YENİDÜZEN
Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler...
Sevgül Uludağ
*** Sekiz yıl önce kaybettiğimiz Mihalis Kirlitças anısına…
Kıbrıs'taki katliamları kendine dert edinen ressam Mihalis Kirlitças anlatıyor…
Sevgül Uludağ
8 sene önce Mihalis Kirlitças'ı kaybettiydik... Işıklarda olsun...
Mihalis Kirlitças, olağanüstü bir insandı... YENİDÜZEN'de "Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler" sayfalarımızda onunla yaptığımız geniş röportajı Aralık 2008'de yayımlamıştık...Mihalis Kirlitças bütün ömrünü barış, demokrasi ve özgürlük mücadelesine adamış bir insandı... Bir aktivistti, bir sendikacıydı, bir eylem adamıydı... Aynı zamanda bir ressamdı...Henüz 1989 yılında Larnaka'da bir sergi açmıştı... "Atlılar, Terazi ve Dohni'de öldürülen 229 Kıbrıslıtürk'ün anısına" adını verdiği bu sergide Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar katliamı ile Dohni-Terazi katliamında öldürülenler için yaptığı resimleri sergilemişti. Larnaka Belediyesi bu resimlerden birisini satın alıp belediyenin duvarına astıktan sonra Kirlitças'a saldırılar başlamıştı. Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti parlamentosunda bu resim tartışma konusu olmuş, bazı aşırı sağcı parlamenterler, Kirlitças'ı "hainlik"le, bir resmini satın alan Larnaka Belediyesi'ni de "Türk propagandasını finanse etmekle" suçlamışlardı.Mihalis Kirlitças, özellikle Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar katliamını çok geniş biçimde araştırmış, bildiklerini bizlerle bu sayfada yayımlanan röportajında çok ayrıntılı biçimde paylaşmıştı... Bunlar, katliamla ilgili çok değerli bilgilerdi... Kirlitças, 11 Kıbrıslıtürk'ün "Kayıp Otobüs"ünü de çok iyi araştırmıştı – Oroklini'de bir kuyuya gömülen ve Kayıplar Komitesi kazılarında onlardan geride kalanlar bulunup da ailelerine iade edilen bu "kayıp" Kıbrıslıtürkler'in ailelerinin her yıl anma gününde Oroklini'de çok iyi biçimde karşılanıp ağırlanması için organizatörlerden birisiydi... Hayatını barışa adamıştı, hastalık onu vuruncaya kadar da ömrünü böyle geçirmişti...İki toplumlu barış gruplarının organizesinde gönüllü olarak aktif yer alan, pek çok afişe imzasını koyan, ünlü Che takvimini hazırlayan Kirlitças'ın pek çok Kıbrıslıtürk arkadaşı da vardı...Bu olağanüstü insan, bir süreden beridir kanserle boğuşmaktaydı... Sekiz sene önce böyle bir günde yaşamını yitirdi... Adamız, olağanüstü bir evladını zamansız yitirdi... Cenazesi Oroklini köyünde yapıldı... Kıbrıs'ta barışseverlerin başı sağolsun... Yeri kolay kolay doldurulamayacak bir boşluk bıraktı geride... Nurlar içinde yatsın...
Onunla YENİDÜZEN'de "Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler" yazı dizimizde yaptığımız geniş röportajı, onun çok değerli anısına tekrar yayımlıyoruz… Bu röportaj Aralık 2008'de YENİDÜZEN'deki sayfalarımızda yayımlanmıştı…
Kirlitças'la 2008'de yaptığımız röportaj şöyleydi:
"Mihalis Kirlitças, Kıbrıs'ta tanıyabileceğiniz en ilginç insanlardan biri... Öncelikle onun 60 yaşında olduğuna bir türlü inanamıyoruz – Tony ve ben, tabir caizse, az daha oturduğumuz yerden düşüyoruz! Çünkü hiçbir şekilde 60 yaşında göstermiyor... Belki de bu, onun aktivist yaşamından, dünyayla her dönem enternasyonal bağlarından, Oroklini köyünde kendine kurduğu sessiz, sakin ve dingin yaşamdan kaynaklanıyor...
Mihalis için "olağanüstü" bir insan tanımlaması yapabilirim... Henüz 1989 yılında Larnaka'da bir resim sergisi açıyor – sergi "Peygamberler ve Şairler" başlığını taşıyor... Nazım Hikmet anısına yaptığı resimler de var ve bu sergiye koyduğu resimlerden birini Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar ve Dohni'de öldürülen Kıbrıslıtürkler'in anısına ithaf ediyor... Resimi Larnaka Belediyesi satın alıyor ve o zaman kıyametler kopuyor! Güney Kıbrıs'taki Temsilciler Meclisi'nde bazı milletvekilleri, Larnaka Belediyesi'ni bu resmi satın almakla "Denktaş'ın propagandasına para yatırmakla" suçluyorlar!
Mihalis'i görmeye Tony Angastiniodis'le birlikte gidiyoruz çünkü Mihalis onun arkadaşı... Kaç zamandır Tony, onunla mutlaka konuşmam gerektiğinden söz ediyordu – nihayet bu röportajı ayarladığımızda, doğa da bize bir jest yapıp güneşli bir gün armağan ediyor...
Mihalis Oronklini köyünde yaşıyor... Beni, yazılarımdan tanıyor – konuştukça ortak arkadaşlarımız olduğunu keşfediyoruz... Stüdyosunda oturuyoruz... Her taraf büyük boy yağlıboya resimlerle dolu... Bunlardan bir tanesi Lefkonuk'ta öldürülen Melenikas'ın portresinin de bulunduğu bir resim... Lorca ve Che'nin de yağlıboya portreleri asılı... Mihalis, Tony'yle birlikte asma kata bir kitap aramaya çıktıklarında, ben de arkalarından yangın merdivenini andıran daracık basamakları tırmanıyorum – tam karşımda Adalı'nın yağlıboya tablosunu gördüğümde, hayretler içinde kalıyorum! Altında Türkçe olarak "Yaseminler koparılamaz!" yazıyor! Bu resmi, Kutlu Adalı öldürüldükten birkaç yıl sonra yaptığını anlatıyor... İşte o zaman onun başka yağlıboyalarını daha önce görmüş olduğumu hatırlıyorum! Evet! Ayhan Hikmet, Ahmet Muzaffer Gürkan, Kutlu Adalı, Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu ve Kostas Mişaulis'i birarada gösteren bir çalışmasını YENİÇAĞ gazetesinin duvarında asılı görmüştüm! Demek Mihalis, o ressam... Yurdunda ve dünyada olup bitenlere son derece duyarlı Mihalis Kirlitças, bize Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar katliamında rol almış bazı kişileri de anlatıyor... Mihalis Londra'da yetişmiş çünkü o doğmadan çok önce, babası İngiltere'ye göç etmiş... Ancak 1980'li yıllarda Kıbrıs'a döndüğü zaman, Muratağa katliamıyla ilgili ayrıntıları tesadüfen öğrenmiş... Lefkonuk'ta 1958 yılında Melenikas'ı "hain" olduğu gerekçesiyle taşlayarak öldüren Grivasçı ekipten bazılarının, Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar'daki katliama karıştıkları anlaşılıyor... En azından emir-komuta zincirinde karşımıza çıkan bazı isimler bunu gösteriyor gibi...
1964 yılında Yusuf Tosun'un sürdüğü, içinde toplam 11 kişi bulunan Larnaka'dan Dikelya'ya giderken "kayıp" olan otobüsün hikayesini biliyor – otobüste bulunan insanlar geçtiğimiz aylarda şu anda Mihalis'in yaşadığı köy olan Oroklini'de yapılan kazılar sonucu ortaya çıkarılmıştı... Tosun'a ait otobüste bulunanların öldürülüşüne tanık olan ve küçük bir şirosu bulunan bir köylünün, o günlerde onları gömmeye zorlandığını, bu yüzden bir süre sonra adamın aklını yitirdiğini anlatıyor... Tarlalarda çalışırken otobüstekilerin başına gelenleri uzaktan izleyen bir kadının da bir süre sonra çıldırdığını anlatıyorlarmış...
Otobüsün kaybolduğu günlerde, Oroklini'nin girişinde, sahilde bulunan bir evde, bir Kıbrıslırum'la birlikte yaşayan bir Kıbrıslıtürk'ün de öldürüldüğünü anlatıyor bize... Bunu da köye yerleştikten sonra anlatılırken duymuş... Bir Kıbrıslırum'la birlikte yaşayan ya da evli olan bu Kıbrıslıtürk acaba kimdi? "Kayıplar listesi"nde adı bile bulunmayabilir – çünkü o günlerde Kıbrıslıtürkler'le Kıbrıslırumlar evleneceği zaman isimlerini ve dinlerini değiştirmek zorundaydılar... Bu yüzden adı "kayıplar listesi"ne girmemiş olabilir diye düşünüyoruz...
Oroklini, bu köyde yaşayanların çok iyi bildiği, ancak dışarıda telaffuz edilmeyen "sırlarla" dolu... Oroklini'ye tekrar giderek, bu "sırlar"la ilgili konuşmak isteyen insanları belki bulabiliriz... Mihalis'le tekrar buluşmak üzere sözleşiyoruz...
