«Imagine there is no countries…»

«Imagine there is no countries…»

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 99 966518

A young woman, a talented journalist, Esra Aygin goes to Strasbourg with a group of journalists with the invitation of the European Parliament to follow the sessions and `skips` one of the sessions to go to the `imaginary` German-French `border`… She wants to cross `the border` and speak with the people living there…
Esra Aygin has done the type of journalism very much needed in Cyprus where our drama is suffocating us, stealing our breath away… I want to share with you what the young Turkish Cypriot journalist Esra Aygin has written… Here is what she says:
`I have tons of questions to those who live on the French-German border where millions of lives were lost throughout wars spanning over hundreds of years. What do they feel? How do they live together after countless wars, pain and destruction? Did they really manage to form a common life? Can hatred, lack of trust and enmity be overcome? I think of these as I travel towards the `Pont de l'Europe Bridge` in a taxi.
I am startled with the voice of the taxi driver:
"Voila madame, Le Pont de l'Europe!"
Here in front of me instead of a `border` there is only the River Rhine between France and Germany and on the bridge over the Rhine there are only people riding bicycles, taking their dogs for a walk, fishing and people walking… As a traumatized Cypriot who cannot travel within a tiny island without filling papers, showing identity cards and undergoing controls, my eyes impulsively search for a barrier, a wall, some sort of barbed wire, an official in uniform, a police cabin or at least a `line` even if symbolic. While crossing the bridge, I realize that I automatically reach inside my bag, ready to `draw` my ID any moment and I laugh at myself!
As I freely cross the bridge between France and Germany – the opposing sides of the Second World War which was stage to unbelievable massacres, I realize I am in Germany as I see the sign "Bundesrepublic Deutschland" in front of me… It's a very beautiful day. I go into the park stretching along the Rhine at the town Kehl. My first encounter is with a 23 year old young teacher, Yannick. He has a class of crèche students aged 3-4 years old. He has taken them for an outing in the park and under my scrutiny, he speaks to them both in German and French. He tells me that more and more kids are now learning both languages in the crèche, kindergarden and elementary school. And in secondary school both German and French are compulsory.
`The war was a stupid thing… We now live together. I am German but I don't feel any different from a French` he says. `Don't you have any conflicts or problems?` I insist. `There is no difference between us, we are the same` he says. His great grandfather had fought against the French during the Second World War. `If he saw how you lived now, how would he feel?` I ask him. `I am sure he would be very happy` he answers me.
Leaving behind Yannick with the kids who are getting really bored by now, I continue to walk. My next target is Niklas who is walking his dog. `Do you live here?` I ask him. `It's a difficult question` he says, `actually I live both in France and Germany.` He must have understood how surprised I am, SO he continues to explain: `My girlfriend is here in Germany and I work in France. Therefore I stay in both places, sometimes here, sometimes there…`
I ask him how it feels to be able to go back and forth like this between two countries with a history full of wars:
`Being free is wonderful` he says.
I approach another person who is taking a walk. Yann is a French taxi driver. He says that every morning he crosses to Germany in order to take a walk in the woods. As I bombard him excitedly with questions, he smiles at me and says, `The war was long time ago. Is it so surprising that we have no discriminations amongst us anymore and that we live in peace?` Yes, unfortunately for me it is surprising. I feel shame…
I get out of the park and walk towards the centre of the town Kehl. There is a small market set up in the centre. I watch the sellers and the customers. I hear them speaking both in French and German. And sometimes the conversations that start in French end in German. I approach a woman, whom, from her conversation I gather must be French. I ask her why she is shopping here… `Because here is much cheaper than Strasbourg` she says. According to Ingrid, many people who live in Strasbourg do their shopping for food at Kehl which is much cheaper.
`But don't the French officials react against this? You are contributing to the German economy instead of the French economy…` I tell her. From the way she looks at me I understand that what I say does not mean anything to her, it is not even comprehensible! She works at a French elementary school in Strasbourg. She explains to me that the French kids take some lessons at a school in Germany within the framework of exchange programs and some German kids coming to her school for certain lessons. I ask her what she thinks about the past. `The French and the German realized that war brought nothing to them` she says, `If you want to live, you need to stop living in the past…`
From the people I talk to I understand that around 60 thousand cars cross between Strasbourg and Kehl each day. A lot of French prefer to live in Kehl and work in Strasbourg since the property prices are lower in Kehl. They particularly shop for food, clothes, alcohol and cigarettes from Kehl and for luxuries from Strasbourg. For a quiet day in a small town, to take walks and spend time in the park they prefer Kehl and for city life, cultural activities and fun they prefer Strasbourg. The majority speak both languages with ease. The number of mixed schools are on the increase. The youth especially don't see any differences between themselves and `the other`.
Just as I begin to think that such lack of `national consciousness` is getting too much for my Middle Eastern mind, Ingo Wilmer comes to my help. He is a 53 year old musician who says that sometimes living on the `border` of France and Germany is `too much` for him. `The youngsters speak both German and French. They live whichever side they want and work wherever they want. Here it is no longer possible to understand who is French and who is German. They have no national identities` he says. I can read his discomfort from his face and from the tone of his voice… He tells me that his father fought against the French during the Second World War. But immediately after, he adds: `What can we do, at least there is peace and quiet…`
As I walk back towards the bridge to return to Strasbourg, I feel a bit stupidified by this experience, which has affected me more than I could have imagined. On the way to the bridge I suddenly encounter two street singers. The song they are playing is very familiar. My eyes fill with tears:
Imagine there's no countries.
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...`

