilmiş pek çok Kıbrıslırum'un akibeti gene belirsiz kalacak. Yağmurların geçmesi ve sıcak mevsimin gelmesi için bir yıl daha beklenecek... O nedenle Galatya gölündeki kazıların geciktirilmeden başlaması gerekiyor aksi halde yağmurlar başladığı zaman, bunun anlamı, Karpaz'ın "kayıpları"nın aranmasına bir yıl daha erteleme yapıldığı şeklinde algılanacak... Kayıplar Komitesi'nin Kıbrıslıtürk ve Kıbrıslırum yetkililerine önerimiz, bu yaz sona ermeden, Galatya gölünde kazılara girişilmesi... Henüz fırsat varken, bu göldeki olası toplu mezarlar kazılmalı ve Karpaz'ın "kayıpları", aranmaya başlanmalıdır...
Galatya'da ve Livadya'da (Sazlıköy) Kayıplar Komitesi yetkililerine olası gömü yerlerini gösterdiğimiz Komikebirli Hristina ve Andreas Pavlos Loizu'nun oğlu Luiz'in beklentisi de bu yönde... Komikebirli Hristina'nın babası Andreas Pavlos Solomi ile kardeşi Solomi Pavlu "kayıp" ve onların da Galatya göletinde gömülmüş olabileceği sanılıyor... Diğer "kayıp" Kıbrıslırumlar'la birlikte... Çünkü onlar da Komikebir'den alınıp Galatya'ya götürüldükten sonra, bir daha Galatya'dan ayrıldıkları görülmemiş...
Bir Kıbrıslıtürk şahit, "Aslında Hristina'nın kardeşi – ki o zamanlar henüz 17 yaşındaydı – Solomi'yi öldürmeyeceklermiş diye duymuştum fakat babasının alınmasına şiddetle karşı çıktığı, babasına sarıldığı için onu da alıp öldürmüşler" diye anlatıyor...
Luiz'le daha sonra buluşuyoruz ve beni Lefkoşa'nın Ballaryotissa bölgesindeki göçmen evciklerinde yaşayan annesi Sofulla'yla tanışmaya götürüyor...
"Ballaryotissa'da göçmen evcikleri bulunduğunu bilmiyordum" diyorum Luiz'e...
Sıra sıra göçmen evciklerinden birinin önünde duruyoruz, Sofulla Hanım, bahçeciğine bizi karşılamaya çıkıyor...
Beyaz saçları, maviş gözleriyle, 84 yaşındaki bu kadın, Komikebir'de yaşadığı korkunç trajediye karşın beni güler yüzle karşılıyor, içeri buyur ediyor... Pek çok fotoğraf albümü var, bunları karıştırıyoruz ve ben Andreas Pavlos Loizu'nun Sofulla Hanım'la ve evlatçıklarıyla çekilmiş fotoğraflarına bakıyorum... Fotoğraflarından anladığım, neşeli bir adammış – Londra'da Trafalgar Meydanı'nda güvercinler başına konmuş, Andreas Pavlos Loizu, bir arkadaşıyla birlikte güvercinlerin bu hallerine kahkahalarla gülüyor. Maraş'taki Florida Oteli'nde akşam yemeğinde, Sofulla Hanım'la gülüşüyorlar... Bir başka fotoğraf Davlos'tan... Davlos (Kaplıca) sahilinde, yeme-içmede, herkesin başında komik birer şapka ve Andreas Pavlos Loizu gene gülüyor... Ondan geriye yalnızca bu fotoğraflar kalmış ve Sofulla Hanım'la dört evladının hatıraları...
Sofulla Hanım'la röportajımızı yarın yayımlamaya başlıyoruz...



Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler...
Sevgül Uludağ

Caramel_cy@yahoo.com

*** Maraşlı Sofulla Loizu, "Komikebir'in zengini" olarak bilinen "kayıp" eşi Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yu anlatıyor...

Maraş'tan Komikebir'e gelin giden Sofulla Hanım...

Sofulla Loizu, "kayıp" eşi Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yu anlatıyor... Onunla röportajımız şöyle:

SORU: Sofulla Hanım, kaç yaşındasınız?
SOFULLA LOİZU: 82 yaşındayım...

SORU: Maraşlı'sınız...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet...

SORU: Andreas Pavlos Loizu'yla ne zaman evlendiydiniz?
SOFULLA LOİZU: 5 Mayıs 1949'da evlendiydik...

SORU: Onunla nasıl tanışmıştınız?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Kızkardeşimin eşiyle arkadaştı Andreas, öyle tanışmıştık...

SORU: Bu bir "aşk" evliliği miydi yoksa bir tür "görücü" usülü evlilik miydi?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Bir tür "görücü" usülüydü çünkü dediğim gibi bir arkadaşımızın arkadaşıydı... Şimdiki gibi değildi o zaman, şimdi "görücü usülü" evlilikleri kimsecikler kabul etmez yani!...

SORU: Evet... Nasıl birisiydi Andreas Pavlos Loizu?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Çok iyi bir insandı... Birlikte çok güzel bir hayat geçirdik...

SORU: Eğlenmeyi, gezmeyi seviyordu, albümlerdeki fotoğraflardan bunu anlıyorum...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet... Eşim spora da çok meraklıydı, ava çok meraklıydı, balık avcılığına da çok meraklıydı... Çocuklarıyla babadan çok arkadaş gibiydi...

SORU: Aileniz "Hotel Florida"nın sahibiydi...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet, Konstantiya Oteli'nin yanındaki oteldi bu Maraş'ta. Erkek kardeşim Yakovos Yokovu çalıştırıyordu bu oteli. Bizler üç kız, bir erkek kardeştik... En küçük erkek kardeşimiz henüz 17 yaşındayken kanserden vefat etmişti...

SORU: Maraş, oldukça kozmopolit bir yerdi... Siz Maraş gibi çok modern bir yerden bir köye, Komikebir'e (Büyükkonuk) gitmiştiniz. Nasıl başetmiştiniz bununla?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Başlangıçta bana birkaç yıllığına Komikebir'e gideceğimizi söylemişti eşim, birkaç yıl sonra Maraş'ta yaşamaya gidecektik. Başlangıçta benim için zor olmuştu Komikebir'e gitmek fakat sonra alışmıştım köye ve hoşuma da gitmişti Komikebir'de yaşamak... Keşke tüm hayatım boyunca Komikebir'de kalabilmiş olsaydım diyorum şimdi de, köyümü çok seviyorum... Ancak haftada bir veya iki haftada bir de Maraş'a giderdik... Kocam köyünü çok severdi, hayatını kaybetmesi bu yüzden oldu... Köyünden ayrılmak istemezdi, köyünü o kadar çok severdi ki... Hayatına maloldu bu sevgi...

SORU: Kıbrıslıtürkler'e Andreas Pavlos Loizu'dan bahsettiğim zaman bana hep "Komikebir'in zengin adamı" derler.
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet, Komikebir'in en zengin adamıydı, büyük olasılıkla tüm Karpaz'ın da en zengin adamıydı...

SORU: Ne iş yapardı?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Çok büyük arazileri, tarlaları, toprakları vardı. Arpa-buğday ekerdi, sebze ekerdi, portokal bahçeleri vardı, zeytinleri, harnıpları vardı... Yalnızca zeytinleri toplamak tam üç ayımızı alırdı, ancak üç ayda toplayabilirdik zeytinleri... Eylül'de başlardık toplamaya ve Noel'e kadar zeytin toplama işimiz devam ederdi... Harnıpları toplamak en az birkaç ayımızı alırdı. Çok fazla iş vardı... Mevsimlik işçilerimiz vardı, normalde yanımızda en az 40-60 kişi çalışırdı, bunlar ağırlıkla Kıbrıslıtürk işçiler olurdu, ancak da yetiştirirdik tüm bu ürünleri toplamaya bu işçilerin yardımıyla. Kritya'dan (Kilitkaya), Livadya'dan (Sazlıköy), Ayistat'tan (Zeybekköy), Vogolida'dan (Bafra), Ovgoroz'dan (Ergazi) Kıbrıslıtürk işçiler gelirdi tarlalarımızda, bahçelerimizde çalışmaya... Ve tabii Komikebirli Kıbrıslıtürk işçiler de vardı yanımızda çalışan.

SORU: Komikebir karma bir köydü... Komikebirli Kıbrıslıtürkler'le ilgili neler hatırlıyorsunuz?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evde yanımızda sürekli çalışan bir Kıbrıslıtürk kız vardı, temizlik yapar, yemek pişirir, bana yardım ederdi. Mulla'nın kızıydı bu... Babası eşimin tarlalarında çalışırdı, adı Mulla'ydı. Kızı da evimizde çalışırdı. Evde mevsimlik çalışan üç kız bulunurdu, bana yardım etmek için gelirlerdi. Ama Mulla'nın kızı sürekli çalışırdı evimizde...

SORU: Hayvancılıkla da uğraşır mıydı eşiniz?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Hayır, yalnızca rençberlikle uğraşırdı, çiftçilikle uğraşırdı... Tek bir domuzumuz vardı, evdeki artıkları yerdi bu domuzcuk!
Kıbrıslıtürkler'den Hamide'yi hatırlıyorum, Mulla'nın üç kızı vardı, onları hatırlıyorum... İsimlerini unuttum, bu kadar yıl geçti...

SORU: 1955'ler, 1963'ler köyünüzü etkiledi miydi?
SOFULLA LOİZU: 1955 EOKA döneminde, bazı Kıbrıslırumlar, Komikebir'de Kıbrıslıtürkler'le karışık yaşardı. Karışıktı yani köy... Ancak bazı Kıbrıslıtürkler, bazı Kıbrıslırumlar'ın evlerini yakmıştı, onları oradan kaçırmak içindi bu herhalde. Böylece Kıbrıslırumlar, kuzeye doğru çekilmişlerdi, Kıbrıslırumlar'ın daha yoğun biçimde yaşadığı yerlere. Hatırladığım kadarıyla çok büyük olaylar olmamıştı köyümüzde Kıbrıslıtürkler'le Kıbrıslırumlar arasında.

SORU: 1963'te Komikebirli üç Kıbrıslıtürk "kayıp" olmuştu. Onları hatırlıyor musunuz acaba?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Sanırım yalnızca Halilo'yu hatırlıyorum, otobüsü vardı, diğer ikisini hatırlamıyorum... Lefkoşa'ya giderken "kayıp" edilmişlerdi...

SORU: Lefkonuk'ta (Geçitkale) tutuklanmışlardı ve iddiaya göre bir ay süreyle polis karakolunda tutulmuşlar, sonra öldürülmüşler...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Halilo'nun eşi, evimize gelirdi, Nazif'ti adı, harnıp zamanı, zeytin zamanı gelir bana yardım ederdi. Barikatlar açıldıktan sonra buluştuk onunla... Kuzeye gittiğimizde gördüydük Nazif'i ve onu evinde ziyaret etmeye söz verdik çünkü şikayet ettiydi, niye evine gitmedik diye... Nazif'le çok iyiydi ilişkilerimiz... Dağlara gittiydik ve tesadüfen gördük Nazif'i, görünce birbirimize sarıldık, kucaklaştık. "Neden bana da gelmezsiniz yahu?" demişti Nazif Hanım bana... Bir gün onu ziyaret edeceğiz... 1974'e kadar, hatta 1974'te ilk işgalde dahi köyde herhangi bir gerginlik yoktu...

SORU: 15 Temmuz darbesinde köyde ne olmuştu?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Hiçbirşey olmamıştı... 1974'ten önce bir cinayet işlenmişti, bir Kıbrıslırum öldürülmüştü bazı Kıbrıslıtürkler tarafından köyde. Ama tarihini tam hatırlamıyorum. Komikebirli üç Kıbrıslıtürk'ün "kayıp" olmasından önce miydi bu, yoksa sonra mıydı? Onu da tam hatırlayamıyorum. Bu siyasi bir cinayet miydi yoksa adi bir cinayet miydi? Ondan da emin değilim.

SORU: Yani darbede bir şey olmadı...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Kimsenin kılına dokanılmadıydı. İşgalden sonra gene bir şey olmamıştı. Onları korumuştuk... Korumaya çalışmıştık... Bizler yani mesela eşim, köydeki Kıbrıslıtürkler'e dokanılmamasını sağlamıştı, onlara dokanılmasına izin vermemişti.