Oroklini'ye giderken bize gülümseyen doğa, dönüş yolunda sanki kararıyor... Belki de anlatılanlar içimizi karartmış – katliamlarla ilgili somut verilere ulaştıkça, katillerin portreleri kendiliğinden ortaya çıktıkça, durum daha da mide bulandırıcı oluyor...Belki bundan, Tony'yle dönüş yolunda pek az konuşuyoruz – arabaya sessizlik hakim oluyor... Arada bir öğrendiğimiz yeni şeyleri, eskiden bildiğimiz parçalarla birleştiriyoruz ama sonra yine sessizlik...
Mihalis Kirlitças'la röportajımız şöyle:
SORU: Mihalis, soyadın "Kirlitças" ne anlama geliyor?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: "Kirli" sözcüğünden geldiği söyleniyor... Büyükbabamın lakabı idi bu... Harika bir insandı o gerçekten!
SORU: Adı neydi?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hristus... Lefkonuklu'ydu büyükbabam... Ancak röportaja başlarken şunu söylemek istiyorum: Şu anda bulunduğumuz noktada, benim için esas olan geçmişi deşmek değildir. Benim için esas olan, bizim tek bir halk olduğumuzu ve çözümün kesinlikle vazgeçilmez olduğunu gerçekten anlayan insanları birleştirmektir. Referandum sonrası hayatımı bu çerçevede yaşıyorum... Referandum öncesi de herşey "Hemen barış! Hemen çözüm! Adamızı hemen birleştirmeliyiz!" çerçevesinde idi...
SORU: Biraz ailenden söz eder misin?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Annem Flamudi'dendir (Mersinlik) – bu esas olarak Venedikli nüfusa sahip bir köydü. Babam ise Lefkonuklu'dur (Geçitkale). Babam, gerçekten olağanüstü insanların bulunduğu bir ailede büyüme şansına sahipti... Bunu, dedem olduğu için söylemiyorum... Annemin adı Hristalleni'dir. Annemin dedesinin soyadı "Skudella" idi...
SORU: "Skudella"nın ne anlama geldiğini biliyor musun?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hayır... Ancak tek bildiğim, birkaç yıl önce bir İtalyan filmi seyretmiştim – filmin sonunda teknisyenlerden birinin soyadının "Skudella" olduğunu görmüştüm! Çok etkilenmiştim bundan! Babamın babası yani Hristus Kirlitças, çok ama çok özel birisiydi. Neden öyleydi? Çünkü Hristus, hastaları tedavi ederdi... Hatta Pergama'da iki toplumlu buluşmalardan birinde Mandrez'den bir Kıbrıslıtürk kadınla tanışmıştım – bu kadın doğduğu zaman tüm kol ve bacakları çıkıkmış... Doğumundan birkaç saat sonra onu Lefkonuk'a götürmüşler, büyükbabama... Bizim evde kalmışlar iki hafta boyunca – ve büyükbabam onu iyileştirmiş!...
SORU: Tıpkı benim büyükdedem Karakadı gibi yani! Ona da "Lapta Büyücüsü" ("Magos tin Lapithos") derlerdi – büyücü olduğundan değil, hastaları iyileştirmesinden, hayvanları evcilleştirmesinden ötürü!...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Dedem yetenekliydi, kendi kendini yetiştirmişti, büyüyle ilgisi yoktu bunların, bilimle alakası vardı... Tahta parçaları, bandajlar kullanırdı, zeytinyağı ve masaj kullanıyordu. Büyükbabam, aslında Kıbrıslıtürk arkadaşlarıyla birlikte olmayı daha çok tercih ediyordu... Çok iyi dansederdi – çok iyi şarkı söylerdi her iki dilde de, Rumca da ama daha çok Türkçe... Herhangi birisinin elini öpmeme karşıydı, o insanın eli öpülmeye gerçekten layık olması gerekirdi, elini öpmem için. Papazların elini öpmeme bile izin vermezdi! Çok havalı bir anarşistti yani! Amcalarımdan biri bir hayvanı dövdüğü için 70 yaşın üstündeki büyükbabam, ona vurmuştu!
Kıbrıslıtürkler köyden kovulduğu zaman, Kıbrıslıtürk arkadaşlarından birini evine almıştı... Ancak adı neydi onun, hatırlamıyorum...
Bir yandan TMT bir tarafa çekiyor, Kıbrıslırum faşistler de itiyordu ve bir şekilde çabalarını koordine etmiş olmalılar çünkü sonuçta bu yüzden 1960'larda köyün "temizlendiğini" hatırlıyorum – boş evleri hatırlıyorum, o boş evlerin yanından geçerken hayaletimsi atmosferi hatırlıyorum köyde...
SORU: "Ganimet" yapıldığını hatırlıyor musun?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Kıbrıs'ta değildim ki... Ben Londra'da doğdum, 1946'da...
SORU: Yani Lefkonuk'ta büyüdün, öyle mi?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hayır, hayır! Londra'da doğup büyüdüm... Babam, Lefkonuk'tan 9-10 yaşlarındayken ayrılarak Mağusa'ya gitmişti – terzi olacaktı. Küçük bir çocuktu ancak o dönem "illegal" olan sendikal harekete katılmıştı... Çıraktı... Küçücük yaşında sendikal harekete katıldığı için, bilmeden Kıbrıs Komünist Partisi'yle bağlantı kurdu – devrim, dünya tarihi gibi konularda eğitim aldı... Onun adı da Mihalis, tıpkı benimki gibi... Babamda bir damlacık bile ırkçılık ya da milliyetçilik bulamazsınız... Böyle bir şey yoktur! Yani doğru şeyi söyler, doğru şeyi yapar anlamında değil, doğasında böyle bir şey yok yani adamın! Biraz atlayarak gidiyorum anlattıklarıma ama örneğin 1950'li yılların sonlarında pek çok Kıbrıslıtürk, yaşamlarından endişe ederek Kıbrıs'tan ayrılıyordu – gelip Londra'da bizde kalıyorlardı mesela, bunu hatırlıyorum...
SORU: Yani baban, sendikal harekete ve Kıbrıs Komünist Partisi'ne katıldıktan sonra Londra'ya gittiydi...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Londra'ya gittiydi evet... 1935-36 yıllarıydı – çok gençti o zaman.... Yine terzilik yapıyordu...
SORU: Nerede yaşıyordunuz Londra'da?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Camden Town, Holloway... Ben de orada doğdum...
SORU: Bu arada annen ne yapıyordu?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: O da dikiş makinelerinde dikiş dikiyordu fabrikalarda... O günlerde bu fabrikaların sahipleri İtalyanlar ya da Yahudiler idi... Bunu da hatırlıyorum... Kadınlarla erkeklerin çalıştığı bu atölyeleri hatırlıyorum – o günlerde bu atölyelerin sahipleri gerçekten ilericiydiler, bunu da hatırlıyorum.
SORU: Onları neden böyle tanımlıyorsun?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Örneğin İngiltere'de işçiler işçiydiler ve o günlerde bir sınıf bilincine sahiptiler – yabancı işçiler, şimdiki yabancı işçiler gibiydiler... Daha iyi bir yaşam peşindeydiler... İspanyol ya da İtalyansalar, hayatta kalabilmek için kaçmışlardı ülkelerinden. Bazı fabrika sahipleri de böyleydi... Eğer Yahudi ya da İtalyan veya İspanyolsaydılar, antifaşisttiler ve hayatta kalabilmek için kaçmışlardı ülkelerinden. Tabii, kar etmek zorundaydılar da! Böyle bir durum yani... Çok ilerici, çok aydın bir çevreydi bu söylediğim... Babam sürekli kitap satın alıyordu – çok şanslıydık çünkü örneğin Yunanistan'dan ya da Commonwealth (Ortak Pazar) ülkelerinden, mesela Rodezya, Güney Afrika, Kenya vs. gibi ülkelerden sürgüne gelen kişileri tanımıştık...
SORU: Yani bağı vardı... Yani hareketle bağını sürdürdü!
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Tabii! Babam harekete tümüyle bağlıydı – bu yüzden hiçbir zaman para kazanmadı – çok usta bir terzi olduğu halde, kendi adına para kazanmadı. İngiltere'de de, Kıbrıs'ta da partinin kuruluşunu gerçekleştirdi onun kuşağı... 1960'lı yılların başlarına kadar hayatına egemen olan şey partiydi... Ve biri iç, biri de dış nedenlerden ötürü, o ve onun gibi binlercesi AKEL'le ters düştüler. İç neden ENOSİS idi... ENOSİS kararı hiçbir zaman, partinin herhangi resmi bir organı tarafından kabul edilmiş değildi – hiçbir zaman resmi olarak kabul edilmiş değildi.
SORU: Yani baban, ENOSİS düşüncesine karşıydı demek istiyorsun...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, elbette! Tüm eski kuşak ve bazı liderler de buna karşıydı... Plutis Servas da karşıydı buna... Dış neden ise, Sovyetler Birliği'nin rolünün değişmesiydi... Emperyalizmle, şovenizmle çeşitli uzlaşılardı... Ve babam gibi insanlar hakkında kovuşturmaya gidildi, onlara çamur atıldı, Stalinizmin en kötü biçimini yaşadılar böylece – babam Stalin'i seviyordu oysa... Stalinizmin en kötü öğeleri kullanıldı onlara karşı – toplantılarda aşağılandılar mesela...
SORU: Yani tüm bunlar Londra'da oluyordu...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, Londra'da oluyordu, bazı şeyler de Kıbrıs'ta oluyordu. Elbette bu eski yoldaşların tek hatası, bir araya gelip örgütlenmemiş olmalarıydı... Hiçbir zaman örgütlenmediler – suçlanıyorlardı, öyleyse örgütlenmeliydiler ama yapmadılar bunu... Aynı şey bugün de geçerlidir. İnsanlar söyleneceğine ya da sessiz kalacaklarına, örgütlenmelidirler...