17.1.2015


Photo: The bridge between Germany and France.

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 22nd of February 2015, Sunday.

`Living in a different Cyprus…`

`Living in a different Cyprus…`

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 00 357 99 966518
00 90 542 853 8436

Our young friend, a peace activist, Orestis Agisilaou sends me another article about his ideas of `Living in a different Cyprus…` His open mindedness and eagerness for communication is amazing: He refuses the standard behaviour of many on either side and takes his own stand, forms his own ideas and not only that, he practices what he preaches… This is a bit rare for an island like ours where in principle people don't dare `leave the flock` in case the `wolf` would get them! It is quite rare for a youngster to speak his or her mind despite `policies` of their own authorities and the `mainstream` mentality… Orestis Agisilaou says:
`In 1960 Republic of Cyprus was founded, a state which was organized by the two Cypriot communities, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot community. But unfortunately, the Greek and the Turkish nationalisms were stronger and they drove this new state to dissolution three years only after its establishment. In 1974 the permanent division came. Greek Cypriots moved to South and Turkish Cypriots to North. One violent and barbed wire divided the country into two parts but also every Cypriot's soul.
The time goes on. The older people slowly die and the younger ones come. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live at the places which they were told to stay and live the life which were told to live. The most negative thing of the division is that Cypriot people are living as two strangers. It is like there are two countries and two Cypriot people. The common meeting and celebrations of the past are no more common but Greek and Turkish. The memories of the peaceful past tend to disappear. The communication and the relationships are little. The younger generations grow up in the Greek and Turkish propaganda and sometimes they never meet at least one person of the other community.
Personally I have denied to compromise with this situation. I have decided to live in a different Cyprus, in a whole Cyprus with all its citizens. For many people crossing the borders of shame is lese-majesty. But for some others, including me, is passage for knowing the other half of our country and for meeting with the other half of Cypriot population. I have made many relations with Turkish Cypriots. With some of them I have made relationships stronger than the familiar ones. I have shared with them many experiences, thoughts, feelings, common dreams and hopes and many common fights for a united Cyprus. All of these facts have made me to believe that as some bodies try to divide the country, they will never succeed to divide the heart and the soul of people.
I believe that the solution of the Cyprus problem starts from the people. If the leaders manage to find one day a political solution but people continue to hate each other, the division will be permanent. So, people should make the extra effort to lay the foundations for a new Cyprus. Working together we can keep alive the flame of our common Cypriot identity and we can still hope in a better and united Cyprus.`
Another group, `Drasy/Eylem` as though echoing the ideas of young Orestis Agisilaou have recently published `10 steps towards rapprochement`… They said:
• We should visit the other side regularly
• We should try to communicate with people on the other side, creating friendships and collaborations
• We should support all bi-communal- rapprochement activities
• We should support the peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem and the inter-communal talks for a bi-zonal bi-communal federation, without foreign armies
• We should support the creation of a broad bi-communal movement of citizens and workers, to promote a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of the interests of society
• We should promote the common struggle against nationalism and partitionist policies
• We should promote the culture of peace, democracy, diversity and tolerance
• We should promote the historical truth, regardless of the nationality to which we belong
• We should help in the finding of `missing persons` with honesty and courage
• We should work to create a bi-communal front of social resistance against the austerity policies
All of these can be done, provided there would be `wise leadership` in Cyprus in both communities…
There are also ideas we can use from Judith Herman, a well-known psychiatrist and researcher, author of books on `Trauma` like `Trauma and Recovery`… Cyprus is an island with at least half a century of traumas untreated and unspoken together… If we want to live in a different kind of Cyprus as Orestis is suggesting and dreaming, we must first face our traumas together… She writes:
`The first stage of dealing with and overcoming such problems, and of any helpful therapy or counselling, is about:
•Getting a 'road map' of the healing process.
•Setting treatment goals and learning about helpful approaches to reaching those goals.
•Establishing safety and stability in one's body, one's relationships, and the rest of one's life.
•Tapping into and developing one's own inner strengths, and any other potentially available resources for healing.
•Learning how to regulate one's emotions and manage symptoms that cause suffering or make one feel unsafe.
•Developing and strengthening skills for managing painful and unwanted experiences, and minimizing unhelpful responses to them.`
Both our communities need to address together their unspoken traumas and their suffering…
According to her, then one can move to the second stage:
`This stage of recovery and treatment is often referred to as 'remembrance and mourning.'
The main work of stage two involves:
•Reviewing and/or discussing memories to lessen their emotional intensity, to revise their meanings for one's life and identity, etc.
•Working through grief about unwanted or abusive experiences and their negative effects on one's life.
•Mourning or working through grief about good experiences that one did not have, but that all children deserve.
The third stage of recovery focuses on reconnecting with people, meaningful activities, and other aspects of life…`
(https://1in6.org/men/get-information/online-readings/recovery-and-therapy/stages-of-recovery/judith-hermans-stages-of-recovery/ )
In Cyprus, the psychiatrists and psychologists are not cooperating, journalists are not cooperating, lawyers are not cooperating, leaders are not cooperating in order to try to help create the foundations of a better Cyprus. It is only trade unions and some political parties who are cooperating and that too is quite limited…There are some civil society NGOs who are cooperating but those too do not necessarily touch the heart and soul of Cypriots as Orestis is saying…
Our soul has been hurt and no one will treat our soul unless we create ways to treat it ourselves… In this chaotic world, no one is interested in our traumas and how they affect our lives – no one will cure Cyprus, only if we set out to do it together, we can find consolation and peace in this war torn country of unspoken truths… Instead of trying to `solve` the whole messy Cyprus problem – the efforts can still continue – why don't the leaders get together informally to call on civil society to start speaking together about their traumas, their sufferings, their dreams, their visions… The UN will not do it, the EU will not do it, Turkey and Greece and UK will not do it – it is the Cypriot communities who have to start and push for reconciliation – reconciliation will not be all rosy and pink – we would have to create an atmosphere of empathy so we can at least make an attempt at understanding each other's traumas and sufferings and
see how we can create empathy for each other… We would need to create a road map for our `healing process` as Judith Herman suggests, we would need a time for `remembrance and mourning` and we would need to see how we can refocus and recreate the broken relationship of the two main communities of our island…
Perhaps it's a dream but I will always continue to find ways out of the darkness and try to stop things from getting worse… I will always try to carry a small torch to show that there can be brighter and better days in Cyprus but for this, we must face the past, the traumas and the truth of what actually happened in the past 50 years together… Only then, we might have some hope for our children to survive on this island…