SORU: Yani köyün içinden mi geliyordu bu tehlike yoksa başka köylerden birileri gelip Komikebirli Kıbrıslıtürkler'e bir şey yapmak mı istediydiler?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Köyde fanatik insan yoktu – başka köylerden de birilerinin geldiğini sanmıyorum. Hatırladığım kadarıyla yalnızca Kritya'da (Kilitkaya) ve Ovgoroz'da (Ergazi) ordu, Kıbrıslıtürk erkekleri bir yere toplamıştı, sonra da onları serbest bırakmışlardı sanırım...

SORU: Bazı Kıbrıslırumlar'ın bu yörede bazı tecavüzlere giriştiğini de duyduk...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Bilemiyorum, bunu ilk kez sizden duyuyorum. Ancak bildiğimiz kadarıyla Komikebir'de hiçbirşey olmadı. Birinci işgalle ikinci işgal arasında da köyde hiçbirşey olmadı...

SORU: İkinci harekat 14 Ağustos 1974'te meydana geldi. O tarihten sonra köyde neler olduydu?
SOFULLA LOİZU: İnsanlar Türk askerlerinin Mağusa bölgesine doğru ilerlediğini duymuştu. Karpaz'ın kapanacağı duyulmuştu, bu yüzden pek çok insan Karpaz'dan ayrılıp gitmişti. Fakat biz köyde kalmıştık. Oğlularımızın dördü de askerdeydi ancak eşim benimle köyde kalmıştı. "Oğlularımın dördü da askerde, şimdi ben kaçıp da kendi hayatımı mı kurtaracağım?" demişti eşim...



SORU: Evlatlarınız nerelerde askerlik yapıyordu o günlerde?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Luiz ve ikiz kardeşi Kostas, Boğaz'daki donanma üssündeydi, Nikos komando birliğindeydi, Vasilya yöresindeydi, Pavlos da Galatya'dan sonraki bir köydeydi, Tavru (Pamuklu) olabilir bu, emin değilim.

SORU: Eşinizi nasıl almışlardı köyden?
SOFULLA LOİZU: 15 Ağustos 1974'te evimize ateş açmışlardı...

SORU: Kim ateş açmıştı?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Kıbrıslıtürkler'di ateş açan, Türk askerleri değil...

SORU: Komikebirli miydi bu Kıbrıslıtürkler? Onları tanıyor muydunuz?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Bunlar evimizde çalışmaya gelen bazı genç Kıbrıslıtürkler'di. Tarlalarımızda çalışmaya giden Kıbrıslıtürkler'di... Komikebirli miydiler yoksa Livadyalı (Sazlıköy) veya Ayistatlı (Zeybekköy) mıydılar bilemiyorum çünkü tarlalarımıza tüm bu köylerden çalışmaya giderdi Kıbrıslıtürkler. Bu Kıbrıslıtürk gençler evimize ateş açarken, eşim Andreas onlara bağırmış ve "Ateş etmekten vazgeçin! Aşağıya iniyorum" demişti. Andreas aşağıya inip kapıyı açmıştı onlara. Evin içine pek çok kişi bir anda doluşmuş ve her yeri karıştırmaya başlamışlardı. Eşime garajdaki Volkswagen arabasını çıkarmasını söylemişlerdi. Bu Volkswagen'in plakası EH84 idi. Bej renkli bir Volkswagen arabaydı bu. Eşim Andreas ona bir şişe su ve ilaçlarını uzatmam için ses atmıştı. Ben ona bir şişe su ve ilaçlarını uzattığımda da, bana oğlularımın arabada bulunan sürüş ehliyetlerini uzatmıştı. Arabada müzik kasetleri vardı, bunları da vermişti bana Andreas. Bu, onu son görüşüm oldu. Onu bir daha görmedim...

SORU: Eşinizi nereye götürüyordu bu Kıbrıslıtürkler?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Nereye götüreceklerini söylememişlerdi... Ertesi günü ben "Gayis" dediğimiz Komikebir'in Kıbrıslıtürk muhtarını aramıştım, Londra'dan gelmiş olan birisi vardı, bu da eşimin arkadaşıydı, onu da çağırmıştım evimize. "Gayis" dediğimiz Kıbrıslıtürk muhtar evimize gelmişti, beni ve kaynanamı evine götürüp koruma altına almak istediğini söylemişti. Ben de ona "Hayır, teşekkür ederim" demiştim.

SORU: Eşinizi nereye götürdüklerini söylemiş miydi size muhtar?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Kıbrıslıtürk muhtar bana, "Kocan şimdi Galatya'dadır. Hasanaki'nin gözetimi altındadır" demişti. Hasanaki, Komikebirli bir polisti ama Galatya'da polislik ediyordu. 1963'ten sonra Galatya'da görev yapmakta olan Komikebirli bir polisti Hasanaki.
Pazartesi günü Güllis – ki bu da askeri bir yetkiliydi – bize kahvehaneye gitmemizi söylemişti. Kadınlarla erkekleri ayırmışlardı, aynı kahvehanede.
Kahvehaneye gittiğim zaman siyahlar giyiyordum çünkü annem henüz birkaç ay önce ölmüş olduğu için yastaydım, yas rengi olan siyah giysiler giyiyordum.
Kahvehaneye girerken bir Kıbrıslıtürk askeri yetkili beni süzmeye başlamıştı. Havaya ateş etmeye başlamış ve karısı ve çocuklarının "kayıp olduğunu" bağırarak söylemeye başlamıştı. Sonra da isimlerimizi ve yaşlarımızı sormuştu, bunları yazıyordu. Ben ona 47 yaşında olduğumu söyleyince, Rumca olarak bana "25'inde gösterin..." demişti. Bunun üzerine bu askeri yetkiliye "Benim 24 yaşında oğlum vardır" demiştim.
Bizim Volkswagen arabamızı artık bir Kıbrıslıtürk sürüyordu, arabaya el koymuşlardı. Kahvehaneden aldıkları bazı küçük kızları bu arabaya doldurmuşlardı. Mesela H.'yı da almışlardı, annesi saçını başını yoluyordu, güya kızları "gezmeye" götüreceklermiş... Bize de okula gitmemizi söylemişlerdi. Okul, büyük kilisenin tam karşısındaydı.
Sabah saat 08.00'de okula gidiyorduk – 20 gün kadar okulda kalmıştık...

SORU: Kaç tane kız çocuğu almıştı bu Kıbrıslıtürkler?
SOFULLA LOİZU: İki arabaya sığdırabilecekleri sayıda kızı almışlardı.
Bize de sokakları süpürmemiz emredilmişti. Köyün başlangıcından taa Türk mahallesine kadar olan bölgedeki sokakları süpürttürüyorlardı bize.
Sokakları süpürürken, eşimin arkadaşı olan bir Kıbrıslıtürk'e rastlamıştım. Karısı dışarı çıkıp bize su vermeye çalışmıştı, bu o Londra'dan gelen Kıbrıslıtürk'tü, onu da çağırmıştım muhtarla ama gelmemişti. Şimdi beni görünce "Evine gelemedim" demişti. Adam kendi canından korktuğu için gelememişti bize.
Evimize ateş edilmiş olduğu için ortalık dağılmıştı, bana daha önce eve yardıma gelen kızlar, evi temizlemem için benimle gelmişti eve. Ertesi günü gene geldiler ve evi karıştırmaya başladılar. Oğlularım Nikos ve Pavlos'un odasına girdiler, askerlik fotoğrafları vardı oğlularımın, bunları aldılar. Luiz ile Kostaki'nin odasında yedek üniformalarını buldular ve bunları da aldılar.
Altınlarım vardı, bu mücevherlerimi almak istediler ancak bir Kıbrıslıtürk öğretmen vardı orada, daha önce bu öğretmen bizden ikinci el bir araba satın almıştı. Bu öğretmen diğer askerlere bağırarak mücevherleri bırakmalarını emretmişti.
Bir başka odaya gittiklerinde, eşimin ava gittiğinde kullandığı fişenkliği bulmuşlar ve onu da almışlardı. İki üç tane fişenklik vardı, onları da almışlardı.
Okulda sorumlu yetkili olan adam bana öteki odaya geçmemi söyledi. Yalnız olarak odaya girmemi emretti ve giydiğim siyah giysileri çıkarmamı, kırmızı giysiler giymemi emrettiler. Ertesi günü yeşil renkli bir giysiyle gitmiştim okula. Ama ondan sonraki gün gene siyah giysilerimi giymiştim. Bunu yaptığım için bu yetkili silahını bana dayayıp beni öldüreceğini söylemişti. Bizim köylü değildi bu askeri yetkili, silahını bana doğrultup da beni öldüreceğini söyleyince ben düşüp bayılmıştım. Kaynanam bağırmaya başlamıştı, "Biz de siyah giyiyoruz... Niye karşı çıkıyorsun?" demişti bu adama, "Kadının birkaç ay önce annesi öldü, yastadır, tabii ki siyah giyiniyor..." demişti.
Bu adam benden evimizin anahtarlarını da istemişti, gelip bizde kalacağını söylüyordu.

SORU: Belli ki size göz koymuştu... Kimdi bu adam?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Galatyalı'ydı, öğretmendi bu adam... Kızları yeniden arabamıza doldurup Eftagomi'ye (Yedikonuk) götürmüşlerdi. Galatya'nın Paşası bu olayları duyunca, bu öğretmene silah çekmiş ve kızları derhal evlerine götürmesini emretmişti.

SORU: Sanırım bu tecavüz olayları nedeniyle o bölgeden Paşa'nın emriyle alınmıştı bu adam...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Öğleden sonra bu adam okula gelmişti, çok mutlu görünüyordu, "Karım ve çocuklarım bulundu" demişti. Sonra da "Bundan sonra artık evlerinizde kalabilirsiniz" demişti bize. "Bana herhangi bir sorunuz var mıdır?" diye sormuştu bize. Ben de ona "Gidip oğlularımı aramak için izin istiyorum" demiştim. "Tamam Sofiya Hanım" demişti...
O gece saat 11.00'de dört arabayla evimizin avlusuna gelmişlerdi... Evde yalnızca ben vardım, kaynanam vardı ve iki yaşlı insan vardı... Kaynanam "Dışarıdadırlar ve kapıyı açmanı isterler" demişti bana. Ben de üst kattaki pencereyi açtım, dört aracın orada durduğunu gördüm.
"Ne istiyorsunuz?" dedim...
"Aşağı gel Sofia Hanım" dedi bana. Küçük bir lamba elimde, yanımda üç yaşlı insanla birlikte aşağıya indim.
"Nedir istediğiniz?" dedim bu adamlara.
"Gidip oğlularını aramak istediğini söyledin ya" demişti bana.
"Evet, gidip oğlularımı aramak isterim" demiştim.
"Eğer bir yere gidecek olursan seni öldürürüz" demişti bana.
"Öldüreceksen öldür" dedim ona.
"O zaman kocan karısız kalacak" dedi bana.
"Bir şey değil" dedim ona. Aynı adamdı bunları söyleyen, size sözünü ettiğim Galatyalı öğretmen adam.
"Tamam Sofia Hanım" dedi bana, "eğer yollar açılırsa gidip oğlularını aramana izin vereceğiz" demişti.

SORU: Sizi terörize etmeye çalışıyorlardı...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet... Bir başka defasında Galatya'nın Paşası da evimize gelerek "yoklama" yapmıştı. Pek çok şey kaybolmuştu evden. Ancak size sözünü ettiğim bu öğretmen çok şey yaptı bize...

SORU: Kocanızın akibetini soruşturuyordunuz herhalde...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet. Eşimin akibetini araştırırken, yine Komikebirli (Büyükkonuk) arkadaşımız Panayotu da gelmişti, onun da eşi ve oğlu Komikebir'den alınıp Galatya'ya götürülmüştü. Panayotu'yla birlikte Hasanaki'yi bulmaya gittik. Hasanaki, Galatya'da polislik ediyordu. "Bay Hasanaki" dedim, "kocam nerededir? Radyodan duyduk ki serbest bırakıldılar..."
O zaman Hasanaki bize, "Gidip Kemalis'e sormanız lazımdır bunu" demişti.
"Kemalis da kimdir?" demiştim ona.
Panayotu'yla birlikte Komikebir'deki polis karakoluna gittik, burada bazı insanlar vardı, bir tanesi çok uzun boyluydu, çok iyi giyinmişti ve tam bir centilmen gibiydi. Bize gülümsedi ve "Beni hatırlamıyor musun? Andreas'ın yani kocanın arkadaşıyım ben" dedi.
"Kocam nerededir?" diye sordum bu adama. "Herkes serbest bırakıldı, Andreas nerededir?" dedim ona.
"Bayan Sofulla, bir gün gelip konuşacağım sizinle. Kocanız geri gelecektir" dedi. Bu Kemalis idi. Kemal Tünay... Polisti Kemalis, hangi köyden olduğunu bilmiyorum, sanırım Lefkonuklu'ydu. Komikebirli Lefteris'in de arkadaşıydı. 1974'ten çok önce arkadaştılar. Lefteris üç sene önce öldü...