SORU: Yani böylesi bir ortamda büyüyordun sen... Büyürken Kıbrıs'la herhangi bir bağın var mıydı? Senin için "Kıbrıs" neydi yani?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bebekken getirmişti annem beni Kıbrıs'a. Sonra da gidip geliyorduk... Biraz karışıktır bu hikaye – annem beni Kıbrıs'ta bırakacaktı, olmadı bu, geri gittim falan filan... 1960'ta gelmiştik Kıbrıs'a – 14 yaşlarında falandım, gene Kıbrıs'ta kalma niyetiyle gelmiştik. Ancak babam aptal değildi, iklimi hissedebiliyordu, Kıbrıs'ta neler olduğunu görebiliyordu. Zürih anlaşmasını uygulamaya niyet olmadığını görmüştü... Pek çok kişi gibi, o da, perde gerisinde neler olup bittiğini biliyor olmalıydı... Babam hala parti üyesiydi, inatla sürdürüyordu üyeliğini. Ancak Kıbrıs o kadar küçük bir yer ki – mesela bazı liderler ailenizdendir, artı, insanlar dedikodu yaparlar ve kokuyu alabilirsiniz...Eğer uyanıksanız ve naif biri değilseniz, o zaman neler olup bittiğinin kokusunu alabilirsiniz yani... Böylece geriye döndük, Londra'ya...
1974'te Kıbrıs'a geri dönmeyi planlıyorduk – hatta annemle babam Derinya'da küçük bir arsa da satın almışlardı. Bu arsa şimdi "ara bölge"de kaldı! Yani dönüş hazırlığı yapıyorlardı ancak 1974 olayları meydana geldi ve olmadı...
SORU: Bu arada sen ne yapıyordun Londra'da?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Sanat Okulu'na gitmeyi başarmıştım... Bu, öğrenci hareketlerinin patlama yaptığı yıllara rastlıyordu... Vietnam Savaşı yaşanıyordu... Ben de bu savaş karşıtı hareketin örgütlenmesine bütünüyle katılmaktaydım... Pek çok örgütle bağlantımız vardı – böylece Filistinli arkadaşlarımla tanıştım, Türk arkadaşlarımla tanıştım, Zimbabveli dostlarla tanıştım... Koleji bitirince sanayide çalışmaya başladım... Hiçbir zaman resim yapmaktan vazgeçmedim ama öğretmenlik yapmayı falan düşünmüyordum. Sanayide çalışmaya başladım. Bu arada Vietnam savaşına karşı hareketin uluslararası örgütlenmesinde yer alıyordum, Filistin'le dayanışma hareketinde yer alıyordum, sendikal hareketteydim... Hiçbir zaman gerçekten Kıbrıslılar'ın Londra'daki örgütlenmelerine katılmadım – Kıbrıslılar biraz izoleydiler...
SORU: Neden öyleydiler sence?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Para kazanmaya çalışıyorlardı... Öğrenciyken de öğrenci hareketinde değildim – öğrencilerle tek bağlantım da siyasiydi, öğrencilerin sorunlarına yönelik değildi... Çok sıkı çalıştık, bazı şeyler kazandık, bazı şeyler başardık... O yıllarla ilgili ne söyleyebilirim, kestiremiyorum...
SORU: Kıbrıs'a ne zaman döndün?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: 1986'da... Londra'da bir süre sonra herşey zorlaşmaya başlamıştı – bazı yoldaşlarımız hapisteydi, bunun gibi şeyler... Mesela Ford araba şirketinde çalışıyordum, Londra'nın hemen dışında – çok güçlü bir örgütlenmeye gitmiştik orada. İşçilerin çoğunluğu Pencaplı'ydı – biraz da Pakistanlı vardı. Ve fabrikanın benim çalıştığım bölümünde, faşistleri yenmeyi başarmıştık – hatta seçimlerde bile faşistleri yenmiştik. Fabrikaya gittiğimde, beyazlar, yani İngiliz işçiler ağırlıkla, "Milli Cephe" (National Front) gibi faşist partilerde örgütlenmişlerdi... Onları yenmeyi başarmıştık. Birazcık da "proleterya diktatörlüğü"nü hayata geçirmeyi başarmıştık orada! Yeterince güç kazandığımız zaman, ben sendika yetkilisi olarak seçilmiştim – kendi vardiyamda böyleydim... Fabrikaya gazeteler getiriyorduk, bültenler getiriyorduk... Çok iyi gizli bir örgütlenmemiz vardı... Bu süreçte, bir noktada, tuvaletlerde faşist örgütün başkanıyla bir toplantı yapmıştım. Aptal değildiler – çok kurnazdılar. Sapkın diyebileceğim bir tür sınıf bilinçleri vardı bunların... Onlara "Bizlerden herhangi birisine dokanırsanız, faşist bildirilerinizden herhangi birini bu fabrikaya sokarsanız, bundan çok zarar göreceksiniz..." demiştim. Açık bir savaş ilan etmiştik onlara – ya hep, ya hiç'ti durum! Ya onlar, ya biz olacaktık. O noktaya varmıştık. Ve o tarihsel momentte, savaşı kazanmıştık... Bu faşistler bir aileyi öldürmüşlerdi – işçilerimizden birinin evine bomba atmışlardı, molotof kokteyli atmışlardı adamın evine ve karısı ile iki kızı ölmüştü bu bombadan... Sanırım 1983-84 yıllarıydı...
O dönem için kazanmıştık ancak sürekli çatışma vardı – polis sürekli işçilerimizi tutukluyordu... Gerçekten örgütleniyorduk ve yerel cemaatler üzerinde, Londra'nın o bölgesinde önemli bir etki yaratıyorduk – Liverpool'a, Manchester'de büyük etki yaratıyorduk. Hindistanlı İşçiler Örgütü'yle çok güçlü bağlarımız vardı. Bu çok büyük bir örgüttü. Siyah İşçiler Birlik Partisi'yle çok iyi bağlarımız vardı – bu da başka bir Marksist-Leninist örgütlenmeydi... Yani etki yaratmaya başlıyorduk... Böylece hem faşistler saldırıyordu bize, hem de polis. Birkaç yoldaşımız hapse atılmıştı. Ben serbest bırakılıyordum... İyi bir örgütlenmemiz olduğu halde, küçük küçük örgütlenmeler sürdürülebilir değillerdi – sorumluluğu sürdüremezlerdi... Küçük kıskançlıklar giriyordu araya, içten içe bazı şeyler bozuluyordu. İlk eşimle Kıbrıs'a tatil yapmaya gelmiştim. Bir Cuma akşamı gelmiştik – Larnaka dışında bir göçmen köyü olan Koççinos'ta kalıyorduk... Cuma akşamı gelmiştim ve uyumuştum – uyandığımda Pazar sabahtı... Oysa ben Cumartesi sabah olduğunu sanıyordum... Uyumuştum, uyumuştum, uyumuştum! Uyandığımda, kendimi farklı hissetmiştim. İyiydim – dönüp geriye baktığımda tüm o yıllar boyunca deli gibi koşuşturmuş olmalıyım diye düşündüm, "Şunu da yapayım, bunu da yapayım" diye koşuşturup durmuştum. Buradaki durumu da görünce, belki de artık birazcık Kıbrıs'a konsantre olmanın zamanının geldiğini düşündüm. Belki artık geriye çekilip insani katkımı yapmanın zamanının geldiğini düşündüm – benim insani katkım da resimlerimdi ve birazcık da insan gibi yaşamak istiyordum artık. Ben kimdim? Kimdim yani? Böylece Kıbrıs'a dönmeye karar verdim. İngiltere'ye geri gittim, işlerimi hallettim. Bu arada eşimle ayrıldık çünkü Kıbrıs'a gelmek istemiyordu – çok dostça, uygarca ayrılmıştık.
Kıbrıs'a dönmeden önce birkaç sergim olmuştu Londra'da – bunlar çok başarılı olmuştu. Nazım Hikmet'in şiirlerini popülerleştiriyordum. Neden böyle yapıyordum? Çünkü Kıbrıs'ta herkes Nazım Hikmet'i biliyordu ama herkes bir şiirinin yalnızca bir parçacığını biliyordu – "Sen yanmasan, ben yanmasam, nasıl çıkar karanlıklar aydınlığa?" dizelerini... Ve Rumca çevirisi de bu dizelerin bir şiirin parçasından çok kulağa kötü gelen bir slogana dönüştürmüştü... Nazım Hikmet'i popülerleştirmeye karar verdim – pek çok resim yaptım, çok sayıda insan gördü bu resimleri... Pek çok Kıbrıslı gördü bu resimleri Londra'da... İstediğim bir diğer şey, insanların Nazım Hikmet'in hayatını birazcık öğrenmeleriydi – onun da satılmış bazı bürokratlar tarafından kovuşturmaya uğradığını öğrenmelerini istiyordum... Aynı mentalite AKEL'de ve başka yerlerde de vardı! Nazım Hikmet, son şiirlerinden birinde, otobiyografisiyle ilgili olan şiirinde, "Beni partiden atmak istiyorlar" diyordu... "Ancak onların hayatını kolaylaştıracak değilim" diyordu... Nazım Hikmet'e adadığım bu sergiyi gerçekleştirdim. Türk örgütlerle çok çok iyi ilişkilerimiz vardı – ancak bu da sorunlarla karşılaşmaya başlamıştı çünkü Türk komünistler de kendi aralarında kavgaya tutuşmuşlardı! "Birazcık yavaşlayacağım, Kıbrıs'a döneceğim, orada kendi katkımı yapacağım, sade bir yaşam sürdüreceğim – Kıbrıs'ta hala en önemli sorun şovenizmdir" diye düşünüyordum.