10.1.2015

Photo: A photo from the opening of the chechpoints in 2003...

(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 15th of February 2015, Sunday.

Humanity wins in Paralimni…

Humanity wins in Paralimni…

Sevgul Uludag

caramel_cy@yahoo.com

Tel: 00 357 99 966518
00 90 542 853 8436

On the 30th of March 2012, three years ago, in my article in POLITIS, published on these pages I had written about our visit to Paralimni to meet a Greek Cypriot reader who was going to show us the possible burial site of some Turkish Cypriot `missing persons` from 1964… We had gone together with my dear friend, also a `relative` of `missing persons`, Christina Pavlou Solomi Patsia from Komikebir. Since my reader did not speak any English and I do not speak any Greek – only few words – Christina would act as my translator… We had asked the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee to come as well but stay elsewhere in Paralimni – my Greek Cypriot reader had only one condition: He would only show the well to me and not to the committee. I would show them after my reader would leave the area… I had written about this visit three years ago… Here is what I wrote back in March 2012:
`... Today, on the 16th of March 2012, Friday, that's what exactly we are up to: We are travelling with my dear friend Christina all the way to Paralimni to meet a Greek Cypriot reader of mine who had called me and wanted to show me a well where he says some Turkish Cypriots, `missing` since 1964 are buried.
We reach the randezvous and follow his car – I do not know his name, I didn't ask and will not ask him, unless he wants to tell me who he is. We sit in his workshop sipping our coffee while he tells his story and Christina translates for me. I do not speak Greek, I can understand a little, I know a lot of words but I cannot form sentences to speak properly – therefore Christina translates what he's saying...
He was barely a 13 year old boy, playing in this area when during a wedding ceremony, there was news that they brought some Turkish Cypriots, taken from Famagusta to this area to be killed and buried in a well... In the field where the well was were some young carob trees... He would sit on one of his favourite trees, watching the area, curious like a fox – we all remember what it means to be 13 years old and to hear such news! Any kid would be curious like a fox to find out more...
It must have been May 1964 when a lot of Turkish Cypriots were taken from NAAFI where they worked and also those travelling on the roads... It had been after the killing of a Greek Cypriot and two Greek officers who entered the walled city of Famagusta on the 11th of May 1964. There followed a series of kidnappings of civilian Turkish Cypriots travelling on the roads or being taken from their working places like the Barclays Bank or NAAFI in Famagusta... Around 30-40 Turkish Cypriot civilians went `missing` on the 11th of May and the following days, in `retaliation` and `revenge` for the one Greek Cypriot and two Greeks killed in Famagusta. We managed to find the remains of some of those Turkish Cypriots but still there are more `missing`.
With my Greek Cypriot reader, we go to see where the well might be...
`It's within this area` he points out. `This was a well with no water and people were throwing rubbish in the well. They killed and buried them but the one on top was not buried properly... Someone passing by had seen the hand of one of the Turkish Cypriots buried in that well sticking out, therefore maybe they took only one out but the rest must be in the well... When they killed and buried them, in the following days, they brought a tractor and saw the field and cultivate it quickly so the well would not be visible because the relatives of Turkish Cypriots were coming to Paralimni and searching for their `missing` relatives... The Turkish Cypriots were coming in this area together with the UN and for 10 days looking for them. Nobody spoke... This whole area was an empty place and you could see the sea from here... Some years later they built another well in this area – at that time you could only open another well 80 feet away from the well you
had. So you can find this well I think – and here's a map of the area...`