SORU: Komikebirli tüm Kıbrıslırum erkekleri, Galatya'ya götürmüşlerdi...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet... Tüm erkekler Galatya'ya götürülmüştü. 15 Ağustos'ta tüm erkekleri toplayıp götürmüşlerdi. Eşim arabasıyla alınıp götürülmüştü ama. Volkswagen arabasıyla. 8-10 gün kadar sonra birisi kahvehaneye gelmişti ve bize "Kaygılanma, kocan Galatya'dadır" demişti. O zaman "Kocama giysi götürür müsün?" demiştim. "Tamam, git bir pantolon, bir iç çamaşırı, bir gömlek getir da götüreyim" demişti.
Serbest bırakılan bir başka Kıbrıslırum'dan öğrendiğime göre, kocam gerçekten de bu giysileri almıştı. Ve kirli giysileri de Salahi diye bir arkadaşı vardı, onunla bize göndermişti.
Kocam bana mesaj göndererek sigara istemişti, ayrıca bir de hırka istemişti. Ben de bir hırka göndermiştim ve sigara göndermiştim eşime. Ancak bunları alıp almadığını öğrenemedim hiçbir zaman.
Ben hastalanmıştım, kanamam vardı... Bizi tarlalara götürüp pamuk toplatmak istiyorlardı. Yanımızda sürekli olarak çalışan Kiriakos, bizi götürmek isteyen Kıbrıslıtürkler'e "Sofulla Hanım hastadır, gelemez" demişti. Gelip kontrol etmişlerdi bakalım gerçekten hasta mıyım diye. Ertesi günü kanamam artmıştı, böylece beni Galatya'ya götürmüşlerdi, Kiriakos'un annesi de vardı yanımda. Galatya'da bir kadın doktor muayene etmişti beni. Bana iğne yapmıştı ve kanamam geçmişti.

SORU: Galatya'da kocanızı görmeye çalışmış mıydınız?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Galatya'dayken, "Kocam nerededir?" dediğimde bana "Lefkoşa'daki Pavlides Garajı'ndadır" dediydiler.

SORU: Kocanızın alınmasından ne kadar süre sonraydı bu?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Bir aydan fazla zaman geçmişti... Hasanaki tüm bu öyküyü biliyor... Kocamın ne zaman alındığını, Pavlidis Garajı'na ne zaman götürüldüğünü biliyor çünkü Galatya'da görevliydi kendisi. Şu anda Leonarisso'da (Ziyamet) yaşıyor ama konuşmuyor. Belki korkuyor...

SORU: Bir Kıbrıslıtürk şahit bize Galatya'daki son esirin, eşiniz olduğunu anlattı. Kocanızı tanıyormuş ve en son kocanız kalmış Galatya'da tutuklu olarak...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Pek çok şahidin ifadesi vardır, Galatya'da kocamla birlikte olan şahitler, Pavlidis Garajı'nda onunla birlikte olanlar, sonra Boğaz'daki plajda kabinleri kiralayan Yorgos Savvidis'in ifadesi var... Hangi tarihe kadar hayatta olduğuna ilişkin bir tahmin yürütebiliyoruz bu ifadelere bakınca. En azından Eylül sonuna, Ekim başına kadar eşim hayattaydı. Bir Kıbrıslıtürk şahidin ifadesine göre, eşim Nisan veya Mayıs 1975'te öldürülmüş...

SORU: Yani Nisan-Mayıs 1975 tarihine kadar Galatya'da mı tutulmuş?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet, Galatya'da tutulmuş. Bir Kıbrıslıtürk şahide göre, eşimi öldüren kişiler Livadya'dan (Sazlıköy) M., M. A. ve Komikebir'den (Büyükkonuk) S. imiş. Kocamı öldürenler arasında bulunan A., kocamın arabasını da kullanmaktaymış. Şu anda Y.'da yaşıyormuş bu adam...

SORU: Pavlidis Garajı'nda neler olmuştu?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Yorgos Savvidis'in ifadesine göre, eşimle birlikte Pavlidis Garajı'ndaydılar... 31 Ağustos 1974'te Yorgos Savvidis, kayıkla Boğaz'dan ayrılmış ancak ertesi günü Türkler onu yakalamış. 2 Eylül 1974'te Yorgos Savvidis Galatya'ya götürülmüş, Galatya'da 30 gün kalmış, Galatya'da bazı Kıbrıslırumlar da varmış ve aralarında eşim Andreas Pavlos Loizu da varmış. Yani Eylül sonu, yani 30 Eylül'de veya 1 Ekim'de Pavlidis Garajı'na götürülmüşler. Burada bir süre kalmışlar, sonra eşim "Ben değiş-tokuşa katılmayacağım, köyüme dönmek istiyorum" demiş, Yorgos Savvidis'le birlikte Pavlidis Garajı'ndan alınarak Karpaz'a geri götürülmüş. Bazıları eşimin Livadya'da (Sazlıköy) bırakıldığını anlatır ama bu doğru değil, Galatya'ya geri götürülmüş, Yorgos Savvidis ise önce Galatya'ya götürülmüş, sonra Boğaz'a bırakılmış. Yorgos Savvidis, 23 gün daha Boğaz'da kalmış. Tüm bunlardan anladığımız, eşim Eylül sonu, Ekim başına kadar hayatta idi. Her halukarda Yorgos Savvidis ile eşim, Pavlidis Garajı'ndan sonra Galatya'ya götürülmüş. Her ne olmuşsa, Galatya'da olmuş yani...
Ben 13 Ağustos 1976'ya kadar Komikebir'de kaldım...

SORU: Bu iki yıl boyunca size yönelik tacizler devam etmiş miydi?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Gece evimiz taşlanıyordu, pencerelere taş atıyorlardı mesela... Birleşmiş Milletler'e anlatmıştım bu tacizleri, Birleşmiş Milletler köyden ayrıldıktan sonra birisi bizi ziyarete gelerek "Bir kere daha Birleşmiş Milletler'e konuşursan, sonu çok kötü olacak" demişti. "En iyisi senin bu köyden ayrılıp oğlularının yanına, güneye gitmendir. Oğluların sana mektup yazıyor, bu mektupları biz okuyoruz... Git, evini, malını unut ve güneye git" demişti bana. "Ekim sonuna kadar zaten Komikebir'de hiç Kıbrıslırum kalmayacak, herkes köyden ayrılacak" demişti.
Ben Birleşmiş Milletler aracılığıyla köyden ayrıldım, böylece yanıma bir kısım eşyamı da alabilmiştim.
Ben ayrıldıktan bir ay kadar sonra da köydeki tüm Kıbrıslırumlar köyden atılmıştı.

SORU: Tüm bu süre boyunca, köydeki Kıbrıslıtürkler herhangi bir biçimde yardım etmiş miydi size?
SOFULLA LOİZU: Köyümüzde kalmaya gelen bir kadın vardı, eşimle aynı okulda okumuşlardı. Larnaka'da Amerikan Akademisi'nde öğrenciyken eşimle aynı sınıftaydı. Bir Kıbrıslırum kızdı bu ancak bir Kıbrıslıtürk'le evlenmişti. Trikomo'da (Yeni İskele) kalıyordu, sonra bizim köye yerleşmişti. Gelip beni bulmuş ve "Ben eşinle Amerikan Akademisi'nde aynı sınıftaydık..." demişti.
"Üzülme" demişti bana... Bir Kıbrıslıtürk kadınla birlikte gelmişlerdi ziyaretime.
Kamillos'un evinde otururdu bu kadın, sonra bizim köye taşınmıştı. Kocamın yaşlarında bir kadındı bu...

SORU: Ben köylüleriniz Kıbrıslıtürkler'den herhangi bir yardımda bulunan oldu mu diye sormuştum...
SOFULLA LOİZU: Hayır, olmadı. Bir tek Mullas diye birisi vardı, Ayistatlı (Zeybekköy) idi bu adam, bizim için çalışırdı geçmişte. O gelip "Köyden, evinden, yerinden ayrılma" derdi bana...

SORU: Bir Kıbrıslıtürk bana, eşinizin, yanında çalışmış Kıbrıslıtürkler 20 Temmuz'dan sonra köylerinden ayrılıp da göçmen olunca, onlara para gönderdiğini anlattı.
SOFULLA LOİZU: Evet... Eşim Kritya'ya (Kilitkaya) giderek orada birilerini bulmuş ve daha önce yanında çalışan bazı Kıbrıslıtürkler'e göçmen oldukları için zor durumda kalmasınlar diye para göndermiş... Bazı Kıbrıslıtürkler bize de anlattı bunu...

(YENİDÜZEN – Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler… Sevgül Uludağ - Temmuz 2010)


Fotoğraflar: Sofulla Loizu (renkli fotoğraf) ve Sofulla Loizu, "kayıp" edilen eşi Andreas Pavlos Loizu ile…

From Neapolis to Louroudjina and Afania-Ornithi – in search of “missing persons”…

From Neapolis to Louroudjina and Afania-Ornithi – in search of "missing persons"…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 99 966518