Kıbrıs'ta esas olan şovenizme karşı savaşmaktır ve tüm uygar insanları birleştirerek, çocuklarımızı bu korkunç hastalıktan korumaktır – çünkü bu hastalık okullardadır, futbol kulüplerindedir – hatta ana sütüne bile karışmıştır şovenizm!
Kıbrıs'a dönüp AKEL'le çalışmaya başladığımda, onların şovenizme karşı savaşmaya gerçekten ilgi duymadıklarını kavradım... Oysa AKEL üyelerinin %20-30 kadarı çok bilinçli anti-şovenisttirler ve neyin ne olduğunu çok iyi bilirler – ve ilerlemenin tek yolunun toplumda ve partide şovenizmi yenmek olduğunun bilincindedirler. Ortalarda bir yerde olan büyük üye kitlesi de birazcık bunun bilincindedir – ve bir de gerici unsurlar var... İdeolojik olarak zaaflar taşıyan bir liderlik var, onlardan çok daha iyi konumda insanlar vardır oysa. Öyleyse ne yapmalıydı?
Bir hareket yaratmaya çalıştık, partilerin de etkisiyle bunun büyümesini istedik – Ledra Palace'ta, Pile'de, Pergama'da iki toplumlu buluşmalar yaptık – ve bu şahane fırsatı CTP'ye ama esas olarak AKEL'e sunduk. Özellikle AKEL, bu hareketin öncülüğünü yapmaya ilgi duymuyordu!
Öyleyse kimlerle çalışıyorduk? Ta başından Özgür'le, İzzet'le, Durduran'la biraraya gelmiştik... AKEL'i teşvik ediyorduk, bu insanlarla gerçekten konuşsunlar diye...
SORU: Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar katliamıyla ilgili bilgileri nasıl öğrendiğini anlatabilir misin Mihalis?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bu konuda bilgiyi on yıl kadar önce tesadüfen, yaşlı bir kadından öğrendim. Koççines köyünde yaşıyordu – hastaneye gitmişti ve geçmişte köyünde yaşayan bazı Kıbrıslıtürk kadınlarla karşılaşmıştı. 1996-97 yılları olmalıydı.. Kadın, aslında Lefkonuklu'ydu ama Piyi Peristeronalı'ya (Alaniçi) evlenmişti. Bunca yıl aradan sonra, bir zamanlar komşusu olan Kıbrıslıtürk kadınlarla hastanede karşılaşmıştı. Ve bana "Onlar tıpkı kızkardeşlerim gibiydi" diyordu... Onları görmekten çok mutlu olmuştu, çok duygulanmıştı... Ve o zaman bazı şeyleri hatırlamaya başlamıştı... Tesadüfen yanında oturuyordum bu kadının ve bazı şeyleri hatırlamaya başladığında, aniden konuşmaya başlamıştı – eski zamanlarla ilgili konuşuyordu... Konuşurken, "Ahhh! Neler yaptık! Onlara neler yaptık!" diyordu... Bunları söylerken, aniden oğlundan bahsetmeye başlamıştı... Onun adı da M. idi... Anlattıklarından çıkardığım şudur:
Piyi Peristerona (Piperisterona-Alaniçi) köyünden kaçtıkları zaman 1974'te, Ksilofau yöresinde bir tarlada kalmaya başlamışlardı... Ancak bir sabah çok erken, genç adamlardan oluşan bir grup görmüştü – köyden ayrılıyorlardı... Ve kadın kendi kendine "İyi bir şey için gidiyor olamazlar!" demişti... Gün yeni doğmuştu ki bu grup geriye dönmüştü... O zaman oğluna "Ye mu, bu e biye de? Nan bu game de?" yani "Oğlum, nereye gittin? Ne yaptın?" demişti... Tüm bunlar bir Shakespeare trajedisinin öğelerini taşıyor... Karanlık, kötü, temiz bir şey olamaz yaptıkları, kötü bir şey yani...
O zaman kadına "Peki nereye gittiklerini öğrendin mi?" demiştim... "O yer oğlum" demişti bana, "hani Mağusa'nın dışındaki o yer..."
Bu bana göre Muratağa-Sandallar-Atlılar'dı...
Tekrar karşılaştığımızda, ondan tekrar bilgi istemiştim... Bana bilgi vermiyordu. Birisini koruduğundan falan değil, yalnızca benim nasıl düşündüğümü anlayamıyordu... Kendi insanlarının böylesi bir şey yapmış olmasından iğreniyordu...
Ancak biliyorum ki, M., iki kişiyle çalışıyordu... Onlar da EOKA-B'ci idi... Böylece çevreme sorular sormaya başlamıştım. Ovgoru'da yaşayan L. isimli bir adam, bu olaylara karışmış olmalıydı. Babam da aynı sonuca varmıştı ancak elimde hiçbir kanıt yoktur bu konuda.
SORU: Nasıl birisiydi bu L. dediğin adam?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bir aile adamı – ailesi için herşeyi yapabilecek birisi... Bazı yönlerden "düzgün" bir adam – şu anlamda, kumar oynamaz, kadınların peşinde koşmaz, alkolik değildir falan filan... Daha önce, bu tür insanlarda sapkın bir sınıf bilinci olduğundan söz etmiştim. L.'nin de sapkın idealleri var. Onun için özür diliyor değilim, yaptığı hiçbir şeye gerekçe bulmaya da çalışmıyorum. Sadece onu tarif ediyorum... Bir noktada, egosu olsun, idealler için ihtiyacı olsun, sapkınlaştı... Bu tür bir faşist işte adam... Sapkın idealleri oluştu – mücadele etmek, hayatına bir anlam katmak ihtiyacı vardı – onun bu ihtiyaçları, kötü milliyetçiler tarafından sömürüldü, manipüle edildi, kullanıldı... Bu kötü milliyetçilerin en bilinçlileri, ne yaptıklarını, kimin için yaptıklarını ve bu yaptıklarından kimlerin çıkar sağlayacağını çok iyi biliyorlardı... En bilinçlileri, tam olarak ne yaptıklarının bilincindeydiler oysa L. gibiler yarı yarıya bilincindeydiler ne yaptıklarının – daha aptal olanlar da vardı aralarında, onlar ne yaptıklarını hiç bilmiyorlardı.
Lurucina'dan çok küçük yaşlarda ayrılan ve Londra'da yaşamaya giden bir arkadaşım vardı – onun babası da Mesarya bölgesinden bir TMT'ciydi. Arkadaşım babasıyla tüm ilişkilerini kesmişti – onlarca yıl boyunca babasıyla görüşmemişti... Derken babası kansere yakalanmıştı, çok hasta olmuştu ve Londra'ya kanser tedavisine gelmişti. Bunlar, ben Londra'dan ayrılıp Kıbrıs'a gelmeden önce oluyordu. Eski TMT'ci ile ona göre "hain" olan oğlu barışacaktı... Arkadaşım F., babasıyla ilk buluşmalarına giderken, benim de yanında olmamda ve babasıyla tanışmamda ısrar etmişti. Ve şöyle bir şey oldu: Adam tam bir centilmendi, kendi kendini eğitmişti – mükemmel bir Rumca'yla bana "Nerelisin?" diye sormuştu. Ona "Lefkonuklu'yum" demiştim. "Benim en iyi arkadaşlarımdan biri Lefkonuklu'ydu" demişti bana. "Kim?" demiştim. Ve bulabileceğiniz en korkunç insanlardan birinin, EOKA'cı, EOKA-B'ci bir adamın adını söylemişti! Ç.'ydi bu adamın adı... .Ç., L'nin babasıydı... Ve tüm bunları örgütleyen de M. idi. M., korkunç bir adamdı... Hayatında hiç çalışmamıştı. Lefkaridisler'le, Yorgacisler'le bağlantılıydı... Elbette tüm bunların ardındaki kişi Yorgacis idi...
SORU: Muratağa-Sandallar-Atlılar'daki katliama karıştığı söylenen, aynı soyadını taşıyan iki isim var...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Oğulları olabilir onlar...
SORU: Hayatta mıdır bu adam?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hayır, hayır... Oğullarından biri Makarios yanlısı olduğu için öldürülmüştü EOKA-B tarafından ama kendisi hala EOKA-B olarak kalmaya devam etmişti! İsteseydim çok daha derin araştırmalar yapabilirdim ancak benim için detaylar o kadar da önemli değil...
SORU: Ancak Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar ile Palekitre'de (Balıkesir) yaşananlar farklıdır diğer yerlerden. Örneğin Çatoz'u ele alalım – bir grup savaş esiri vardı, komutan "öldürün bunları" dedi, öldürdüler ve gömdüler.
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Ertesi gece de Dohni yaşandı...