We stand next to a very old carob tree... No visible well here but we will find out...
`In those times, people were illiterate... They had a different life... Now, people are more educated and know more... Let's hope that this will never happen again in Cyprus... Both sides killed, both sides did terrible things... Now we have more educated generations, I think these things will not happen in the future...`
We thank this kind hearted man and leave to go and find the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee in order to take them here and show them the possible burial site. We meet Xenophon Kallis, Murat Soysal and Okan Oktay from the committee and show them the place that my reader has shown us...
I thank my reader for sharing with me what he knew; I thank Christina for helping us to communicate and coming with me all the way to Paralimni... I thank Kallis, Okan and Murat Sosyal from the Missing Persons Committee for coming with us to Paralimni so that we could show them the possible burial site of some Turkish Cypriots still `missing` from May 1964 from Famagusta area... If my reader's information is true, it will bring a little bit of relief to the relatives of those `missing` and will give them back something precious that they can hold on to as they would go into mourning for their loved ones...`
The good news comes at the ceremony where I was presented the European Citizen's Award given by the European Parliament – the ceremony took place at the Cyprus office of the European Parliament and after I was presented my award, Mr. Nestoras Nestoros comes to congratulate me and says, `They started finding remains in the well in Paralimni!`
`But that's the well we showed!` I tell him…
`Yes, I know!` he says…
`This is the most wonderful gift I could ever receive on this day!` I exclaim… I feel so happy that the exhumations have begun and already they started finding remains of the `missing persons` buried in that well that we had shown…
`They started finding remains at five meters` Mr. Nestoras explains to me – all that day, I would be smiling… I had been crying in the ceremony, thinking back of all that had happened in the past 14 years that I have been working on the untold stories of our land… I had been happy but sad at the same time thinking of all the attacks, all the hate campaigns, all the inhuman behaviour I had been exposed to in order to be able to reach where we are now… I had been happy that the European Parliament was recognizing our voluntary efforts and rewarding our struggle for the truth… But Mr. Nestoros made my day: I would be all smiles, thinking that more remains of Turkish Cypriot `missing` would be returned to their relatives so they can all finally rest…
My heartfelt thanks go to my Greek Cypriot reader who showed us this place, shared what he knew and gave us a map… Thanks so much to my dear friend Christina for helping out… By the time this article is written they have already found the remains of three "missing persons" in the well that my reader has shown to us… We will see if there are more people buried in that well as the exhumations continue…
Once again humanity wins on this island, in Paralimni: There were those who did evil things but there are those who have human hearts and who do not remain silent – they pave the way for healing this wounded soil with their kindness and humanity…
I call my Greek Cypriot reader to inform him that they started finding the remains of the `missing` in the well he had shown us and thank him and when he understands who I am he says `Efharisto para para poli!` (Thank you sooo much!). I ask Christina to call him to thank him because maybe he did not understand who I was but no, he understood perfectly well who I was and he knows that remains are being found… He says to Christina `It is my obligation to say thank you because I had a heaviness in my heart because I was young and I saw what happened… And I didn't have the courage to come forward and talk about it… Now that they found them, I feel light in my heart and I feel happy… Thank you for helping to find them…`

31.1.2015

Photo: Together with the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee at the burial site in Paralimni...

(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 8th of February 2015 Sunday.