On the 12th of February 2019 Tuesday, in the morning we go to meet a witness who has contacted me… With me is Sila Murat from the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee, a young investigator… My witness will show us a possible burial site…
The place is in Nicosia, at Neapolis, close to the church, just across the road at a back street…
In this place his father had seen buried on the surface 4-5 skulls (skeletons) and had covered this burial site with soil… This had happened after 1976 he explains and "No one has ever come to this area ever since – it is an area where there has been no activity…"
Because they had been living in this area since 1976, they could observe the empty plot as they used it as a passage – he remembers while going to school, he used to pass from this empty plot and at that young age in those days, he used to avoid passing just next to the burial site where his father had pointed out to him and had told him the story…
"I would not pass from here at night" he would tell us…
The main road that the Turkish Cypriots call the "Kaymakli by-pass road" is well known and we know that in 1974, a lot of fighting had taken around here… We had shown together with my readers and other witnesses some possible burial sites on this road further up and I had made sure that the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee would meet them to give them information about these possible burial sites… I had written several times about this area… I believe that there have been no excavations by CMP on the possible burial sites we had shown on this road but I would not know for sure since I have no such information…
Our witness now says that two years ago he had contacted the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee about this possible burial site where his father had seen and had covered the burial site with soil… He says that two years ago there came two Turkish Cypriot officials from the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee and he had shown this area to them and had explained what he knew but since two years passed by and he saw that there was no movement here, he started feeling anxious… When he mentioned to a relative of his that he was a bit frustrated since there was no movement about the possible burial site he had shown to the Turkish Cypriot officials of the CMP, his relative advised him to contact me. And that's how he wrote to me and then we came to meet him today so he could show once again the possible burial site to me and to the investigator from CMP, Sila Murat.
We have no information whether the two Turkish Cypriot officials of two years ago from the CMP informed the CMP about this area or not and we do not know if they made a submission about this possible burial site to the CMP or not. But I have immediately contacted both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Assistants of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot members of the CMP and have informed them and as a result today, we are here to look at the place… I thank this witness for his humanity and for his insistence in sharing what he knew and I thank the CMP investigator Sila Murat for coming with me to show her this site. I thank the assistants for arranging this visit.
Another reader comes to meet me and wants to give me information about the two "missing" Greek Cypriots from Louroudjina… He says that what he heard in the village is that they had been buried in the old Greek Cypriot cemetery in Louroudjina…
I had written extensively about these two young "missing" Greek Cypriots years ago and had also shared information about their possible burial sites back in 2008. In some of those sites there had been some excavations and in others, not. This was the time when the bi-communal excavation teams could not enter Louroudjina – no Greek Cypriot was allowed to enter Louroudjina until quite recently…
The two young Greek Cypriots had been kidnapped and kept in Louroudjina in a house for more than six months… They were civilians, going with their motorcycle from Larnaca to Nicosia… They had been kidnapped around Koshi village… At that time, the reason behind their kidnapping was to use them in an exchange of some Turkish Cypriots from Piroi who had been kidnapped by some Greek Cypriots, but this never happened. They kept them for six months and then killed them and buried them somewhere in Louroudjina.
According to what this reader heard and was telling me, they had been buried in the old Greek Cypriot cemetery… He says that the "CMP had never investigated there… This cemetery is on the way to the Turkish Cypriot cemetery" and asks me to go and check. And he asks me to inform the CMP about this information so that they can investigate…
In those days, Fehim Mehmet and Kamil Huseyin Koushouri had been kidnapped from Piroi by some Greek Cypriots at the beginning of 1964… Some Turkish Cypriots, thinking that they could use some Greek Cypriots as exchange for these two kidnapped Turkish Cypriots decided to kidnap some Greek Cypriots and on the 4th of February 1964 they would kidnap Andreas Petrou Georgiou and Christos Socratous Ioannou around Koshi… The exchange never happened and they were kept in the village in a house for six months… One of those young Greek Cypriots had health problems with his stomach… After some time, it was clear they could not be used in exchange for the kidnapped Turkish Cypriots when all hopes that Fehim Mehmet and Kamil Huseyin Koushouri would still be alive died out - so instead of letting these two innocent civilians who had nothing to do with any conflict, they had killed them and buried them, putting them on the long list of "missing persons"…
When they went "missing" Andreas Petrou Georgiou was only 24 and Christos Socratous Ioannou was only 20… If they had been set free, then they would have been alive now… They left behind relatives in great pain – I had met them and had spoken with them and had written the story of these two young "missing" Greek Cypriots… But it is the first time ever that this information is coming that they might have been buried in the old Greek Cypriot cemetery… We will do more investigations to see if this is true or not…
Another reader would come and share more information about the emptying of the Arif Efendi Farm (Chiftlik) outside Afania at Ornithi… He says that it did not happen once but several times… When he meets me, he wants to share the following information:
"The emptying of the burial sites at the Arif Efendi Chiftlighi (Farm) at Ornithi did not happen once but it was a process of several times… What we had heard was that the first attempt at emptying the burial sites here happened during the time when Galip Mendi was the head of the Civil Defence organisation… According to the rumours, during the first attempt at emptying the burial sites was when they took the remains from one side of the river and transferred them to the other side of the river.
But afterwards there was one more attempt to empty the remains of those "missing" which I think was around 2009… There was to be some changes about the river and again at that time there were rumours in the village that the remains that had been carried from one side of the river to the other side of the river were being relocated again…
In the village they were saying that the ones who took part in the burying of those Greek Cypriots in the first place also took part in the emptying of those burial sites, that they were the same people. What I mean is that those who buried the Greek Cypriot "missing" in 1974 at the Arif Efendi Chiftlighi, were the same people who took part in the emptying of the burial site. One of those persons who took part in the emptying of the burial site later on was working for Civil Defence and his name was rumoured to be connected in the murdering of the Turkish Cypriot journalist, Kutlu Adali. This guy was not from Afania but was active in the area. He is no longer alive…
There are several people who took part both in the burials and the emptying and relocation of remains… They too are no longer alive – I believe only one is alive and he is bedridden, very old… These people in the old times were part of the team of the famous Turkish Cypriot TMT leader of the area, Tremesheli…
One of those who was part of this team and who took part in the killing, burying and emptying was boasting in the village Afania that they had lined up the Greek Cypriots outside the wall of the antique church of Afania and that they had killed them there… He was boasting that one Greek Cypriot had asked him to kill him first and then his son but he had done the opposite, that he had killed the son first and then the father…"
I thank this reader for sharing this information with me… I have again informed the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot officials of the CMP about all this…
If we speak and share what we know, we will open the way for cleaning up our past together…

15.2.2019

Photo: Behind me is the possible burial site in Neapolis, Nicosia...

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 10th of March 2019, Sunday. Similar articles were published on my pages in YENİDUZEN entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 15th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/babam-bu-alanda-yuzeyde-gomulu-dort-bes-kafatasi-bularak-ustunu-toprakla-ortmustu-13629yy.htm

and on the 11th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/lurucinadan-kayip-edilen-iki-kibrislirumun-eski-kibrislirum-mezarligina-gomulmus-old-13613yy.htm

and on the 8th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/arif-efendi-ciftligindeki-bosaltma-olaylari-bir-degil-birkac-kez-tekrarlandi-13599yy.htm

Από τη Νεάπολη στη Λουρουτζίνα και την Αφάνεια – Ορνίθι – αναζητώντας «αγνοουμένους»…

Από τη Νεάπολη στη Λουρουτζίνα και την Αφάνεια – Ορνίθι – αναζητώντας «αγνοουμένους»…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Τηλ: 99 966518

Το πρωί της Τρίτης 12 Φεβρουαρίου 2019 πάμε για να συναντήσουμε ένα μάρτυρα που επικοινώνησε μαζί μου… Μαζί μου είναι η Sila Murat από την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων, μια νεαρή ερευνήτρια… Ο μάρτυρας μου θα μας δείξει ένα πιθανό τόπο ταφής…
Το μέρος είναι στη Λευκωσία, στη Νεάπολη, κοντά στην εκκλησία, ακριβώς απέναντι από το δρόμο σε ένα πίσω δρόμο…
Στο μέρος αυτό ο πατέρας του είχε δει θαμμένα στην επιφάνεια 4-5 κρανία (σκελετούς) και είχε σκεπάσει αυτόν τον τόπο ταφής με χώμα… Μας εξηγεί ότι αυτό είχε γίνει μετά το 1976 και ότι «Κανένας δεν έχει έρθει σε αυτή την περιοχή από τότε – είναι μια περιοχή χωρίς καμιά δραστηριότητα…»
Επειδή ζούσαν στην περιοχή αυτή από το 1976, μπορούσαν να παρατηρούν το άδειο χωράφι καθώς το χρησιμοποιούσαν ως πέρασμα – θυμάται ενόσω πήγαινε σχολείο, περνούσε από αυτό το άδειο χωράφι και σε εκείνη τη νεαρή ηλικία εκείνο τον καιρό, απέφευγε να περνά ακριβώς δίπλα από τον τόπο ταφή που του είχε υποδείξει ο πατέρας του και του είχε πει την ιστορία…
«Δεν περνούσα από εδώ τη νύκτα» μας είπε…
Ο κύριος δρόμος που οι Τουρκοκύπριοι αποκαλούν «παρακαμπτήριο (bypass) του Καϊμακλιού» είναι γνωστός και γνωρίζουμε ότι το 1974 έγιναν πολλές μάχες εδώ γύρω… Είχαμε δείξει μαζί με τους αναγνώστες μου και άλλους μάρτυρες κάποιους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής πιο πάνω σε αυτό το δρόμο και είχα σιγουρευτεί ότι οι λειτουργοί της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων τους συνάντησαν για να τους δώσουν πληροφορίες για αυτούς τους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής… Είχα γράψει αρκετές φορές για αυτή την περιοχή… Πιστεύω ότι δεν έχουν γίνει εκσκαφές από τη ΔΕΑ στους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής που είχαμε δείξει σε αυτό το δρόμο, αλλά δεν το γνωρίζω στα σίγουρα αφού δεν έχω τέτοιες πληροφορίες…
Ο μάρτυρας μας τώρα λέει ότι πριν από δύο χρόνια είχε επικοινωνήσει με την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων για αυτόν τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής που είχε δει ο πατέρας του και είχε σκεπάσει με χώμα… Λέει ότι πριν από δύο χρόνια είχαν έρθει εκεί δύο Τουρκοκύπριοι λειτουργοί από την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων και τους είχε δείξει την περιοχή αυτή και είχε εξηγήσει αυτά που ήξερε, αλλά έχουν περάσει δύο χρόνια και είδε ότι δεν υπήρχε κινητικότητα εδώ και άρχισε να νιώθει ανήσυχος… Όταν το ανάφερε σε ένα συγγενή του ότι ήταν λίγο απογοητευμένος αφού δεν υπήρχε κινητικότητα για τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής που είχε δείξει στους Τουρκοκύπριους λειτουργούς της ΔΕΑ, ο συγγενής του τον συμβούλεψε να επικοινωνήσει μαζί μου. Και έτσι που είναι που μου έγραψε και μετά ήρθαμε σήμερα για να τον συναντήσουμε έτσι ώστε να δείξει ακόμα μια φορά τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής σε εμένα και την Sila Murat, ερευνήτρια από τη ΔΕΑ.
Δεν έχουμε πληροφορίες αν οι δύο Τουρκοκύπριοι λειτουργοί από τη ΔΕΑ πριν από δύο χρόνια ενημέρωσαν την ΔΕΑ για αυτή την περιοχή ή όχι και δεν ξέρουμε αν υπέβαλαν αυτόν τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής στη ΔΕΑ ή όχι. Όμως έχω επικοινωνήσει αμέσως με τους Ελληνοκύπριο και τον Τουρκοκύπριο Βοηθούς του Ελληνοκύπριου και Τουρκοκύπριου Μέλους της ΔΕΑ και τους έχω ενημερώσει και ως αποτέλεσμα σήμερα, είμαστε εδώ για να δούμε το μέρος… Ευχαριστώ τον αναγνώστη αυτό για την ανθρωπιά του και για την επιμονή του να μοιραστεί αυτά που ήξερε και ευχαριστώ την ερευνήτρια της ΔΕΑ Sila Murat που ήρθε μαζί μου για να της δείξω το μέρος. Ευχαριστώ τους βοηθούς που οργάνωσαν την επίσκεψη αυτή.
Ένας άλλος αναγνώστης έρχεται να με συναντήσει και θέλει να μου δώσει πληροφορίες για τους δύο «αγνοούμενους» Ελληνοκύπριους από τη Λουρουτζίνα… Λέει ότι αυτό που άκουσε στο χωριό είναι ότι είχαν θαφτεί στο παλιό Ελληνοκυπριακό νεκροταφείο στην Λουρουτζίνα…
Πριν από χρόνια είχα γράψει εκτενώς για αυτούς τους δύο νεαρούς «αγνοούμενους» Ελληνοκύπριους και είχα επίσης μοιραστεί πληροφορίες για τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής τους το 2008. Σε κάποια από εκείνα τα μέρη έγιναν κάποιες εκσκαφές και σε άλλα όχι. Ήταν τον καιρό που οι δικοινοτικές ομάδες εκσκαφών δεν μπορούσαν να μπουν στη Λουρουτζίνα – μέχρι αρκετά πρόσφατα δεν επιτρεπόταν σε κανένα Ελληνοκύπριο να μπει στη Λουρουτζίνα…
Οι δύο νεαροί Ελληνοκύπριοι είχαν απαχθεί και κρατιούνταν σε ένα σπίτι στη Λουρουτζίνα για περισσότερο από έξι μήνες… Ήταν πολίτες, πήγαιναν με τη μοτοσυκλέτα τους από τη Λάρνακα στη Λευκωσία… Τους απήγαγαν γύρω από το χωριό Κόσιη… Εκείνο τον καιρό, ο λόγος για την απαγωγή τους ήταν να τους χρησιμοποιήσουν για ανταλλαγή κάποιων Τουρκοκυπρίων από το Πυρόϊ που είχαν απαχθεί από κάποιους Ελληνοκύπριους, αλλά αυτό δεν έγινε ποτέ. Τους κράτησαν για έξι μήνες και μετά τους σκότωσαν και τους έθαψαν κάπου στη Λουρουτζίνα.
Σύμφωνα με αυτά που άκουσε και μου έλεγε ο αναγνώστης αυτός, τους είχαν θάψει στο παλιό Ελληνοκυπριακό νεκροταφείο… Λέει ότι «η ΔΕΑ ποτέ δεν ερεύνησε εκεί… Το νεκροταφείο αυτό είναι καθοδόν προς το Τουρκοκυπριακό νεκροταφείο» και μου ζητά να πάω να ελέγξω. Και μου ζητά να ενημερώσω τη ΔΕΑ για τις πληροφορίες αυτές έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουν να ερευνήσουν…
Εκείνο τον καιρό στις αρχές του 1964, o Fehim Mehmet και ο Kamil Huseyin Koushouri είχαν απαχθεί από το Πυρόϊ από κάποιους Ελληνοκύπριους… Κάποιοι Τουρκοκύπριοι, θεωρώντας ότι θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιήσουν κάποιους Ελληνοκύπριους ως ανταλλαγή για αυτούς τους δύο απαχθέντες Τουρκοκύπριους αποφάσισαν να απαγάγουν κάποιους Ελληνοκύπριους και στις 4 Φεβρουαρίου 1964 γύρω από τη Κόσιη απήγαγαν τον Αντρέα Πέτρου Γεωργίου και το Χρίστο Σωκράτους Ιωάννου… Η ανταλλαγή δεν έγινε ποτέ και τους κρατούσαν για έξι μήνες σε ένα σπίτι στο χωριό… Ένας από εκείνους τους Ελληνοκύπριους είχε προβλήματα υγείας στο στομάχι… Μετά από κάποιο καιρό, ήταν ξεκάθαρο ότι δεν θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν σε ανταλλαγή για τους απαχθέντες Τουρκοκύπριους όταν εξανεμίστηκαν όλες οι ελπίδες ότι οι Fehim Mehmet και Kamil Huseyin Koushouri ήταν ακόμα ζωντανοί – έτσι αντί να αφήσουν ελεύθερους αυτούς τους δύο αθώους πολίτες που δεν είχαν καμία σχέση με τη σύγκρουση, τους είχαν σκοτώσει και θάψει και τους έβαλαν στον μακρύ κατάλογο των «αγνοουμένων ατόμων»…
Όταν έγιναν «αγνοούμενοι», ο Αντρέας Πέτρου Γεωργίου ήταν μόλις 24 χρονών και ο Χρίστος Σωκράτους Ιωάννου ήταν μόλις 20 χρονών… Αν τους είχαν αφήσει ελεύθερους, θα ήταν τώρα ζωντανοί… Άφησαν πίσω τους συγγενείς τους σε μεγάλο πόνο – τους είχα συναντήσει και είχα μιλήσει μαζί τους και είχα γράψει την ιστορία αυτών των δύο νεαρών «αγνοούμενων» Ελληνοκυπρίων… Όμως αυτή είναι η πρώτη φορά που έχουμε αυτές τις πληροφορίες ότι μπορεί να είχαν θαφτεί στο παλιό Ελληνοκυπριακό νεκροταφείο… Θα κάνουμε περισσότερες έρευνες για να δούμε αν αυτό είναι αλήθεια ή όχι…
Ένας άλλος αναγνώστης έρχεται και μοιράζεται περισσότερες πληροφορίες για το άδειασμα της φάρμας Arif Efendi (Chiftlik) έξω από την Αφάνεια στο Ορνίθι… Λέει ότι δεν έγινε μια φορά αλλά πολλές φορές… Όταν με συναντά, θέλει να μοιραστεί τις ακόλουθες πληροφορίες:
«Το άδειασμα των τόπων ταφής στη φάρμα Arif Efendi (Chiftlik) στο Ορνίθι δεν έγινε μια φορά αλλά ήταν μια επανειλημμένη διαδικασία… Αυτό που είχαμε ακούσει ήταν ότι η πρώτη προσπάθεια να αδειαστούν οι τόποι ταφής εδώ έγινε τον καιρό που ο Galip Mendi ήταν επικεφαλής της οργάνωσης της Πολιτικής Άμυνας… Σύμφωνα με τις φήμες, στην πρώτη προσπάθεια να αδειαστούν οι τόποι ταφής πήραν τα οστά από τη μια πλευρά του ποταμού και τα μετάφεραν στην άλλη πλευρά του ποταμού.
Όμως μετά υπήρξε ακόμα μια προσπάθεια να αδειαστούν τα οστά εκείνων των «αγνοουμένων», και πιστεύω ήταν γύρω στο 2009… Θα γίνονταν κάποιες αλλαγές στον ποταμό και πάλι εκείνο τον καιρό υπήρχαν φήμες στο χωριό ότι τα οστά που είχαν μεταφερθεί από τη μια πλευρά του ποταμού στην άλλη πλευρά του ποταμού θα μεταφέρονταν και πάλι…
Στο χωριό έλεγαν ότι αυτοί που συμμετείχαν στην ταφή εκείνων των Ελληνοκυπρίων την πρώτη φορά, συμμετείχαν και στο άδειασμα εκείνων των τόπων ταφής, δηλαδή ότι ήταν τα ίδια άτομα. Αυτό που εννοώ είναι ότι εκείνοι που έθαψαν τους Ελληνοκύπριους «αγνοούμενους» το 1974 στη φάρμα Arif Efendi Chiftlighi, ήταν τα ίδια άτομα που συμμετείχαν στο άδειασμα του τόπου ταφής. Ένα από εκείνα τα άτομα που συμμετείχε στο άδειασμα του τόπου ταφής εργαζόταν αργότερα στην Πολιτική Άμυνα και υπήρχαν φήμες ότι το όνομα του συνδεόταν με τη δολοφονία του Τουρκοκύπριου δημοσιογράφου Kutlu Adali. Ο άντρας αυτός δεν ήταν από την Αφάνεια αλλά ήταν δραστηριοποιημένος στην περιοχή. Δεν είναι πλέον ζωντανός…
Υπάρχουν πολλά άτομα που συμμετείχαν και στις ταφές και στο άδειασμα και μετακίνηση των οστών… Και αυτοί δεν είναι πλέον ζωντανοί – πιστεύω μόνο ένας είναι ζωντανός και είναι κλινήρης, πολύ ηλικιωμένος… Τα άτομα αυτά τον παλιό καιρό ήταν μέλη της ομάδας του Tremesheli, διάσημου Τουρκοκύπριου ηγέτη της ΤΜΤ εκείνης της περιοχής…
Ένας από εκείνους που ήταν μέλος της ομάδας αυτής και που συμμετείχε στους σκοτωμούς, το θάψιμο και το άδειασμα καυχιόταν στο χωριό Αφάνεια ότι είχαν βάλει σε σειρά τους Ελληνοκύπριους έξω από τον τοίχο της παλιάς εκκλησίας της Αφάνειας και ότι τους είχαν σκοτώσει εκεί… Καυχιόταν ότι ένας Ελληνοκύπριος του είχε ζητήσει να τον σκοτώσει πρώτα και μετά το γιο του αλλά έκανε το αντίθετο, ότι σκότωσε πρώτα το γιο και μετά τον πατέρα…»
Ευχαριστώ τον αναγνώστη αυτό που μοιράστηκε μαζί μου τις πληροφορίες αυτές… Και πάλι έχω ενημερώσει για όλα αυτά τους Τουρκοκύπριους και Ελληνοκύπριους λειτουργούς της ΔΕΑ…
Αν μιλούμε και μοιραζόμαστε αυτά που γνωρίζουμε, θα ανοίξουμε το δρόμο για να καθαρίσουμε το παρελθόν μας μαζί…