SORU: Dohni bile farklıdır bunlardan... Çünkü Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar'da olan şuydu: Erkekler tutuklanıp Leymosun'a gönderilmişti. Köyde yalnızca kadınlar ve çocuklar vardı. Ve bazı yaşlı adamlar. Ve Piyi Peristerona (Alaniçi), Aysergi (Yeni Boğaziçi), Lefkonuk'tan (Geçitkale) EOKA-B'ci 30 kişilik bir grup, köydeki kadınların ırzına geçmişlerdi... Genç kızların ırzına geçmeye başlamışlardı... Geride bir iz bırakmamak için tümünü öldürdüler... Palekitre'de de yaşananlar benzer çünkü 21 tane kadın ve çocuğu soğukkanlılıkla üç Kıbrıslıtürk öldürmüştü... Hatta Palekitre'de bir de bakire genç kızlar seçilmişti, ırzına geçilmek üzere... Eğer bir askersen ve cephedeysen ve savaşıyorsan, durum farklıdır. Buralarda doğrudan katliam yapıldı... Bebekler öldürüldü... Bunlar savaş suçu bile değildir, bunlar doğrudan insanlık suçudur...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Tarihleri bir kontrol et – ben hiçbir zaman tarihleri kontrol etmedim ancak Muratağa-Atlılar, ikinci işgale karşı yapılmış bir şeydi... Yani tüm olayın ardında gerçek beyinler vardır – bu yamyamlardan söz etmiyorum... İyice hesaplanmış bir plandı bu...
SORU: Lefkonuklu M.'den, oğlu öldürüldüğü halde EOKA-B'ci olmaya devam eden M.'den söz eder misin biraz?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Onun hakkında çok fazla bir şey bilmiyorum. Aslında Leymosunlu'ydu – Lefkonuklu değildi. Ancak tüm Mesarya bölgesi tanıyordu onu. Tipik bir oportünist gansterdi... Tam bir gangsterdi... Kıbrıs'ta yüksek sınıftan gangsterler, politikacılarla karışırlar... Yorgacis'in sağ kolu olmalıydı – öyle ofislerde falan değil ancak hareketi kitleselleştirmekte sağ kolu olmalıydı bu adam. Kitlesel faşist hareketi kurmak için sağ kolu olmasından bahsediyorum... Hükümette bir yeri vardı bu adamın – öyle bir işi vardı ki insanlara iş verebiliyordu, yol yaptırabiliyordu mesela, elektrik götürebiliyordu vesaire vesaire... Öylesi bir insandı ki tüm düğünlere giderdi mesela, milyonlarca gumbarosu vardı yani... Mesela devletin yol yapımında çalışan kişileri bu işe almıştı bakanlık adına... Oğullarından biri eski bir milletvekiliydi bu adamın.
SORU: Dionisis Malas'la bir röportaj yapmıştım ve bazı şeyler anlatmıştı. Muratağa-Sandallar'daki toplu mezardan iki de Hristiyan çıkmıştı, Kıbrıslıtürkler'le gömülmüş... Malas'a göre, bunlardan biri sözünü ettiğin M.'nin oğluydu... Yaralanmıştı, Maraş'taki hastanedeydi ve Aysergi'den EOKA-B'ciler gidip onu hastaneden alıp işkence yaparak öldürmüşlerdi. Ve onu da Muratağa'daki toplu mezara gömmüş olabilirlerdi falan...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hiçbir fikrim yoktu bu konuda... Herkes biliyor ki M.'nin oğullarından biri, kendi adamları tarafından öldürülmüştür...
SORU: Aynı insandan bahsediyoruz yani...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, evet!
SORU: Yani bu işlerin ardındaki itici güçtü ama kendi oğlunu da öldürmüşlerdi Makariosçu olduğu için!
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, evet! Oğullarından birini... Çünkü oğullarından biri ona karşı çıkıyordu!... Belki kendisi emir vermemiştir oğlunun öldürülmesi için ancak böyle oldu... Korkunç bir adamdı – Larnaka'da fahişelerle takılırdı falan filan... Tam bir oportünistti bu adam... Önce mesela "Digenisci"ydi, sonra Yorgacisçi, iktidarda kim varsa, ona göre pozisyonunu değiştiriyordu... Tam bir siyasi sülüktü... Bu tür insanlar var yani... Mesela Papadopulos da Yorgacis'le birlikteydi bir dönem ancak Yorgacis'in işinin bitecek olmasını öğrenince, ondan uzaklaşmıştı... Yorgacis İngilizler'le birlikteydi ancak ne zaman ki dolarların daha fazla geçerli olduğunu gördü ve Amerikalılar'ın geleceğini gördü, hemen saf değiştirmişti... Tik tik tik... Denktaş da öyle...
Tüm bunlar da İngilizler için sorundu... Çünkü İngilizler kendilerini arkalarından bıçaklanmış gibi hissediyorlardı, ihanete uğramış gibi hissediyorlardı...
Ancak M. anahtardır... Keşke babam burada olsaydı, o bu ayrıntıları daha çok bilirdi...
SORU: Nerededir baban?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Livatya'da bir yaşlılar evindedir... Çok yaşlıdır şimdi – tüm detayları bilmesinin yanısıra, konuların özünü bilir çünkü tüm bu insanları tanır... Bunların her yönünü bilir, iklimi bilir... AKEL geçen sene gelip ona bir madalya takdim etmişti... Parti dökümanlarına göre babam, en eski üyelerden biridir, eski partiyle bağlantılı. 10 ya da 11 yaşlarından başlar bağlantısı eski komünist partisiyle – sendikalardan ötürü. Küçük bir konuşma yapmışlardı ve sıra babama gelmişti. Babam "Beni onore ediyorsunuz" demişti "ancak onore etmeniz gerekenler var" diyerek parti üyesi olduğunu bildiği isimleri saymaya başlamıştı... Dülgerdiler, terziydiler, matbaa işçisiydiler, şahane yoldaşlarıydı bunlar... Tüm bunları hatırlamış ve adlarını saymıştı... Sonra da şöyle demişti: "Ancak, siz de parti olarak milliyetçiliğe ödün vermekten vazgeçmelisiniz" demişti... "Bu adada tüm sorunlar, sizin milliyetçiliğe verdiğiniz ödünlerden kaynaklanır" demişti... 87 yaşındadır babam – ve gerçekten sorunların özü buydu ve hala budur.
SORU: Sağlığı kırılgan mıdır şu anda?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet... Sinirleri kırılgandır... Hadi gidelim onunla tanış diyebilirim, çok da hoşuna gider bu – harika bir yoldaştır. Ancak bunu tavsiye etmem çünkü kalbi kırılmıştır adamın... Kalbi kırıktır... 1964'te onu partiden atmışlardı, yüzlerce düşünen, aydın yoldaşı atmışlardı. Sonra da onu geri almışlardı partiye... O dönem bile, hiçbir zaman parti aidatını yatırmaktan vazgeçmemişti, Kıbrıs'a geldiğinde her seçimde oyunu da vermişti partiye. Ancak referandum sonrasında artık boş oy atmaya başlamıştı... Ki bu, onun için bir tür devrimdir. Pek çok insan bunun önemini anlayamaz – sanki 180 derecelik bir dönüştür bu onun için... "Tamam değilsiniz, iyi değilsiniz" anlamına gelir bu...
SORU: Piyi köyünün muhtarı P.A.'nın bu grupların başında olduğu ve Muratağa-Sandallar'da büyük rol oynadığını söylüyorlar bir de... Hayattaymış, bir tekerlekli sandalyedeymiş diyorlar...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bu ismi biliyorum...
SORU: Z.'yi biliyor musun? Leymosun'da din öğretmenliği yapıyor bir lisede... O da katliamda yer almış diyorlar...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Z. ailesi, Piyi köyündendir... Bu bölünmüş bir ailedir... Bunların yarısı solcudur, yarısı sağcıdır... Bazıları Oroklini'de yaşıyordu... Hala burada yaşayıp yaşamadıklarını bilmiyorum çünkü Oroklinili değillerdir. Köyün içinde yaşıyorlardı, göçmen bölgesinde değil... Bunlardan birinin oğlu benim öğrencimdi ve ilerici insanlardı. Ancak çok büyük bir ailedirler ve onlar hakkında fazla bir şey bilmiyorum. Piyi Peristerona'dandırlar... Tıpkı M. gibi... Bazı söylentiler vardı – bilemiyorum belki de yalnızca söylentiydi bu... Her zaman aile içinde şöyle bir söylenti dolaşırdı: Liderlerinin, Angastina'dan (Aslanköy) bir papaz olduğu söyleniyordu...
SORU: Aslında bir papaz ve oğullarıyla ilgili bazı şeyler duymuştum ben de...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Ah! Babam da böyle söylüyor!...
SORU: C.F.'nin adını duydun mu hiç? Veya A.K.R.'nin?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hayır...
SORU: Peki ya L.?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Lisili (Akdoğan) L. mi?
SORU: Aynı soyadında bir isim daha var katliama karışmış görünen...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: L. ailesinin tümü Lisi'dendir (Akdoğan).
SORU: Bir de berber var, G. soyadında...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Lefkonuklu olabilir bu aile... G. ailesi Lefkonuklu'dur... Bu ailenin çoğu berberdir zaten...
SORU: Yani berber bir aile bu G. ailesi...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: G. Türkçe bir sözcükten geliyor...
SORU: P.Y.?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Y.'ler başka bir köydendirler – Akatu'dandırlar (Tatlısu), Ardana (Ardahan), Flamudi (Mersinlik) köylerindendirler...
SORU: S.?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: S.'ler Lisili'dirler (Akdoğan).