Σκοτωμένος για μια τσιακκιλομηχανή…

Σκοτωμένος για μια τσιακκιλομηχανή…

Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Τηλ: 99 966518

Ο Κυριάκος Κωνσταντή Χατζησωτήρη γεννήθηκε το 1918 στην Κώμη Κεπήρ – το 1974 ήταν μόλις 56 χρονών – ένας αγρότης με τρία παιδιά… Κατ' ακρίβεια ήταν θείος της Χριστίνας Παύλου Σολωμή Πατσιά – η Χριστίνα μου εξήγησε όταν την ρώτησα:
«Είχε 3 παιδιά, 1 κόρη (τη Σαλώμη) και 2 γιους (τον Τάκη και τον Κωστάκη). Η γυναίκα του ονομαζόταν Μαρία και ήταν πρώτη ξαδέλφη της μητέρας μου. Ο Κυριάκος ήταν αδελφός του θείου μου Αντώνη Κωνσταντή Χατζησωτήρη (ήταν αγνοούμενος και τον βρήκαμε στην ομάδα της Απελάνδρου και θάφτηκε στις 18 Απριλίου 2008). Η γυναίκα του ήταν αδελφή της μητέρας μου. Ήταν αγρότης, όπως όλοι στην Κώμη Κεπήρ. Η κόρη του έφυγε για την Αγγλία μετά το 1974 και τώρα ζει μερικούς μήνες εκεί και μερικούς μήνες εδώ. Οι γιοι του ζουν στην Αγγλία.»
Ο Κυριάκος φρόντιζε τη δουλειά του και περίμενε να δει τι θα συνέβαινε όταν μια μέρα, στις 22 Σεπτεμβρίου 1974, ένας Τουρκοκύπριος από το χωριό του, ένας συγχωριανός του πέρασε από το σπίτι του. Αυτός ο Τουρκοκύπριος πήγε στο σπίτι του Κυριάκου για να κλέψει τη τσιακκιλομηχανή του.
Ο Κυριάκος διαμαρτυρήθηκε:
«Μην την πάρεις, πλήρωσα για αυτή τη τσιακκιλομηχανή» είπε στο συγχωριανό του.
Όμως ο Τουρκοκύπριος δεν σταμάτησε…
«Αν δεν την φέρεις πίσω θα πάω και θα κάνω παράπονο στην αστυνομία» είπε ο Κυριάκος.
Ίσως να μην κατάφερε ποτέ να πάει για να κάνει παράπονο στην αστυνομία αφού εκείνη τη μέρα ορισμένοι Τουρκοκύπριοι από το χωριό του, που «κανόνιζαν τις δουλειές» σαν «καουμπόηδες» τότε στο χωριό, ήρθαν στο σπίτι του και τον πήραν. Έγινε «αγνοούμενος»…
Είχα μάθει ότι τα οστά του αναγνωρίστηκαν από την αγαπητή μου φίλη Χριστίνα Παύλου Σολωμή Πατσιά.
Τα οστά του βρέθηκαν σε ένα πηγάδι στα Λειβάδια – κοντά στην Κώμη Κεπήρ…
Κατ' ακρίβεια ήταν ένα πηγάδι που είχαμε δείξει μαζί με τους αναγνώστες μου στην Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων…
Πρώτα ήταν ένας αναγνώστης από τη Γαλάτεια που μου είχε δείξει αυτό το πηγάδι και μου είχε πει την ιστορία. Υπήρχαν φήμες στην περιοχή ότι ένας ιερέας είχε θαφτεί σε αυτό το πηγάδι. Δεν γνωρίζαμε τότε ότι δεν ήταν ιερέας αλλά ο Κυριάκος Κωνσταντή Χατζησωτήρη που είχε σκοτωθεί και θαφτεί εκεί...
Το πηγάδι ήταν ανάμεσα σε αμπέλια… Κοντά υπήρχαν κάποιες συκιές… Και μια πολύ ξεχωριστή αχλαδιά με πολύ μικρά αλλά πολύ εύγευστα αχλάδια…
Είχα πάει εκεί με ένα άλλο αναγνώστη από την Γαλάτεια και αυτός επίσης μου είχε δείξει την ίδια περιοχή…
Είχα πάει μαζί με τους Τουρκοκύπριους και Ελληνοκύπριους λειτουργούς της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων δύο ή τρεις φορές για να τους δείξω την περιοχή αυτή και να τους πω αυτά που είχα ακούσει από δύο διαφορετικούς αναγνώστες από το χωριό Γαλάτεια… Αυτό ήταν πριν από 5 χρόνια, δηλαδή το 2010…
