Notes from the funeral of Nicolas Kaniklides from Kythrea… Sevgul Uludag Tel: 00 357 99 966518 00 90 542 853 8436 Only now he is coming back to his family, 39 years after he had been killed… Only now he is having a funeral – he's been taken from the unmarked burial site to this place in a small coffin. He had been 77 years old when he was killed, the `missing` Nicolas Kaniklides – a civilian shot on the veranda of his house in Kythrea from a military jeep passing by, opening fire on him… Today, on the 25th of May 2013, his family is holding a burial ceremony for him in the church at the Agios Constantinos and Eleni Cemetery in Nicosia. Nicolas Kaniklides had only been 15 years old when he went to Nicosia to his uncle to apprentice to become a goldsmith – but this profession proved to be difficult for him and he gave it up, going to America for work. In America, he never forgot his beautiful village Kythrea… Even if you live in the most beautiful country, you always take your homeland in your heart and you look at the sky and you search the sky you were born under, you look at the mountains and you miss your own hills – one can never forget the place one is born in and that's why perhaps, missing Kythrea and the Kefalovriso he would come back from America to settle in his village, get married with the sister of Kypros Kolios, Mirofora and start his own farm… He would grow corn and cabbage, molohiya and all sorts of vegetables. He would have his own farm and lots of land around the Turkish Cypriot village Beykeuy. Therefore there would be Turkish Cypriots working for him, in his farm. Since he was a generous person, people would love him and respect him. Today, in this funeral, we are finding out details of his life that we didn't know – I have come here together with my dear friend, relative of `missing`, Maria Georgiadou who is from Kythrea. Her uncle Giannis Orphanides had been married with the sister of Mirofora Kaniklides… `The Kolios family is a very big family` she explains to me, `and so are the Kaniklides…` The little church is packed so people also stand or sit outside in the yard, under the shade of the trees. It is hot but we can't feel that since the pine trees refresh the yard… I go to meet the son of Nicolas Kaniklides, Andreas and his beautiful wife Despo… Despo must have been extraordinarily beautiful and this is still so visible… Despo is from the Roussou family Maria explains to me. I also meet Ritsa, the daughter of Nicolas Kaniklides – both thank me for attending the funeral. Mirofora Kaniklides passed away years ago with a broken heart – she could not see this day when her husband's remains are being returned to the family. One of the sons of Nicolas Kaniklides, Costakis who had owned a bookshop had also passed away… He could not see also the return of his father's remains… If it is one thing to make people `disappear`, it's another crime to make them wait for 40 or 50 years to determine their fate and return their remains – already not only the wives but also the sons or daughters of the `missing persons` in both sides are passing away and this inhuman, almost endless waiting is passed on to the next generation, that is the grandchildren… Already Andreas Kaniklides, the son of Nicolas Kaniklides is approaching his 70s, the age when his father went `missing` and has been waiting almost 40 years to get back the remains of his father, just like other children of the `missing persons` in both sides. Maria tells me that Ritsa Zambakides, the daughter of Nicolas Kaniklides has had many painful infortunes in her life – her father was `missing`, her husband died at a young age, her son was killed when a bomb exploded during a military exercise… I shake the hand of this painful woman and she smiles at me, thanking me for coming to the funeral. We started actively searching for the burial site of Nicolas Kaniklides together with Maria Georgiadou back in 2006 when I had an interview with her late uncle Giannis Orphanides – he had told me how he had seen Kaniklides killed and lying on the outside steps of his house and how he and Andreas Pantazis Pramadeftis had been buried by some villagers and some Turkish Cypriots. When we investigated with Maria, we found out that the possible burial site of Kaniklides and Pramadeftis was behind the Alaminos Martyrs' Monument in Kythrea, in the backyard of a house. In January 2009 we had shown this possible burial site to the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee together with Maria and in the following days, we also arranged to take some witnesses to confirm this burial site to the Committee. Excavations began and on the 27th of January 2009, the remains of two `missing persons` were found in the site we had shown. Now with the DNA tests, it has been confirmed that one of them is Nicolas Kaniklides. For the second person, more DNA samples are being sought from the family of Andreas Pantazis Pramadeftis. I see the son of Pramadeftis, George Pantazis at the funeral. `Soon my sisters are coming from abroad and they will also give DNA for testing` he says – he's waiting to get back the remains of his father and bury him after 39 years… When the ceremony begins, the church choir starts singing hymns… Maria roughly translates for me the words of one of the hymns that she likes: `When death comes, nothing remains but the shadows… Where is the gold? Everything has become dust… When death comes nothing remains… Neither the riches, nor the glory… I saw some bones in a grave and I wondered If this person was rich or poor Was he a king or a slave?` The first speech is from the Minister of Economy, Harris Georgiades – he is from Kythrea and I had listened to his speech in another funeral as well, on the 21st of April 2013 when we had buried eight `missing` persons from Neachorio Kythrea whose remains we had found with the help of one of my Turkish Cypriot readers. Harris Georgiades makes a beautiful and sensitive speech - `It is impossible to describe those days` he says, `now we must not be divided, we must move unified… We must move together so that such terrible things don't happen in our country again… We must take responsibility and be sensible so that such terrible things don't happen in our country in the future…` The mayor of Kythrea, Petros Kareklas also speaks – he tells us of the life of Nicolas Kaniklides, starting from his youth… `We can't bury Nicolas Kaniklides in the Kythrea cemetery` he says, `which is an indication of why we must solve the Cyprus problem. We are a partner of the European Union; we must ask from them to do everything they can to solve this problem… The solution must be just so that it would have meaning for all the lives lost…` Then Lucas Orphanides, the cousin of Maria speaks in the name of the Kythrea Association – his brother Nicos is also here – they are the sons of the late Giannis Orphanides… Nicos works in the Ministry of Education and publishes literary magazines. Then comes the emotional and touching speech of the grandson of Nicolas Kaniklides, Marios Zambakides… Maria roughly translates for me all the speeches… Marios Zambakides says, `Our grandfather is a hero for us… He did not leave the village; he remained to protect everything… Grandfather you will always be for me my beloved grandfather, my friend. I will never forget the stories you told me… I can't believe that you have been killed; I still think that you are living in Kythrea and have gone to collect corn from our farm… I used to go everywhere with you, in the streets of Kythrea, in the coffee shop, in the farm… You helped a lot of people grandfather – you helped also Turkish Cypriots in their difficult days, taking to them cigarettes and food. You were never afraid of anything; I think that's why you have been killed… Thanks to those who helped to find and identify his remains…` The ceremony ends and as our names are announced we go to lay flowers and wreaths in front of the little coffin containing the remains of Nicolas Kaniklides and look at his photo for a few seconds… Today, one more family is getting back the remains of their `missing` relative – since we have been able to contribute to this together with Maria, we are both happy although we are also sad because of the funeral… From now on he won't be lying in an unmarked burial place but in a cemetery where all his family, grandchildren and the 20 sons or daughters of grandchildren can visit him… Another wound will start slowly closing, tears will gradually stop and one more family at last will find a little bit of peace on this earth… 25.5.2013 Photo: Nicholas Kaniklides (*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 2nd of June 2013, Sunday. |
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