SORU: Demek ki Lisi (Akdoğan) bağlantısı da vardır...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: S.'lerden bir kişi M. ile çok yakındı ve ben hiçbir zaman neden böyle bir yakınlık kurduklarını çözememiştim... Hep "Neden? Neden?" diyordum. Çünkü çok farklı insanlardı S. ile M. Farklı "sınıf"lardandılar... M. zengindi, kendini beğenmişti – neden şu yoksul S. ile birlikteydi diye düşünüyordum...
SORU: EOKA-B, onları bir araya getirmişti!...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, evet!...
SORU: S. öldü mü?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet... Eğer oysa tabii...
SORU: Bu S. nasıl biriydi?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Çok yoksuldular... Mesela oğlu inşaat işindeydi ve ilerici birisi olmadığı halde, babasının geçmişiyle hiçbir bağlantısı olmasın istiyordu... Çok akıllı birisiydi, benimle görüşürdü oğlu ve bana çok sorular sorardı... Kızkardeşi İngiltere'dedir ve tam bir Nazi'dir... O kadar hastadır ki – kafadan sakat yani – psikopat gibi... Oysa kendi sade bir insandı, çok sade bir insandı. Koççinos'ta onların karşısında yaşıyordum.. Basit bir adamdı, biraz da aptaldı. Karısı çok iyi bir insandı, hiçbir şeyden haberi yoktu kadının.
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Size sözünü ettiğim M. gibiler gangsterlerdi, siyasi gangsterlerdi – vurucu güçleriydi...
SORU: Bir de milletvekili var, K. – onunla ilgili ne biliyorsun?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Herkesin bildiği şeyleri biliyorum onun hakkında. Bazı solcuları sorgulayarak işkenceden geçirmiş ve onları dövmüştü... Mesela kuzenlerimden birini...Kuzenim EOKA-B'nin elinden kaçabilmişti Maraş'ta, şurada burada saklanıyordu, harika bir insandı... AKEL üyesiydi... Onlardan kaçabilmişti – ancak daha sonra işgalin başlangıcında ilk öldürülenlerden oldu... Kiriakos Hristofis idi adı kuzenimin, çok iyi bir insandı...
SORU: Yani K. tarafından sorgulanmıştı...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet... Binlerce insan size bu adamın böylesi şeyler yaptığını söyleyecektir.
SORU: G.G. hakkında ne söyleyeceksin? O da karışmış gibi görünüyor katliama... O dönem 17.5 yaşlarında bir komandoydu... Sonraları o da bir milletvekili idi...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Onun bir Kıbrıslıtürk akrabası var... Pile'yle Oroklini arasında Kıbrıslıtürkler'e ait arazilerin milyonlarca Kıbrıs Lirası değerinde olduğu anlaşılınca, bu G.G. aniden bir Kıbrıslıtürk akrabası olduğunu hatırlayıverdi! Ve tüm Kıbrıslıtürkler'in o kadar da kötü olmadıklarını keşfetti! Herkes de "Noluyor buna yahu?" diyordu! Ve mahkemelerde bazı davalar açtı, bu arazilerden bir kısmını alabilmek için... Teyzelerinden ya da halalarından biri yıllar önce bir Kıbrıslıtürk'le evlenmişti – o yüzden Kıbrıslıtürk yeğenleri var bu adamın. Katliama karışıp karışmadığını bilmiyorum... Aynı insandan söz edip etmediğimizden bile emin değilim...
SORU: Bir diğer milletvekili daha var, onun adı da K. Onun durumu neydi? Aynı yöredendi çünkü...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Atina'da olduğunu söylüyor o günlerde...
SORU: Ancak benim duyduğum solcu bir Kıbrıslırum'u sorguya çekmiş, işkence yapılırken hazır bulunmuş, sonra bu insan işkencede ölmüş... Akatu'da (Tatlısu) olmuş bu olay...
TONY ANGASTİNİOTİS: Bu adam yapılan bu işkenceler sonrası kör olmuştu ve ardından ölmüştü...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, bu K. da aynı köydendir ve kardeşi de köyün papazıydı... Korkunç bir adamdı...
En korkunç EOKA cinayetlerinden biri Lefkonuk'ta işlenmişti – Menikos öldürülmüştü...
SORU: "Milliyetçiliğin Öksüz Bıraktıkları" yazı dizimde araştırmıştım Menikos'u ancak ailesi konuşmak istememişti... 58'de bir ağaca bağlanmış ve taşlanarak öldürülmüştü... EOKA onu "hain" ilan etmişti...
TONY ANGASTİNİOTİS: Evet, oğlu babasının itibarının iadesi için mücadele ediyor şimdilerde...
SORU: EOKA'nın "hain" ilan ettiği Menikos, Lefkonuk'ta yine M. tarafından mı öldürülmüştü?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, tabii... Amaçları solu darmadağın edip morallerini bozmaktı. Lefkoşa'da pek bir problemleri yoktu bunların ancak Lefkonuk'ta çok güçlü bir sol hareket vardı...
TONY ANGASTİNİOTİS: Öyleyse sol, bunların yaşanmasına nasıl izin verebildi?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Güzel soru... Bunun olmasına izin verdiler. Oysa örneğin Marathovunos'ta (Ulukışla) solcular gidip EOKA liderlerini buldular ve "Sakın böyle bir şeyi aklınızdan bile geçirmeyin!" dediler... "Bitiririz sizi" dediler. Oysa Lefkonuk'ta birbirlerine karşı çok kibar davranıyorlardı...
Menikos'la ilgili fazla detay bilmiyorum... Menikos'un resmini yapmaya başladığımda, torunu buradaydı – PEO'da çalışıyor... Bana "Ama bu benim dedemdir" demişti... Onu tanıyordum ancak Menikos'un torunu olduğunu bilmiyordum. Menikos'un üç kızı, bir de oğlu vardı. Karısı hayattadır – ya Koççines'te ya da ondan sonraki köyde yaşıyor... Aynı tabloda dedem ve ninem de vardır... Onlar da Lefkonuklu'dur... Resimdeki de babamın evidir Lefkonuk'ta... Bu resimdeki ağacın altında öldürdüler Menikos'u ve sonra da bu ağacı kestiler...
SORU: Muratağa-Atlılar-Sandallar'la ilgili tablondan söz eder misin?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bir resim yapmıştım, Atlılar ve Dohni anısına... 1989'da bir sergi açmıştım Larnaka'da ve Larnaka Belediyesi bu resmi satın alma hatasını yapmıştı! Ve bu parlamentoda konu olmuştu! Milletvekillerinden biri, Larnaka Belediyesi'ni "Denktaş propagandası satın almak için para harcamakla" suçlamıştı... Bu, resmin alınışından birkaç yıl sonra oluyordu. Ve o günlerde beni işten atmaya da çalışmışlardı... Bu serginin adı "Peygamberler ve Şairler" idi... Sergide Nazım Hikmet, Che gibi portreler de vardı...
SORU: Yani bu resim hala Larnaka Belediyesi'nde midir?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet...
SORU: Duvarda asılı mıdır yani?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, evet! Orada çalışan birisi var, bu resmi çok seviyor bu kadın. Kendi oturduğu yerdeki duvara asmıştı bu resmi...
SORU: İnanılmaz birisisin Kirlitças!
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Hayır, değilim aslında. Bu, özümün parçası...
SORU: Elbette, "normal" olan bu olmalı... Ancak bu durumda "inanılmaz" geliyor... Sergiye koyduğun ibarede de "Atlılar, Terazi ve Dohni'de öldürülen 229 Kıbrıslıtürk'ün anısına" diyorsun...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet...
SORU: Sergiye neden böyle bir isim vermiştin?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Çünkü bana göre bu sergideki insanlar "peygamber"diler çünkü gelecek olanı görebilen kişilerdi ve geleceği biçimlendirmeye başlayan kişilerdi. "Sihirbaz" anlamında değil...
SORU: Öğretmenlik de yaptın mı Mihalis?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Evet, Larnaka Amerikan Akademisi'nde öğretmendim...
SORU: Oroklini'de durum nedir?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Anastasiadis'in giremeyeceği bir köydür burası – buraya gelecek olsa onu linç ederlerdi! Bu köyde bazılarına göre Anastasiadis "hain"dir, "Türkler'e aşik" birisidir! Bazılarına göre Anastasiadis bir komünisttir!
SORU: Öyleyse iyi şanslar sana bu köyde yani!
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Örneğin Oroklinili olmayan ama bu köye evlenmiş olan bazıları gelip gizlice görür beni! Bunlar "Biz EVET oyu verdik!" derler!... Herkes beni tanır bu köyde...
SORU: Kutlu Adalı'nın resmini ne zaman yapmıştın?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Sanırım 6-7 yıl kadar önceydi... İkinci kez fotoğrafı gazetelere basıldığı zaman yaptım bu tabloyu... Cenazeye gitmek istemiştik ancak geçişimize izin verilmeyince kızmıştım... Kıbrıslırum polislerden birisinin yaptığı yorumu da hatırlıyorum:
"İşte" demişti, "birbirlerini öldürüyorlar!"
"Hayır! Hayır!" demiştim ona, "her zamanki gibi siz öldürdünüz onu!"
"Hayır! Hayır!" demişti polis, "anlamıyorsun! Onu biz öldürmedik ki!" demişti...
Ben de ona "Hayır! Hayır! Asıl anlamayan sensin!" demiştim... Korkunç bir diyalogtu bu polisle aramda geçen! İnanılmazdı! Ledra Palace'ta...
"Hayır! Hayır!" diyordu, "onlar öldürdü onu!"