Μετά από μερικά χρόνια όταν ξεκίνησαν οι εκσκαφές στο χωράφι με τα αμπέλια, μια από τις Τουρκοκύπριες αναγνώστριες μου που δεν γνώριζα, μου τηλεφώνησε – μου είπε ότι ένας από τους στενούς της συγγενείς γνώριζε την ακριβή θέση του πηγαδιού – το πηγάδι είχε κλειστεί από εκείνο τον καιρό έτσι όταν έβλεπες το χωράφι έβλεπες μόνο αμπέλια, κανένα πηγάδι… Φοβόταν αλλά βρήκε το κουράγιο να μου τηλεφωνήσει και να μου πει ότι ήθελε να βοηθήσει… Συμφωνήσαμε ότι ένα άτομο από την ομάδα των αρχαιολόγων θα την επισκεπτόταν και θα της
ζητούσε νερό, έτσι θα είχε πρόφαση να πάρει το στενό της συγγενή στο χωράφι για να πάρουν νερό στους αρχαιολόγους. Τηλεφώνησα στην Arzu, μια από τις αρχαιολόγους, για να τη ρωτήσω αν μπορούσε να πάει και να επισκεφτεί το σπίτι της αναγνώστριας μου και να ζητήσει νερό και η Arzu το έκανε πρόθυμα – στο τέλος τα πράγματα ήρθαν θετικά και η αναγνώστρια μου πήγε στο χωράφι με το στενό της συγγενή και είπε στο συγγενή «Κοίτα πόσο σκληρά εργάζονται σε αυτό τον καυτό ήλιο, ψάχνοντας το πηγάδι! Πρέπει να τους βοηθήσουμε…» και ο συγγενής
έδειξε την ακριβή θέση του πηγαδιού… Ο συγγενής της δεν είχε καμία ανάμειξη με τη δολοφονία του Κυριάκου αλλά είχε δει που τον είχαν θάψει…
Τελικά στη διάρκεια των εκσκαφών βρέθηκαν οστά… Ακόμα δεν γνωρίζουμε σε ποιους ανήκουν τα οστά και πρέπει να περιμένουμε για την ταυτοποίηση με DNA για να μάθουμε… Και τελικά έμαθα από τη Χριστίνα ποιος ήταν: Ο θείος της που είχε σκοτωθεί για μια τσιακκιλομηχανή…
Είναι σπάνιο να μαθαίνω ποιος βρέθηκε στις περιοχές που είχαμε δείξει στην Κυπριακή Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων με τους αναγνώστες μου και με μάρτυρες διότι κανένας δεν με ενημερώνει για την αναγνώριση των οστών. Μόνο αν είχα βρει μέσω των δικών μου ερευνών ποιος μπορεί να είχε θαφτεί εκεί και αν προσπαθούσα να το παρακολουθήσω ίσως να ήξερα έτσι ώστε να πάω και να επισκεφτώ τους συγγενείς και να πάω στην κηδεία… Τις περισσότερες φορές, οι συγγενείς των «αγνοουμένων» που είχα βοηθήσει να βρεθούν τα οστά με
ενημερώνουν για τα αποτελέσματα της ταυτοποίησης με DNA και με προσκαλούν να πάω στην κηδεία… Θα ήμουν ευγνώμων, αφού και εγώ θα έκλεινα ένα κεφάλαιο με το να παραστώ στην κηδεία – θα μου έφερνε χαλάρωση μετά την σκληρή δουλειά για να βρω τα οστά ενός «αγνοουμένου» όταν πραγματικά πάω και παρακολουθήσω την κηδεία και είμαι παρούσα όταν όλοι λέμε τον τελευταίο αποχαιρετισμό σε εκείνο το άτομο που παρέμεινε στον πάτο του πηγαδιού ή σε ένα χαντάκι ή σε ένα χωράφι διασκορπισμένος ή πάνω σε ένα λόφο για 40 ή 50 χρόνια και τώρα
τελικά τους θάβουμε κατάλληλα… Κατά καιρούς ρωτούσα τους λειτουργούς της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων για αυτό ή εκείνο τον τόπο ταφής που είχαμε δείξει και όπου είχαν βρεθεί οστά για να δω αν έχει ολοκληρωθεί η ταυτοποίηση με DNA και πότε θα γίνονταν οι κηδείες – κάποτε μάθαινα και κάποτε όχι…