Photo: Πίσω μου βρίσκεται ο πιθανός τόπος ταφής…

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 10th of March 2019, Sunday. Similar articles were published on my pages in YENİDUZEN entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 15th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/babam-bu-alanda-yuzeyde-gomulu-dort-bes-kafatasi-bularak-ustunu-toprakla-ortmustu-13629yy.htm

and on the 11th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/lurucinadan-kayip-edilen-iki-kibrislirumun-eski-kibrislirum-mezarligina-gomulmus-old-13613yy.htm

and on the 8th of February 2019 and the link is:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/arif-efendi-ciftligindeki-bosaltma-olaylari-bir-degil-birkac-kez-tekrarlandi-13599yy.htm

In search of “missing” in Lapithos and Gypsou…

In search of "missing" in Lapithos and Gypsou…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 99 966518

Digging begins in Lapithos, Gypsou and Kato Zodia around the week of 18th of February 2019 by the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee and it is interesting to look at these areas more closely and what we had done in the past about them together with my wonderful Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot readers… We need to `refresh memory` so that this information is not `lost` in a dusty file and we need to push for more information through our readers so that we can help the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee in their work…
In Lapithos the excavations and surveys by the archaeologists of the CMP are in the area commonly known as `Near the Celebrity Hotel area` that I had written about more than a decade ago…
My readers had ample information about this area and they kept on calling and pointing out the same area…
Many of my Turkish Cypriot readers had been testifying that there was a burial site within the fenced area here… Some of them actually had seen human remains in this area and some of them who had worked in the fencing of the area were witnesses as they had seen these human remains scattered around…
There were other readers who had told me that one day some fishermen of the area were instructed to collect the remains, put them in bags and go out to the sea and throw the bags in the sea… My readers were claiming that this was what had happened many decades after 1974… They were even providing names of those fishermen involved and I was sharing every single piece of information that came to me through readers with the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee, as well as publishing these stories on my pages in the newspaper YENIDUZEN.
In 2015 the CMP had done some excavations in this fenced area and could only find the remains of four `missing` Greek Cypriots – there were very few remains there… Now as I understand, they are doing surveys of the area in order to see if they can find more remains…
There was another point close to this area that one of my readers had shown me and to the officials of the CMP exactly eight years ago… We had gone there around the 19th of December 2011 as far as I remember and he had shown us a possible burial site where they had been encountering human remains… As far as I know, there has been no excavations by CMP there in the past eight years… On the 19th of December 2011, I had written about how we went there with officials of CMP and how our reader had shown us this possible burial site… I had said:
*** This is a place to the right side of the dirt track that leads to the fishermen's place and my reader told us that he had encountered human remains here. Further up is the area to the west of the Rita on the Rocks which is a fenced area and many of our readers had given information about this possible burial site that we wrote about as early as 2008… In those days one of our readers, after reading what we had written had called us and said that one of his friends was working as a registrar after 1974 and he was making a list of houses for the Turkish Cypriots who would come as refugees from the southern part of our island to the northern part to be settled… He had seen that the beach front around Rita on the Rocks was full of dead bodies and he had notified the health officials and they came and put some lime over the dead bodies… Later on some soldiers would come and collect these bodies and had buried them somewhere around there…
Digging also begins in Gypsou in the week of 18th February 2019… Ten years ago there had been some excavations by the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee in Gypsou where the cemetery is and now new excavations have been started in the Gypsou cemetery area where they are looking for 5-6 `missing` Greek Cypriots who had been buried together there…
Exactly 10 years ago we had gone to Gypsou on the 20th of January 2009 with a Greek Cypriot old reader who had shown us some possible burial sites in Gypsou… Later on in those same days, I had shown these possible burial sites to the investigators of the CMP and had given them detailed information.
After 1974, just like Voni and Marathovouno, Gypsou too had been turned into `prisoners of war` camp and in this village were around 500 Greek Cypriots, in Marathovouno around 500 and in Voni around 800… They were held there and due to terrible conditions, some old people had died in Gypsou and they had been buried in different parts of the village… Both UNHCR and the Red Cross had expressed worries about the harsh conditions in these places in a report to the UN Secretary General on the 18th of September 1974.
According to my readers, around 20 old persons – some of them bedridden – had died due to old age and/or lack of care and had been buried in different parts of the village.
In January 2009, I had written about these and had said:
*** One of our Greek Cypriot readers came with us and we went together to Gypsou so he could show us the possible burial site of a Greek Cypriot from Akanthou who had died in Gypsou. According to this reader he had been buried in a well and our reader showed us the location of this well…
*** This well is on the way out of Gypsou, very close to the garbage damp of Gypsou. The mouth of the well was open and since some trash were dumped in this well, we could not confirm whether what our Greek Cypriot reader was saying was true or not. We gave information about the exact location of this well to the CMP.
*** Around 20 old Greek Cypriots had died in Gypsou and they were buried in different places around the village, including a certain spot in the Greek Cypriot cemetery. The CMP had dug for some time in the cemetery but could not find any "missing" buried there…
As far as I know, there has been no digging in the possible burial sites we had shown to the investigators of CMP ten years ago in January 2009… I have not heard anything about it at all…
If you have any information about Gypsou or Lapithos, please call me with or without your name on my CYTA mobile phone at 99 966518… We need to push and we need to help and we need to refresh memory so that those places we had shown a decade ago, do not go unnoticed and forgotten amongst dusty files…