SORU: Şimdi neler hissediyorsun Mihalis?
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Bunu hiçbir zaman genç insanlara söylemezdim... Hayatımda ilk kez durumun şimdilik umutsuz olduğunu hissediyorum... Noel'in hemen sonrasında İstanbul'daydım bir toplantı için. Buraya giden öğrencilerimiz beni o kadar duygulandırdılar ki, kendi kendime "Kapat çeneni! İşine devam et! Düşkırıklığını onlara duyurmaya hakkın yok!" dedim...
O kadar yaklaşmıştık ki... Ben, herşeye rağmen, yanlış nedenlerle de olsa AKEL'i doğru yapmaya ikna edebileceğimize inanan insanlardandım... Ancak elbette naif olduğumuz ortaya çıktı çünkü başkaları yaptı esas manevrayı... Öyleyse şimdi nereden başlamalı? Yine iki toplumlu etkinliklere mi dönmeli?
SORU: O başka bir döneme aitti... O dönem için anlamlıydı...
MİHALİS KİRLİTÇAS: Ancak ideolojik olarak o savaşı kazanıyor gibi görünüyorduk...
Ancak durum ne olursa olsun, mutlaka doğru şeyi yapmalı insan... Şu anda bana göre doğru olan şey de yaptığımız işi devam ettirmek ancak bunu daha yüksek sesle yapmaktır... Daha kararlı, daha az naif biçimde yapmaktır. Daha somut olmalıdır insan. Beğensek de, beğenmesek de, AKEL'de hareketlenme yaratılmalıdır. İyimser değilim, onu söyleyeyim... Ancak anahtar AKEL'dir...
(*) Bu röportaj Aralık 2008'de YENİDÜZEN gazetesinde "Kıbrıs: Anlatılmamış Öyküler - Sevgül Uludağ" yazı dizisinde yayımlandı. Fotoğraflar, Mihalis Kirlitças'ın Oroklini'deki stüdyosunda röportaj esnasında çekildi. Kirlitças'ın bir resmi de, YENİDÜZEN yazarlarından gazeteci-yazar Kutlu Adalı'nın 1996'da öldürülmesi ardından yaptığı Adalı anısına bir tabloydu… Resimlerde Adalı anısına yapılmış bu tablo da görülebiliyor…
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Monday, October 14, 2019
The story of Eleni-Suzan...
The story of Eleni-Suzan...
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
I travel through time, thinking of Eleni, desperately trying to conceptualize what sort of person she was, whether she was short or tall, beautiful or ordinary, chubby or slim, dark or blonde... Days pass by and I carry Eleni in my mind and in my heart, thinking of her tragic fate, trying to find clues to what might have happened and why... Throughout the history of Cyprus, there have always been intermarriages but Eleni had to pay a high price... Why? I continue to speak with people and try to find out who might remember her, trying to find out as much information as possible...
In Ahmet An's book, a researcher and writer, (Ahmet An: Kıbrıs'ın yetiştiği değerler 2. S, 188 - The valuable people raised by Cyprus), I find out that Eleni was the daughter of Chrisostomos Kumis, she had been born on the 1st of April in 1910 and her family was from Trikomo. From a friend who's from Famagusta, I find out that she had had a sister, Despinou who was also married to a Turkish Cypriot, just like Eleni – my friend from Famagusta remembers Despinou whose husband was Kemal – Mr. Kemal was the director of railways and held a very high position in those times... I find out that Eleni and Despinou had had another sister called Panayota, who lived in Varosha...
Eleni would fall in love with Mehmet Huseyin Djon (`Con` in Turkish) but his family would not approve so he would leave his home and start living together with Eleni... Later on he would go to London to work but would return and then make peace with his family, again living together with Eleni... Mehmet Con, together with his father Huseyin Remzi, would start producing the famous coffee of Turkish Cypriots called `Con`... Their shop would be in Nicosia, just next to Halkin Sesi newspaper whose owner was Dr. Fazil Kuchuk who would be the Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus. In 1956 in October, together with Suheyla Kuchuk, the wife of Dr. Kuchuk, Eleni would go to the Cypriot Mufti, Mr. Dana, in order to change her religion from Orthodox Christian to Islam and her name from Eleni to Suzan. The Mufti would give an advertisement in Halkin Sesi, announcing that the daughter of Chrisostomos Kumis from Trikomo, Eleni, has changed her religion and her name... Eleni, now called Suzan would marry Mehmet Huseyin Con and they would live in the Koshkluchiftlik area of Nicosia... Close by would be the bakery of Kurtumbellis family...
In the `Con Coffee`, an Armenian called Agop would be director – he would speak Turkish with Turkish Cypriots and Greek with Greek Cypriots and both the British, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots would buy the `Con Coffee`... According to the researcher-writer Ahmet An, Agop would work there until 1960...
When the inter-communal fighting would begin at the end of December 1963, Eleni would start getting threats and Mehmet Con would take her to Neapolis to stay with his sister Meserret... But Neapolis would come under attack and all Turkish Cypriots living in Neapolis would leave and would go inside the walled city of Nicosia in order to take refuge... So Mehmet Con's sister with her family would also leave her house and they would come back to stay at his house in Koskluchiftlik...
During this period, that is in January 1964, one night Turkish Cypriot soldiers would come to their house, would knock on the door and ask for Eleni. They would say `We will take her to ask her some questions...` and despite her husband's protest they would take her and leave... Her husband, Mehmet Con would go searching for her next day and then the following day and then the following days... He would search desperately, going in different military camps, asking for information about Eleni... No one would say anything: Eleni, his dear wife would become a `missing person` since that night in January 1964... He would leave Cyprus to go to live in London... His nephew Metin Shadi would tell his story to me:
`He had such a broken heart, my uncle... He had been so disgruntled and so disappointed with Cyprus that he did not want to live here... He would live in London, thinking of his dear Eleni and what had happened to her... Years later, he would come back to Cyprus and continue to work and just before he would die in 1979, he split the `Con Coffee` between the children of his brothers... My uncle died with a broken heart because of what happened to his wife Eleni...`
I would write the tragic story of Eleni some years ago, not understanding why she had been killed since there had been many other Greek Cypriot women who had been married to Turkish Cypriots and nothing had happened to them... I would find advertisements in the newspapers of 1958, announcing that Greek Cypriot women have accepted Islam and changed their names – Spiridona, the daughter of Costas Panay' from Omorphita would become Ismet on the 27th of August 1957, Polixeni, the daughter of Ioanni would become Emine in June 58, Anna Andreou from Famagusta would become Ayshe Ibrahim and many others like that... So why Eleni would become `missing` among all those who had no such tragic fate?
The answer would appear to come a few weeks ago when I would meet a Turkish Cypriot reader...
He would tell me that after taking Eleni from her house, they had taken her to the bakery, close to her house and he had heard that they had killed her in the bakery... Was she buried somewhere there or taken elsewhere?
My reader says, `There had been rumours that she had been killed in the bakery. Was she buried somewhere around the bakery or was her body taken elsewhere? That's for you to investigate... All we heard was that she had been taken to the bakery...`
I would discover that this would be the same bakery of the Kurtumbellis family where three Greek Cypriots had been killed in December 1963... Back in 2007, with the help of my friend Nouritsa Nadjarian, I had met the daughter of Kurtumbellis, Kriti who had told me the story of the bakery...
Charalambos Kurtumbellis had died in 1959 and his wife Evrou would continue to run the bakery in Koskluchiftlik in Nicosia... On the 23rd of December 1963, armed Turkish Cypriot thugs would attack the bakery, killing the mother of Evrou, an old woman from Paphos, from the village Inya... Evrou's mother Katerina had come from Paphos to Nicosia because of Christmas to see her daughter and help her in the bakery... They would also kill two workers in the bakery, Andreas and Charalambos... This would be the time when Armenians and Greek Cypriots living in this area of Nicosia would be pushed to leave... Those would be days of the partition of Nicosia, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots would be pushed to leave the joint neighbourhoods so that the gradual separation of the two main communities of the island would be furthered... This process that already started in 1956 would continue dramatically in 1963-64 and would be completed in 1974, wiping out any mixed life on the island...
Through enquiries, I realize that Mehmet and Eleni-Suzan Con's house had been just round the corner from the bakery... I start calling the nieces of Mehmet Con, asking what they had heard about Eleni...
One of the relatives of Mehmet Con explains to me her theory of why Eleni had been killed:
`This is just an assumption but I sense that she must have witnessed the murders at the bakery... She must have seen what had happened... That's why she was being threatened and finally killed` she says...
This seems logical since other Greek Cypriot women married to Turkish Cypriots had no such fate in 1963 as Eleni did... If she saw who had killed Katerina, Andreas and Charalambos, she had become a living `threat` to the killers... So she had to be silenced...
What about a photograph of Eleni?
All the nieces and nephews of Mehmet Con say they don't have any pictures...
I even call Suheyla Kuchuk, the wife of Dr. Kuchuk... She had known Eleni well...
`She was a kind woman and got along well with her neighbours` she says, `but I don't have any pictures of her...`
Not even a single photograph of Eleni has remained... And no one is actively searching for her...
I will continue to try to find out where she might have been buried even though no one might claim her remains even if we find them...
Eleni-Suzan had no children... Her sister Despinou, married to Kemal also did not have children... Perhaps I can find some Greek Cypriot relatives of her who might at least have a photo of her...
But with or without a photograph, her story has been engraved in my heart and will remain with me forever...