Ένα περιστατικό που με λύπησε πολύ ήταν η ιστορία του κρανίου – ένας από τους αναγνώστες μου μου είχε δώσει ένα κρανίο για να το δώσω στην Κυπριακή Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων – είχε βρει αυτό το κρανίο ενός «αγνοουμένου» ενώ κυνηγούσε και το κράτησε στο σπίτι… Μετά από τόσα άρθρα κάθε μέρα, ο αναγνώστης αυτός είχε «ευαισθητοποιηθεί» και τόλμησε να μου τηλεφωνήσει και να επιστρέψει το κρανίο που είχε κρατήσει στο σπίτι του για τόσα πολλά χρόνια. Την ίδια μέρα που πήρα το κρανίο, τον πήρα στην περιοχή στον Κουτσοβέντη για να μας
δείξει που μπορεί να το είχε βρει ενώ κυνηγούσε πριν από πολλά χρόνια. Έδειξε περίπου τον πιθανό τόπο ταφής σε εμένα και τους αρχαιολόγους. Την ίδια μέρα είχα δώσει το κρανίο στην Επιτροπή για ανάλυση DNA…
Το κρανίο είχε μεγάλη επίδραση πάνω μου: Ήταν ένα νεαρό άτομο, «αγνοούμενος» που είχε πυροβοληθεί στο μάτι… Μέρος του κρανίου είχε καταστραφεί από σφαίρα που διαπέρασε το κεφάλι… Όμως τα δόντια του – ήταν απίστευτο πόσο όμορφα δόντια είχε… Δεν υπήρχαν σφραγίσματα, γδαρσίματα, όλα άσπρα και αστραφτερά και ακέραια… Τα δόντια του ήταν τέλεια, δείχνοντας μου πόσο νεαρός ήταν… Ήθελα πάρα πολύ να μάθω μετά την ανάλυση DNA ποιος ήταν αυτός ο νεαρός «αγνοούμενος», έχοντας κρατήσει το κρανίο του στα χέρια μου…
Φυσικά κανένας δεν μου είπε – έμαθα τυχαία ποιος ήταν δύο βδομάδες μετά την κηδεία του… Ήταν ένας πολύ νεαρός άντρας, 23 χρονών, παντρεμένος – ήταν από το χωριό Αλάμπρα… Ζήτησα από την ψυχολόγο της Κυπριακής Διερευνητικής Επιτροπής Αγνοουμένων Katy Mangerdjian να δει αν η οικογένεια θα δεχόταν να με δει… Μετά από μερικούς μήνες πήρα ένα σημείωμα από την Katy ότι η γυναίκα του θα με συναντούσε αν πήγαινα να την επισκεφτώ στην Αλάμπρα… Θέλω πάρα πολύ να το κάνω αυτό τις ερχόμενες βδομάδες… Η καρδιά μου ακόμα κρατά εκείνο το κρανίο που
κράτησα στα χέρια μου και θα πω επίσης στον αναγνώστη μου που μου είχε δώσει το κρανίο ότι τελικά βρήκαμε ποιο ήταν αυτό το άτομο… Και αυτός θα εκτιμήσει την πληροφορία αυτή… Με αυτό τον τρόπο, θα δώσουμε ένα όνομα, ένα πρόσωπο, μια ιστορία, σε ένα «άγνωστο» κρανίο που είχε βρει στις πλαγιές του Κουτσοβέντη μια μέρα ενώ κυνηγούσε…
Και φυσικά το Σάββατο 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2015 θα πάω στη Λάρνακα για να παραστώ στην κηδεία του Κυριάκου Κωνσταντή Χατζησωτήρη και να συναντήσω τα παιδιά του… Θα πάμε μαζί με την φίλη μου τη Χριστίνα… Θα πω επίσης στους αναγνώστες μου από τη Γαλάτεια και στην αναγνώστρια μου από ένα άλλο χωριό στην περιοχή ποιο ήταν αυτό το άτομο που βοήθησαν να βρεθούν τα οστά του… Και αυτοί θα εκτιμήσουν τις πληροφορίες αυτές…
Ευχαριστώ όλους τους αναγνώστες μου που βοηθούν σε αυτή τη διαδικασία με τις πληροφορίες που δίνουν… Μακάρι όλοι που έχουμε βρει με τη βοήθεια τους να αναπαύονται εν ειρήνη και μακάρι να εργαστούμε περισσότερο για να βρούμε αν είναι δυνατόν όλους τους άλλους που ακόμα περιμένουν θαμμένοι κάτω από ένα δρόμο, στον πάτο ενός πηγαδιού, στην κορυφή ενός λόφου, σε ένα χωράφι…