Photo: Archaeologists digging in Lapithos in February 2019. Foto by CMP

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 17th of March 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages in YENIDUZEN entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 5th of March 2019 and here is the link:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/kayiplar-icin-kazilarda-akovada-iki-laptada-bir-kisinin-kalintilari-bulundu-13704yy.htm

Αναζητώντας «αγνοουμένους» στη Λάπηθο και τη Γύψου…

Αναζητώντας «αγνοουμένους» στη Λάπηθο και τη Γύψου…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Τηλ: 99 966518

Οι εκσκαφές από την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων ξεκινούν στη Λάπηθο, τη Γύψου και την Κάτω Ζώδεια τη βδομάδα της 18ης Φεβρουαρίου 2019 και είναι ενδιαφέρον να δούμε πιο στενά τις περιοχές αυτές και τι είχαμε κάνει για αυτές στο παρελθόν μαζί με τους υπέροχους μου αναγνώστες, Τουρκοκύπριους και Ελληνοκύπριους… Χρειάζεται να «φρεσκάρουμε τη μνήμη» μας έτσι ώστε αυτές οι πληροφορίες να μην «χαθούν» σε ένα σκονισμένο φάκελο και χρειάζεται να πιέσουμε για περισσότερες πληροφορίες μέσω των αναγνωστών μας έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουμε να βοηθήσουμε την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων στο έργο της…
Στη Λάπηθο οι εκσκαφές και έρευνες από τους αρχαιολόγους της ΔΕΑ γίνονται στην περιοχή που είναι γνωστή ως η «περιοχή κοντά στο ξενοδοχείο Celebrity» και για το οποίο είχα γράψει πριν από περισσότερο από μια δεκαετία…
Οι αναγνώστες μου είχαν πολλές πληροφορίες για την περιοχή αυτή και συνέχιζαν να μου τηλεφωνούν και να μου υποδεικνύουν την ίδια περιοχή…
Πολλοί από τους Τουρκοκύπριους αναγνώστες μου μαρτυρούσαν ότι υπήρχε ένας τόπος ταφής εκεί μέσα στην περιφραγμένη περιοχή… Κάποιοι από αυτούς είχαν δει ανθρώπινα οστά στην περιοχή αυτή και κάποιοι από αυτούς που είχαν δουλέψει στην περίφραξη της περιοχής ήταν μάρτυρες αφού είχαν δει αυτά τα ανθρώπινα οστά διάσπαρτα…
Υπήρχαν άλλοι αναγνώστες που μου είχαν πει ότι μια μέρα κάποιοι ψαράδες της περιοχής έλαβαν οδηγίες να μαζέψουν τα οστά, να τα βάλουν σε σακούλες και να πάνε έξω στη θάλασσα και να πετάξουν τις σακούλες στη θάλασσα… Οι αναγνώστες μου ισχυρίζονταν ότι αυτό είχε συμβεί αρκετές δεκαετίες μετά το 1974… Έδιναν ακόμα και ονόματα των ενεχομένων ψαράδων και μοιραζόμουν την κάθε πληροφορία που ερχόταν σε μένα μέσω των αναγνωστών μου με τους λειτουργούς της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων, αλλά επίσης δημοσίευα τις ιστορίες αυτές στις σελίδες μου στην εφημερίδα YENIDUZEN.
Το 2015 η ΔΕΑ είχε κάνει κάποιες εκσκαφές σε αυτή την περιφραγμένη περιοχή και κατάφερε να βρει τα οστά μόνο τεσσάρων Ελληνοκύπριων «αγνοουμένων» - υπήρχαν πολύ λίγα οστά εκεί… Τώρα όπως καταλαβαίνω, κάνουν έρευνες στην περιοχή για να δουν αν μπορούν να βρουν περισσότερα οστά…
Υπήρχε ένα άλλο σημείο κοντά στην περιοχή αυτή, το οποίο ένας αναγνώστης είχε δείξει σε μένα και τους λειτουργούς της ΔΕΑ πριν από ακριβώς οκτώ χρόνια… Είχαμε πάει εκεί γύρω στις 19 Δεκεμβρίου 2011 εξ' όσων θυμούμαι και μας είχε δείξει ένα πιθανό τόπο ταφής όπου συναντούσαν ανθρώπινα οστά… Εξ' όσων γνωρίζω, δεν έγιναν εκσκαφές από τη ΔΕΑ εκεί τα τελευταία οκτώ χρόνια… Στις 19 Δεκεμβρίου 2011 είχα γράψει για το πως είχαμε πάει εκεί με τους λειτουργούς της ΔΕΑ και πως ο αναγνώστης μας μας είχε δείξει αυτόν τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής… Είχα πει:
*** Το μέρος αυτό είναι στα δεξιά του χωματόδρομου που οδηγεί στο καταφύγιο των ψαράδων και ο αναγνώστης μου μας είπε ότι είχε δει ανθρώπινα οστά εδώ. Πιο πάνω είναι η περιοχή στα δυτικά του Rita on the Rocks που είναι περιφραγμένη περιοχή και πολλοί από τους αναγνώστες μου είχαν δώσει πληροφορίες για αυτό τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής για τον οποίο έγραψα ήδη από το 2008… Εκείνες τις μέρες ένας από τους αναγνώστες μου, μετά που διάβασε αυτά που έγραψα μου είχε τηλεφωνήσει και είπε ότι ένας από τους φίλους του εργαζόταν ως ληξίαρχος μετά το 1974 και έκανε ένα κατάλογο με τα σπίτια για τους Τουρκοκύπριους που θα ερχόντουσαν πρόσφυγες από το νότιο μέρος του νησιού μας για να εγκατασταθούν στο βόρειο μέρος… Είχε δει ότι η παραλία γύρω από το Rita on the Rocks ήταν γεμάτη με νεκρά σώματα και είχε ειδοποιήσει τους υγειονομικούς λειτουργούς και είχαν έρθει και έβαλαν ασβέστη πάνω στα νεκρά σώματα… Αργότερα κάποιοι στρατιώτες ήρθαν και μάζεψαν τα σώματα αυτά και τα είχαν θάψει κάπου εκεί γύρω…
Οι εκσκαφές αρχίζουν και στη Γύψου την βδομάδα της 18ης Φεβρουαρίου 2019… Πριν από δέκα χρόνια είχαν γίνει κάποιες εκσκαφές από την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων στη Γύψου εκεί που βρίσκεται το νεκροταφείο και τώρα ξεκίνησαν νέες εκσκαφές στην περιοχή του νεκροταφείου στη Γύψου όπου ψάχνουν για 5-6 «αγνοούμενους» Ελληνοκύπριους που είχαν θαφτεί μαζί εκεί…
Πριν από ακριβώς 10 χρόνια είχαμε πάει στη Γύψου στις 20 Ιανουαρίου 2009 μαζί με ένα ηλικιωμένο Ελληνοκύπριο αναγνώστη που μας είχε δείξει κάποιους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής στη Γύψου… Αργότερα εκείνες τις μέρες, είχα δείξει αυτούς τους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής στους ερευνητές της ΔΕΑ και τους είχα δώσει λεπτομερείς πληροφορίες.
Μετά το 1974, όπως η Βώνη και ο Μαραθόβουνος, η Γύψου είχε επίσης μετατραπεί σε στρατόπεδο «αιχμαλώτων πολέμου» και στο χωριό αυτό βρίσκονταν περίπου 500 Ελληνοκύπριοι, στο Μαραθόνουνο γύρω στους 500 και στη Βώνη γύρω στους 800… Τους κρατούσαν εκεί και λόγω των τρομερών συνθηκών, κάποιοι ηλικιωμένοι είχαν πεθάνει στη Γύψου και είχαν θαφτεί σε διάφορα μέρη του χωριού… Τόσο η UNHCR (Ύπατη Αρμοστεία των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για τους Πρόσφυγες) όσο και ο Ερυθρός Σταυρός σε μια έκθεση προς τον Γενικό Γραμματέα των ΗΕ στις 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 1974, είχαν εκφράσει ανησυχίες για τις σκληρές συνθήκες στα μέρη αυτά.
Σύμφωνα με τους αναγνώστες μου, γύρω στα 20 ηλικιωμένα άτομα - κάποια από αυτά κλινήρη - είχαν πεθάνει λόγω γηρατειών ή/και έλλειψης φροντίδας και είχαν θαφτεί σε διάφορα μέρη του χωριού.
Τον Ιανουάριο 2009 είχα γράψει για αυτά και είχα πει:
*** Ένας από τους Ελληνοκύπριους αναγνώστες μας ήρθε μαζί μας και πήγαμε μαζί στη Γύψου έτσι ώστε να μας δείξει τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής ενός Ελληνοκυπρίου από την Ακανθού που είχε πεθάνει στη Γύψου. Σύμφωνα με τον αναγνώστη αυτό είχε θαφτεί σε ένα πηγάδι και ο αναγνώστης μας είχε δείξει την τοποθεσία του πηγαδιού αυτού…
*** Το πηγάδι αυτό είναι στο δρόμο έξω από τη Γύψου, κοντά στην χωματερή της Γύψου. Το στόμιο του πηγαδιού ήταν ανοικτό και επειδή κάποια σκουπίδια ρίχτηκαν στο πηγάδι αυτό, δεν μπορούσαμε να επιβεβαιώσουμε αν αυτά που έλεγε ο Ελληνοκύπριος αναγνώστης μας ήταν αλήθεια ή όχι. Δώσαμε τις πληροφορίες για την ακριβή τοποθεσία του πηγαδιού αυτού στη ΔΕΑ.
*** Περίπου 20 ηλικιωμένοι Ελληνοκύπριοι είχαν πεθάνει στη Γύψου και είχαν θαφτεί σε διάφορα μέρη γύρω από το χωριό, συμπεριλαμβανομένου ενός συγκεκριμένου σημείου στο Ελληνοκυπριακό νεκροταφείο. Η ΔΕΑ είχε σκάψει για κάποιο καιρό στο νεκροταφείο αλλά δεν κατάφεραν να βρουν κάποιο «αγνοούμενο» θαμμένο εκεί…
Εξ΄ όσων γνωρίζω, δεν έγινε κάποια εκσκαφή στους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής που είχαμε δείξει στους ερευνητές της ΔΕΑ πριν από δέκα χρόνια τον Ιανουάριο του 2009… Δεν έχω ακούσει οτιδήποτε για αυτό…
Αν έχετε οποιεσδήποτε πληροφορίες για τη Γύψου ή τη Λάπηθο, σας παρακαλώ τηλεφωνήστε μου επώνυμα ή ανώνυμα στο κινητό μου στη CYTA 99 966518… Χρειάζεται να σπρώξουμε και χρειάζεται να βοηθήσουμε και χρειάζεται να φρεσκάρουμε τη μνήμη μας έτσι ώστε εκείνα τα μέρη που είχαμε δείξει πριν από μια δεκαετία να μην μείνουν απαρατήρητα και ξεχασμένα ανάμεσα σε σκονισμένους φακέλους…

Photo: Οι αρχαιολόγοι σκάβουν στη Λάπηθο το Φεβρουάριο του 2019 - φωτό από ΔΕΑ…

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 17th of March 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages in YENIDUZEN entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 5th of March 2019 and here is the link:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/kayiplar-icin-kazilarda-akovada-iki-laptada-bir-kisinin-kalintilari-bulundu-13704yy.htm

Monday, March 4, 2019

Under the olive trees in Voni…

Under the olive trees in Voni…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 99 966518