POLITIS – 1.2.2015

Killed for a cement machine (tsiakkilomihani)…

Killed for a cement machine (tsiakkilomihani)…

Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518

Kyriakos Contanti Hadjisoteri was born in 1918 in Komi Kebir – in 1974 he was barely 56 years old – a farmer with three children… In fact, he was an uncle of Christina Pavlou Solomi Patsia – when I asked, Christina would explain:
`He had 3 children, 1 daughter (Salomi) and 2 sons (Takis and Kostakis). His wife was called Maria and she was first cousin to my mother. Kyriakos was a brother of my uncle Antonis Kostanti Xadjisotiri (he was missing and we found him in the group of Apelandros and he was buried 18 April 2008). His wife is my mother's sister. He was a farmer, as all of the people in Komi Kebir. His daughter left for England after 1974 and now she is few months there and few months here. His sons are living in England.`
Kyriakos was tending to his business and waiting to see what would happen when one day on the 22nd of September 1974, a Turkish Cypriot from his village, a co-villager stopped by. This Turkish Cypriot went to the house of Kyriacos in order to steal his cement machine (tsiakkilomihani).
Kyriacos protested:
`Don't take it, I paid for this cement machine` he told his co-villager.
But that Turkish Cypriot would not stop…
`If you don't bring it back I will go and complain to the police` said Kyriakos.
Perhaps he never got the chance to go and complain to the police since that day a few Turkish Cypriots from his village who were `running the affairs` like `cowboys` in the village at the time came to his house and took him away. He went `missing`…
I would find out that his remains had been identified from my dear friend Christina Pavlou Solomi Patsia.
His remains had been found in a well in Livadia – a village close to Komi Kebir…
In fact it was a well that together with my readers, we had shown to the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee…
First it was a reader from Galatia who had shown this well to me and had told me the story. There were rumours in the area that a priest had been buried in this well. We did not know at the time that it was not a priest but Kyriakos Constanti Hadjisoteri who had been killed and buried here…
The well was among some plantation of vines… Nearby was some fig trees… And a very special pear tree with tiny but very tasty pears…
I had gone there with another reader from Galatia and he too had shown me the same area…
Together with the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee I had gone there two or three times to show them this area and tell them what I had heard from two different readers from Galatia village… This was five years ago, that is in 2010…
After a few years when the excavations began in the field with the vines, one of my Turkish Cypriot readers whom I did not know would call me – she would tell me that one of her close relatives knew the exact location of the well – the well had been closed from that time so when you looked in the field you would only see the vines, not a well… She was afraid but still conjured enough courage to call me and tell me that she wanted to help… We agreed that one person from the team of archaeologists could visit her and ask for water and this way she would get a pretext to take her close relative to the field in order to bring some water to the archaeologists. I would call one of the archaeologists, Arzu, to ask her whether she could go and visit my reader's house and ask for water and Arzu would willingly do that – finally things would work out and my reader would go to the field with her close relative and tell her relative, `Look how hard they
are working under this burning sun, looking for the well! We must help them…` and her relative would show the exact location of the well… Her relative had nothing to do with the killing of Kyriakos but he had seen where they had buried him…
Finally during the exhumations, remains would be found… We still did not know whose remains these were and would have to wait for DNA identification to find out… And finally I would find out from Christina who he was: Her uncle who had been killed for a cement machine…
It is rare that I would find out who had been found in the areas we have shown to the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee with my readers and with witnesses because no one would inform me about the identification of the remains. Only if I had found out through my own investigations who might have been buried there and tried to follow it up, perhaps I would know in order to go and visit the relatives and to attend the funerals… Most of the time, the relatives of `missing persons` whom I had helped to find the remains would inform me about the results of the DNA identification and they would invite me to attend the funerals… I would be grateful since I too would be closing a chapter by attending the funeral – it would bring me release from working hard to find the remains of a `missing person` when I would actually go and attend the funeral and be present when we would all say our last goodbyes to that person who had remained at the bottom of a well
or in a ditch or in a field scattered around or on top of a hill for 40 or 50 years and now finally we would bury them properly… From time to time I would enquire from the officials of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee about this or that burial site we had shown and where remains had been found to see if DNA identification have been finalized and when there would be the funerals – sometimes I would find out and sometimes not…
One incident that made me very sad was the story of a skull – one of my readers had given me a skull to give to the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee – he had found this skull of a `missing person` while hunting and had kept it at home… After so many articles every single day, this reader had been `sensitized` and bold enough to call me and give back the skull he had kept for so many years at home. On the same day that I got the skull, I would also take him to the area in Koutsovendi to show us where he might have found it during hunting many years ago. He would show me and the archaeologists the rough location of the possible burial site. On the same day I would give the skull to the Committee for DNA analysis…
The skull had made a big impact on me: He was a young person, `missing` who had been shot from his eye… Part of the skull was destroyed from a bullet that went through the head… But his teeth – it was amazing how beautiful teeth he had… There was no fillings, no scratches, all white and shiny and intact… His teeth were perfect, showing me how young he had been… I wanted very much to find out after the DNA analysis who this young `missing person` had been, having held his skull in my hands…
Of course no one would tell me – I would find out accidentally two weeks after his funeral who he had been… He had been a very young man, 23 years old, married – he had been from Alambra village… I would ask the psychologist of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee, Katy Mangerdjian to see if the family would accept to see me… After a few months I got a note from Katy that his wife would meet me if I go to visit her in Alambra… This, I want to do very much in the coming weeks… My heart still holds on to that skull I held in my hands and I would also tell my reader who had given me the skull that we finally found out who this person had been… He too, would appreciate that information… In this way, we would be giving a name, a face, a story to an `unknown` skull that he had found on the slopes of Koutsovendis during hunting one day…
And of course I will go to Larnaka in order to attend the funeral of Kyriakos Constanti Hadjisoteri on the 7th of February 2015 Saturday and meet his children… We will go together with my friend Christina… I will also tell my readers from Galatia and my woman reader from another village in the area who this person was that they helped to find the remains… They too would appreciate that information…
I thank all my readers who are helping in this process with the information they bring… May all those we have found with their help rest in peace and may we work more to find if possible all the others who still wait buried under a road, at the bottom of a well, on a hilltop, in a field…


25.1.2015


Photo: Kyriacos Constanti Hadjisoteri...

(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 1st of February 2015, Sunday.