After visiting Sinda on the 16th of November 2018 and doing investigations together with Kyriacos Andreou and his villagers from Lysi for the two shepherds "missing" from Lysi, we say goodbye to them and continue to go to Epiho (Abohor) to meet one of my readers – a key witness from Voni…
Together with Romanos Lyritsas and Sila Murat, the young investigators of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee we go to his house to sit on his balcony, drink coffee and speak about the possible burial site of at least six "missing" Greek Cypriots taken from the church in Voni in 1974 and killed… And "disappeared"…
Sila and Romanos show him the map of Voni – a military camp since 1974 – and point out where the CMP had been digging…
The only place that has not been dug, apparently is the place our readers, as well as this witness had pointed out to the CMP years ago! Under the olive trees!
We had given this information to the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee, you know when? Exactly 11 years ago! And we had also written about it, 11 years ago in the YENIDUZEN newspaper – on the 22nd of July 2008… 11 years ago in our article, based on the information from our readers and some witnesses, we had written this:
"A group of eight or ten missing Greek Cypriots are buried under the olive grove in Voni… Our reader told us the following: 'The Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee was digging at a spot close to Voni, it was the excavation of a well. This excavation went on for a long time. Then we heard that they had found the remains of only one person in that well… 50 meters to the north of this excavation site, there is an olive grove… Under this olive grove a group of 8-10 missing Greek Cypriots' group is buried. If they dig the eastern part of this olive grove, they will see that this group is buried there…
Previously, this was NOT a military zone. We used to bring our animals to graze around there. Then 10-15 years ago, all of a sudden the military would cut off this area putting up wires and we were no longer allowed to go in that area to graze our animals…"
Sitting on his balcony, our witness says that a top military officer from Voni had come to visit him… The military were doing some excavations in the area he mentions (under the olive grove) and some human remains had come out… The military officer had asked him, "Were some missing persons buried here?" and he had answered him: "Yes, there is information that some missing persons had been buried there…"
In those days, he explains to us, the military was taking some soil with a bulldozer to build a set around the camp… Therefore, some small pieces of human remains that were found outside the military camp in Voni by the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee probably went together with that soil taken from around the olive grove, I suspect… And therefore, if the CMP takes a decision to dig the places we wrote about – the olive grove – that our witnesses pointed out 11 years ago and if they can't find remains there, then they would probably have to sieve the soil around the camp that was used to build a set and search for remains in that soil I think… But again, we are not authorised with such decisions: The authority is the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee and that is a decision that they will take or not take. It is up to them… Our humanitarian mission is to consistently show them possible burial sites, share information voluntarily and help them in their search for "missing persons". That is all…
Since we are in Epiho, I want to show the investigators another possible burial site that I had shown them 11 years ago which has not been explored. We showed this place several times to the officials of the CMP and I had also written what a primary witness had told me and published it in the YENIDUZEN newspaper on the 12th of August 2008 and later on those days, in POLITIS newspaper…
Our witness had said:
"Again this man called ….. killed one person in front of my eyes. He set up a table in the centre of Epiho as a show off and ….. was sitting at the table. This guy also served as the director of an Office. He was the one who gave the order to kill. He had a military uniform on. This Turkish Cypriot official said "How can you shoot at the Turkish soldiers?" and the Greek Cypriot soldier they had caught said "I was fighting"… And then he said, "You are guilty because you fired a shot at the Turkish soldier…"
And then he turned around and said, "Still, we will let you go and you will go to Exometochi down there… There are Greek Cypriots there…"
This Greek Cypriot soldier had gone to some Turkish Cypriot women to ask for water in Epiho. And those women would give him to this Turkish Cypriot. This Turkish Cypriot had a Thompson machine gun and had put a bayonet on his gun and pushing him with that bayonet, he had brought this Greek Cypriot next to us… This was in the centre of the village… We were kids and we were looking at the looting in those days… They had taken the things looted from Exometochi and they were registering them, they had not yet shared the loot… There had been a "James Bond" type of bag, they opened this bag with a knife and there came out a lot of photographs from that bag… There were photos of naked women, the bag was full of these photographs… This bag came together with the looted goods from Exometochi to Epiho… The owner of the bag apparently had taken naked photos of his girlfriend… We were looking at those photos… There was a cheque book… The Turkish Cypriot guy said, "The cheque book is mine!" – what good would it do to him, this cheque book?!!!
Then I saw the other Turkish Cypriot guy pushing that Greek Cypriot soldier towards us – the guy with the bayonet… While we were playing around with the James Bond bag, they came… In five minutes, they set up a "court" – it was …… who set up the court. He had white hair and he was director of an Office for many years… He passed away few years ago. He gave the order (to shoot and kill) and the Greek Cypriot soldier turned around and two bullets from that Thompson gun came out, one of those bullets hit him on the hip… He was screaming and he fell down… The guy with the Thompson gun whose name was ….., put his foot on the guy who fell… He took out his sakoulla of shells. But he had a full magazine… The Greek Cypriot was screaming… He put bullets one by one in his gun and then shot at his head…
Then he took out his boots and said "Here kids, here are some boots!", throwing the boots at us… And he took him by his feet and there is this shrine called "Seydali" in Epiho, just across there he put a ball of straw and he put the Greek Cypriot's dead body there, then put up another ball of straw and put fire to this straw and left… He burned him… For days, the hands of this dead guy were out in the open… Do you know why the hands of a burned person is up? He is asking God, "Why??"
I think this guy was a teacher… Or that was my impression… Then they buried him there… Where? Within the 200 square meters of that field, he is there… They buried him on the surface. His legs had been totally burned…"
After 11 years, we show this place once again – there has been no digging here… My witness tells them that years ago, one day he started taking soil from here and the villagers told him to stop… "You will find the remains of that Greek Cypriot we buried there… Don't take soil from there" they would tell him… He had told this several times over the years as we came to see him with other investigators of CMP… He had shown this place several times to CMP… We had shown this place with other witnesses as well, including the child at that time who saw this burial with his own eyes… Nothing happened until now so without losing sight that we need to continue to help the relatives of "missing persons", we show it one more time to Romanos and Sila…
While there, a Turkish Cypriot from the area approaches us to take a look at what we are doing…
"I am renting this place" he says…
We explain to him what we are doing. It seems that he is giving his consent now if the CMP wants to dig here…
But later on, I find out that the owner of the field would not give her consent… Perhaps the investigators can visit her once again and try to convince her…
I suspect that the Greek Cypriot who might be buried here might be one of those 45 Greek Cypriots, taken from the house of Frosso Dimou in Voni by some Turkish Cypriots and who were killed and who disappeared… I have been working on this for many years and recently, we helped to find the remains of five "missing" Greek Cypriots in the former rubbish damp of Epiho that we had shown to the CMP and three of those Greek Cypriots now identified through DNA testing by CMP, turned out to be from the group of 45, taken from the house of Frosso Dimou in Voni in 1974…
So far, remains of the 35 of those from that group of 45 have been found but we still need to find 10 more "missing" Greek Cypriots from that group…
They were taken outside Voni to around Beykeuy and they were shot but some had tried to escape when the guns of the Turkish Cypriots trying to kill them got stuck… They would chase those who had escaped and tried to catch them and kill them… I believe the guy killed in the centre of Epiho, could be one of those who tried to escape… If we manage to find him here, then through DNA testing of CMP, we will know for sure who he was and his family will not be waiting any longer for news from him… He will be able to go back to them for a proper burial with human dignity…
I thank all my readers and witnesses who have been helping me voluntarily and I thank Romanos and Sila from CMP for coming with me to show them some possible burial sites so that they can continue their work for the "missing persons" of Cyprus…

9.2.2019


Photo1: Area marked in red in Voni that we pointed out 11 years ago to CMP that has not been investigated or excavated until now...

Photo 2: CMP investigators Sila and Romanos at Epikho at possible burial site we had shown 11 years ago and we show again...

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper in Greek on the 3rd of March 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published in Turkish in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 25th of January 2019 and here is the link:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/sindeden-kayip-edilmis-iki-cobanin-ve-voniden-kayip-edilenlerin-izinde5-13540yy.htm

Κάτω από τις ελιές στη Βώνη…

Κάτω από τις ελιές στη Βώνη…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Τηλ: 99 966518

Μετά την επίσκεψη στη Σίντα στις 16 Νοεμβρίου 2018 και τις έρευνες που κάναμε μαζί με τον Κυριάκο Αντρέου και τους συγχωριανούς του από τη Λύση για τους δύο «αγνοούμενους» βοσκούς από τη Λύση, τους αποχαιρετούμε και πάμε στην Επηχώ (Abohor) για να συναντήσουμε ένα από τους αναγνώστες μου – ένα βασικό μάρτυρα από τη Βώνη…
Μαζί με τον Ρωμανό Λυρίτσα και τη Sila Murat, τους νεαρούς ερευνητές της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων, πάμε στο σπίτι του και καθόμαστε στο μπαλκόνι, πίνουμε καφέ και μιλούμε για τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής τουλάχιστον έξι «αγνοούμενων» Ελληνοκυπρίων που τους πήραν το 1974 από την εκκλησία στη Βώνη και τους σκότωσαν… Και «εξαφανίστηκαν»…
Η Sila και ο Ρωμανός του δείχνουν το χάρτη της Βώνης – στρατόπεδο από το 1974 – και του δείχνουν που κάνει εκσκαφές η ΔΕΑ…
Το μόνο μέρος που δεν έχει σκαφτεί, είναι προφανώς το μέρος που οι αναγνώστες μας, όπως επίσης και αυτός ο μάρτυρας, είχαν υποδείξει στη ΔΕΑ πριν από χρόνια! Κάτω από τις ελιές!
Είχαμε δώσει αυτές τις πληροφορίες στους λειτουργούς της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων, ξέρετε πότε; Πριν από ακριβώς 11 χρόνια! Και είχαμε επίσης γράψει για αυτό, πριν από 11 χρόνια στην εφημερίδα YENIDUZEN – στις 22 Ιουλίου 2008… Πριν από 11 χρόνια στο άρθρο μας, βασισμένο στις πληροφορίες από τους αναγνώστες μας και κάποιους μάρτυρες είχαμε γράψει:
«Μια ομάδα οκτώ ή δέκα αγνοούμενων Ελληνοκυπρίων είναι θαμμένοι στον ελαιώνα στη Βώνη… Ο αναγνώστης μας μας είχε πει τα ακόλουθα: «Η Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων έσκαβε σε ένα σημείο κοντά στη Βώνη, ήταν η εκσκαφή ενός πηγαδιού. Η εκσκαφή αυτή συνεχίστηκε για αρκετό καιρό. Μετά ακούσαμε ότι σε εκείνο το πηγάδι είχαν βρει τα οστά μόνο ενός ατόμου… 50 μέτρα βόρεια από αυτό τον τόπο εκσκαφής, υπήρχε ένας ελαιώνας… Κάτω από αυτό τον ελαιώνα είναι θαμμένη μια ομάδα 8-10 αγνοούμενων Ελληνοκυπρίων. Αν σκάψουν στα ανατολικά αυτού του ελαιώνα, θα δουν ότι αυτή η ομάδα είναι θαμμένη εκεί…
Προηγουμένως, αυτή ΔΕΝ ήταν στρατιωτική περιοχή. Συνηθίζαμε να παίρνουμε τα ζώα μας για να βοσκήσουν εκεί. Μετά, πριν από 10-15 χρόνια, ο στρατός ξαφνικά απέκοψε την περιοχή αυτή βάζοντας συρματοπλέγματα και δεν μας επιτρεπόταν πλέον να πάμε σε εκείνη την περιοχή για να βοσκήσουμε τα ζώα μας…»
Ενώ καθόμαστε στο μπαλκόνι του, ο μάρτυρας μας λέει ότι είχε έρθει για να τον επισκεφτεί ένας ανώτατος αξιωματικός του στρατού από τη Βώνη… Ο στρατός έκανε κάποιες εκσκαφές στην περιοχή που αναφέρει (στον ελαιώνα) και κάποια ανθρώπινα οστά είχαν έρθει στην επιφάνεια… Ο αξιωματικός του στρατού τον είχε ρωτήσει «Είχαν θαφτεί εδώ κάποιοι αγνοούμενοι;» και του είχε απαντήσει: «Ναι, υπάρχουν πληροφορίες ότι κάποιοι αγνοούμενοι είχαν θαφτεί εκεί…»
Εκείνο τον καιρό, μας εξηγεί, ο στρατός έπαιρνε χώμα με μια μπουλντόζα για να δημιουργήσουν περιμετρική προστασία γύρω από το στρατόπεδο… Επομένως, υποψιάζομαι ότι κάποια μικρά κομμάτια από ανθρώπινα οστά που είχαν βρεθεί έξω από το στρατόπεδο στη Βώνη από την Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων πιθανόν να πήγαν μαζί με το χώμα που πήραν από τον ελαιώνα… Και άρα νομίζω, αν η ΔΕΑ πάρει την απόφαση να σκάψει στα μέρη για τα οποία έχουμε γράψει – τον ελαιώνα – που οι μάρτυρες μας είχαν υποδείξει πριν από 11 χρόνια και αν δεν μπορέσουν να βρουν οστά εκεί, πιθανόν να χρειαστεί να κοσκινίσουν το χώμα γύρω από το στρατόπεδο που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για να δημιουργηθεί η περιμετρική προστασία και να ψάξουν για οστά σε εκείνο το χώμα… Όμως και πάλι, δεν είμαστε εξουσιοδοτημένοι για τέτοιες αποφάσεις: Η αρχή είναι η Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων και αυτή είναι μια απόφαση που αυτοί θα πάρουν ή όχι. Από αυτούς εξαρτάται… Το ανθρωπιστικό μας έργο είναι να τους δείχνουμε με συνέπεια πιθανούς τόπους ταφής, να μοιραζόμαστε εθελοντικά τις πληροφορίες και να τους βοηθούμε στην αναζήτηση τους για τους «αγνοουμένους». Αυτό μόνο…
Εφόσον είμαστε στην Επηχώ, θέλω να δείξω στους ερευνητές και ένα άλλο πιθανό τόπο ταφής που τους είχα δείξει πριν από 11 χρόνια που δεν έχει ερευνηθεί. Είχαμε δείξει το μέρος αυτό στους λειτουργούς της ΔΕΑ αρκετές φορές και επίσης είχα γράψει αυτά που μου είχε πει ένας κύριος μάρτυρας και τα δημοσίευσα στην εφημερίδα YENIDUZEN στις 12 Απριλίου 2008 και αργότερα εκείνες τις μέρες στην εφημερίδα ΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ…
Ο μάρτυρας μας είχε πει:
«Και πάλι αυτός ο άντρας που λέγεται …. σκότωσε ένα άτομο μπροστά στα μάτια μου. Είχε βάλει ένα τραπέζι στο κέντρο της Επηχούς ως επίδειξη και ο …. καθόταν στο τραπέζι. Ο άντρας αυτός επίσης υπηρετούσε ως διευθυντής ενός Γραφείου. Ήταν αυτός που έδωσε την διαταγή να σκοτώσουν. Φορούσε στρατιωτική στολή. Αυτός ο Τουρκοκύπριος λειτουργός είχε πει «Πως μπορείς να πυροβολείς Τούρκους στρατιώτες;» και ο Ελληνοκύπριος στρατιώτης που είχαν πιάσει είχε πει «Πολεμούσα»… Και μετά είπε «Είσαι ένοχος διότι πυροβόλησες με σφαίρα τον Τούρκο στρατιώτη…»
Και μετά γύρισε και είπε «Όμως, θα σε αφήσουμε να φύγεις και θα πας στο Έξω Μετόχι εκεί κάτω… Υπάρχουν Ελληνοκύπριοι εκεί…»
Αυτός ο Ελληνοκύπριος στρατιώτης είχε πάει σε κάποιες Τουρκοκύπριες γυναίκες στην Επηχώ για να ζητήσει νερό. Και οι γυναίκες εκείνες τον παρέδωσαν σε αυτόν τον Τουρκοκύπριο. Ο Τουρκοκύπριος αυτός είχε ένα πολυβόλο Thompson και είχε βάλει ξιφολόγχη στο όπλο αυτό και τον έσπρωχνε με την ξιφολόγχη, και είχε φέρει αυτόν τον Ελληνοκύπριο δίπλα μας… Αυτό ήταν στο κέντρο του χωριού… Ήμασταν παιδιά και βλέπαμε τις λεηλασίες εκείνες τις μέρες… Είχαν πάρει τα πράγματα που λεηλάτησαν από το Έξω Μετόχι και τα κατέγραφαν, ακόμα δεν τα είχαν διαμοιράσει… Υπήρχε μια τσάντα τύπου «James Bond», άνοιξαν αυτή τη τσάντα με ένα μαχαίρι και από μέσα έπεσαν πολλές φωτογραφίες… Ήταν φωτογραφίες γυμνών γυναικών, η τσάντα ήταν γεμάτη με αυτές τις φωτογραφίες… Η τσάντα αυτή ήρθε με τα πράγματα που λεηλατήθηκαν από το Έξω Μετόχι στην Επηχώ… Ο ιδιοκτήτης της τσάντας αυτής προφανώς είχε βγάλει γυμνές φωτογραφίες της φιλενάδας του… Κοιτάζαμε εκείνες τις φωτογραφίες… Υπήρχε ένα βιβλιάριο επιταγών… Ο Τουρκοκύπριος είπε «Το βιβλιάριο επιταγών είναι δικό μου!» - τι καλό θα του έκανε αυτό το βιβλιάριο επιταγών;!!!
Τότε είδα τον άλλο Τουρκοκύπριο να σπρώχνει τον Ελληνοκύπριο στρατιώτη προς εμάς – ο άντρας με τη ξιφολόγχη… Ενώ παίζαμε με την τσάντα τύπου James Bond, ήρθαν… Σε πέντε λεπτά, έστησαν «δικαστήριο» - ήταν ο …. που έστησε το δικαστήριο. Είχε άσπρα μαλλιά και ήταν ο διευθυντής ενός Γραφείου για πολλά χρόνια… Πέθανε πριν από μερικά χρόνια. Έδωσε τη διαταγή (να πυροβολήσουν και να σκοτώσουν) και ο Ελληνοκύπριος στρατιώτης γύρισε και δύο σφαίρες έφυγαν από εκείνο το όπλο Thompson, μια από αυτές τον κτύπησε στο γοφό… Φώναζε και έπεσε κάτω… Ο άντρας με το όπλο Thompson, που το όνομα του ήταν …., έβαλε το πόδι του πάνω στον άντρα που έπεσε… Έβγαλε τη σακούλα του με τις σφαίρες του… Όμως είχε γεμάτο γεμιστήρα… Ο Ελληνοκύπριος ούρλιαζε…. Έβαλε στις σφαίρες μια μια στο όπλο του και τον πυροβόλησε στο κεφάλι…
Μετά έβγαλε τα άρβυλα του και είπε «Ελάτε παιδιά, πάρτε άρβυλα!» ρίχνοντας τα άρβυλα σε μας… Και τον πήρε από τα πόδια και υπάρχει αυτό το ιερό που ονομάζεται «Seydali» στην Επηχώ, ακριβώς απέναντι από εκεί, έβαλε ένα δεμάτι από άχυρο και έβαλε εκεί το σώμα του νεκρού Ελληνοκύπριου, μετά έβαλε ακόμα ένα δεμάτι από άχυρο και έβαλε φωτιά και έφυγε… Τον έκαψε… Για μέρες φαίνονταν τα χέρια αυτού του νεκρού άντρα… Ξέρεις γιατί τα χέρια ενός καμένου ατόμου είναι πάνω; Ρωτά το Θεό «Γιατί;;»
Νομίζω αυτός ο άντρας ήταν δάσκαλος… Ή αυτή ήταν η εντύπωση που είχα… Και μετά τον έθαψαν εκεί… Που; Μέσα στα 200 τετραγωνικά μέτρα εκείνου του χωραφιού, είναι εκεί… Τον έθαψαν στην επιφάνεια. Τα πόδια του είχαν καεί εντελώς…»
Μετά από 11 χρόνια, δείχνουμε ξανά το μέρος αυτό – δεν έχουν γίνει εκσκαφές εδώ… Ο μάρτυρας μου τους λέει ότι πριν από χρόνια, μια μέρα άρχισε να παίρνει χώμα από εδώ και οι χωριανοί του είχαν πει να σταματήσει… «Θα βρεις τα οστά εκείνου του Ελληνοκυπρίου που θάψαμε εκεί… Μην πάρεις χώμα από εκεί» του είχαν πει… Μας το είχε πει αυτό αρκετές φορές στη διάρκεια των ετών καθώς ερχόμασταν να τον δούμε με άλλους ερευνητές της ΔΕΑ… Είχε δείξει αρκετές φορές το μέρος αυτό στη ΔΕΑ… Είχαμε δείξει το μέρος αυτό μαζί και με άλλους μάρτυρες, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του ατόμου που ήταν τότε παιδί που είχε δει την ταφή με τα μάτια του… Τίποτε δεν έγινε μέχρι τώρα έτσι χωρίς να χάσουμε την προσοχή μας ότι χρειάζεται να συνεχίσουμε να βοηθούμε τους συγγενείς των «αγνοουμένων», δείχνουμε το μέρος για ακόμα μια φορά στο Ρωμανό και τη Sila…
Ενώ βρισκόμαστε εκεί, ένας Τουρκοκύπριος από την περιοχή μας προσεγγίζει για να δει τι κάνουμε…
«Ενοικιάζω το μέρος αυτό» λέει…
Του εξηγούμε τι κάνουμε. Φαίνεται ότι τώρα δίνει τη συγκατάθεση του αν η ΔΕΑ θελήσει να σκάψει εδώ…
Όμως αργότερα, μαθαίνω ότι η ιδιοκτήτρια του χωραφιού δεν δίνει τη συγκατάθεση της… Ίσως οι ερευνητές να μπορέσουν να την επισκεφτούν ξανά και να προσπαθήσουν να την πείσουν…
Υποψιάζομαι ότι ο Ελληνοκύπριος που ίσως να είναι θαμμένος εδώ μπορεί να είναι ένας από εκείνους τους 45 Ελληνοκύπριους που κάποιοι Τουρκοκύπριοι πήραν από το σπίτι της Φρόσως Δήμου στη Βώνη και που σκότωσαν και εξαφανίστηκαν… Εργαζόμουν σε αυτή την υπόθεση για πολλά χρόνια και πρόσφατα βοηθήσαμε να βρεθούν τα οστά πέντε «αγνοούμενων» Ελληνοκυπρίων στην πρώην χωματερή της Επηχούς που είχαμε δείξει στη ΔΕΑ και τρεις από εκείνους τους Ελληνοκύπριους έχουν τώρα ταυτοποιηθεί από τη ΔΕΑ με εξετάσεις DNA, και αποδείχτηκε ότι ανήκαν στην ομάδα των 45, που πήραν από το σπίτι της Φρόσως Δήμου στη Βώνη το 1974…
Μέχρι τώρα τα οστά 35 ατόμων από εκείνη την ομάδα 45 ατόμων έχουν βρεθεί αλλά χρειάζεται να βρούμε ακόμα 10 «αγνοούμενους» Ελληνοκύπριους από εκείνη την ομάδα…
Τους είχαν πάρει έξω από τη Βώνη, περίπου στο Beykeuy και τους πυροβόλησαν αλλά κάποιοι είχαν προσπαθήσει να διαφύγουν όταν μπλόκαραν τα όπλα των Τουρκοκυπρίων καθώς προσπαθούσαν να τους σκοτώσουν… Κυνήγησαν εκείνους που διέφυγαν και προσπάθησαν να τους πιάσουν και να τους σκοτώσουν… Πιστεύω ότι ο άντρας που σκοτώθηκε στο κέντρο της Επηχούς, μπορεί να είναι ένας από αυτούς που προσπάθησαν να διαφύγουν… Αν καταφέρουμε να τον βρούμε εδώ, και μετά με εξετάσεις DNA από τη ΔΕΑ, θα ξέρουμε σίγουρα ποιος ήταν και η οικογένεια του δεν θα περιμένει άλλο για νέα του… Θα μπορεί να πάει πίσω κοντά τους για κατάλληλη ταφή με ανθρώπινη αξιοπρέπεια…
Ευχαριστώ όλους τους αναγνώστες μου και μάρτυρες που με βοηθούν εθελοντικά και ευχαριστώ το Ρωμανό και τη Sila που ήρθαν μαζί μου για να τους δείξω κάποιους πιθανούς τόπους ταφής έτσι ώστε να συνεχίσουν το έργο τους για τους «αγνοουμένους» της Κύπρου…

Photo 1: Περιοχή στη Βώνη σημειωμένη με κόκκινο, την οποία είχαμε υποδείξει στη ΔΕΑ πριν από 11 χρόνια και που ακόμα δεν έχει ερευνηθεί ή εκσκαφεί

Photo 2: Οι ερευνητές της ΔΕΑ Sila και Ρωμανός στην Επηχώ, στον πιθανό τόπο ταφής που είχαμε υποδείξει πριν από 11 χρόνια και που δείχνουμε ξανά


(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper in Greek on the 3rd of March 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published in Turkish in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" on the 25th of January 2019 and here is the link:

http://www.yeniduzen.com/sindeden-kayip-edilmis-iki-cobanin-ve-voniden-kayip-edilenlerin-izinde5-13540yy.htm