25.2.2012
(*) Published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 4th of March 2012…
And the story continues:
http://sevgululudag.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-story-of-eleni-continues.html
http://sevgululudag.blogspot.com/2016/06/blog-post.html
Photo: Despinou on the right, Eleni on the left…
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
I travel through time, thinking of Eleni, desperately trying to conceptualize what sort of person she was, whether she was short or tall, beautiful or ordinary, chubby or slim, dark or blonde... Days pass by and I carry Eleni in my mind and in my heart, thinking of her tragic fate, trying to find clues to what might have happened and why... Throughout the history of Cyprus, there have always been intermarriages but Eleni had to pay a high price... Why? I continue to speak with people and try to find out who might remember her, trying to find out as much information as possible...
In Ahmet An's book, a researcher and writer, (Ahmet An: Kıbrıs'ın yetiştiği değerler 2. S, 188 - The valuable people raised by Cyprus), I find out that Eleni was the daughter of Chrisostomos Kumis, she had been born on the 1st of April in 1910 and her family was from Trikomo. From a friend who's from Famagusta, I find out that she had had a sister, Despinou who was also married to a Turkish Cypriot, just like Eleni – my friend from Famagusta remembers Despinou whose husband was Kemal – Mr. Kemal was the director of railways and held a very high position in those times... I find out that Eleni and Despinou had had another sister called Panayota, who lived in Varosha...
Eleni would fall in love with Mehmet Huseyin Djon (`Con` in Turkish) but his family would not approve so he would leave his home and start living together with Eleni... Later on he would go to London to work but would return and then make peace with his family, again living together with Eleni... Mehmet Con, together with his father Huseyin Remzi, would start producing the famous coffee of Turkish Cypriots called `Con`... Their shop would be in Nicosia, just next to Halkin Sesi newspaper whose owner was Dr. Fazil Kuchuk who would be the Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus. In 1956 in October, together with Suheyla Kuchuk, the wife of Dr. Kuchuk, Eleni would go to the Cypriot Mufti, Mr. Dana, in order to change her religion from Orthodox Christian to Islam and her name from Eleni to Suzan. The Mufti would give an advertisement in Halkin Sesi, announcing that the daughter of Chrisostomos Kumis from Trikomo, Eleni, has changed her religion and her name... Eleni, now called Suzan would marry Mehmet Huseyin Con and they would live in the Koshkluchiftlik area of Nicosia... Close by would be the bakery of Kurtumbellis family...
In the `Con Coffee`, an Armenian called Agop would be director – he would speak Turkish with Turkish Cypriots and Greek with Greek Cypriots and both the British, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots would buy the `Con Coffee`... According to the researcher-writer Ahmet An, Agop would work there until 1960...
When the inter-communal fighting would begin at the end of December 1963, Eleni would start getting threats and Mehmet Con would take her to Neapolis to stay with his sister Meserret... But Neapolis would come under attack and all Turkish Cypriots living in Neapolis would leave and would go inside the walled city of Nicosia in order to take refuge... So Mehmet Con's sister with her family would also leave her house and they would come back to stay at his house in Koskluchiftlik...
During this period, that is in January 1964, one night Turkish Cypriot soldiers would come to their house, would knock on the door and ask for Eleni. They would say `We will take her to ask her some questions...` and despite her husband's protest they would take her and leave... Her husband, Mehmet Con would go searching for her next day and then the following day and then the following days... He would search desperately, going in different military camps, asking for information about Eleni... No one would say anything: Eleni, his dear wife would become a `missing person` since that night in January 1964... He would leave Cyprus to go to live in London... His nephew Metin Shadi would tell his story to me:
`He had such a broken heart, my uncle... He had been so disgruntled and so disappointed with Cyprus that he did not want to live here... He would live in London, thinking of his dear Eleni and what had happened to her... Years later, he would come back to Cyprus and continue to work and just before he would die in 1979, he split the `Con Coffee` between the children of his brothers... My uncle died with a broken heart because of what happened to his wife Eleni...`
I would write the tragic story of Eleni some years ago, not understanding why she had been killed since there had been many other Greek Cypriot women who had been married to Turkish Cypriots and nothing had happened to them... I would find advertisements in the newspapers of 1958, announcing that Greek Cypriot women have accepted Islam and changed their names – Spiridona, the daughter of Costas Panay' from Omorphita would become Ismet on the 27th of August 1957, Polixeni, the daughter of Ioanni would become Emine in June 58, Anna Andreou from Famagusta would become Ayshe Ibrahim and many others like that... So why Eleni would become `missing` among all those who had no such tragic fate?
The answer would appear to come a few weeks ago when I would meet a Turkish Cypriot reader...
He would tell me that after taking Eleni from her house, they had taken her to the bakery, close to her house and he had heard that they had killed her in the bakery... Was she buried somewhere there or taken elsewhere?
My reader says, `There had been rumours that she had been killed in the bakery. Was she buried somewhere around the bakery or was her body taken elsewhere? That's for you to investigate... All we heard was that she had been taken to the bakery...`
I would discover that this would be the same bakery of the Kurtumbellis family where three Greek Cypriots had been killed in December 1963... Back in 2007, with the help of my friend Nouritsa Nadjarian, I had met the daughter of Kurtumbellis, Kriti who had told me the story of the bakery...
Charalambos Kurtumbellis had died in 1959 and his wife Evrou would continue to run the bakery in Koskluchiftlik in Nicosia... On the 23rd of December 1963, armed Turkish Cypriot thugs would attack the bakery, killing the mother of Evrou, an old woman from Paphos, from the village Inya... Evrou's mother Katerina had come from Paphos to Nicosia because of Christmas to see her daughter and help her in the bakery... They would also kill two workers in the bakery, Andreas and Charalambos... This would be the time when Armenians and Greek Cypriots living in this area of Nicosia would be pushed to leave... Those would be days of the partition of Nicosia, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots would be pushed to leave the joint neighbourhoods so that the gradual separation of the two main communities of the island would be furthered... This process that already started in 1956 would continue dramatically in 1963-64 and would be completed in 1974, wiping out any mixed life on the island...
Through enquiries, I realize that Mehmet and Eleni-Suzan Con's house had been just round the corner from the bakery... I start calling the nieces of Mehmet Con, asking what they had heard about Eleni...
One of the relatives of Mehmet Con explains to me her theory of why Eleni had been killed:
`This is just an assumption but I sense that she must have witnessed the murders at the bakery... She must have seen what had happened... That's why she was being threatened and finally killed` she says...
This seems logical since other Greek Cypriot women married to Turkish Cypriots had no such fate in 1963 as Eleni did... If she saw who had killed Katerina, Andreas and Charalambos, she had become a living `threat` to the killers... So she had to be silenced...
What about a photograph of Eleni?
All the nieces and nephews of Mehmet Con say they don't have any pictures...
I even call Suheyla Kuchuk, the wife of Dr. Kuchuk... She had known Eleni well...
`She was a kind woman and got along well with her neighbours` she says, `but I don't have any pictures of her...`
Not even a single photograph of Eleni has remained... And no one is actively searching for her...
I will continue to try to find out where she might have been buried even though no one might claim her remains even if we find them...
Eleni-Suzan had no children... Her sister Despinou, married to Kemal also did not have children... Perhaps I can find some Greek Cypriot relatives of her who might at least have a photo of her...
But with or without a photograph, her story has been engraved in my heart and will remain with me forever...
25.2.2012
(*) Published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 4th of March 2012…
And the story continues:
http://sevgululudag.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-story-of-eleni-continues.html
http://sevgululudag.blogspot.com/2016/06/blog-post.html
Photo: Despinou on the right, Eleni on the left…
Sunday, October 6, 2019
“How the Turkish Cypriots of Paphos helped Makarios supporters and the Left against Junta during the coup…”
"How the Turkish Cypriots of Paphos helped Makarios supporters and the Left against Junta during the coup…"
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
Our good friend from Paphos, researcher and author Ulus Irkad sheds light on something not many people know: How the Turkish Cypriots of Paphos had helped the Makarios supporters and the Left against Junta, during the coup… Today I want to share what he wrote about this… Here is what Ulus Irkad says:
"Today I would like to tell the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots a few things that they would not find in any books of history: That we had saved the life of Makarios…
After the coup of the 15th of July 1974, on the 16h of July, I was called to the military post and I was 16 years old. I served at the Paphos Mosque Area with an English made automatic Sten gun in my hand until the 17th of July 1974.
During the coup, the units of the Greek Cypriot National Guard and EOKA B were fighting in the streets of Paphos. The units of Makarios and the left that they had formed… There were resistance at various places. I will never forget that as the Junta Units and their supporters attacked Limassol, a group of Makarios supporters and some left wing Paphidians had got on a truck to go as support to Limassol and they would be ambushed at Kolossi and most of them would be killed.
Since the Makarios supporters and the left were the victim, I will say openly that both myself and my friends were feeling sympathy towards them. The youngsters who were the two kids of our neighbour from Vretcha who used to work as construction workers in the Greek Cypriot side had come home in fear – they had witnessed to the killing of two policemen by EOKA-B and I would never forget how worried they were.
Our house was just on the border and in those days it had been turned into a military unit for the Turkish Cypriot fighters and close to our street, I will never forget the screams of a woman whose young son was shot and killed by some Greek soldiers.
Makarios had escaped the coup and had took refuge in Paphos… In those days I remember the following broadcast from a radio transmitting from Chloraka until the 17th of July around noon:
-Ime Makarios, ime zondanos, ohi inenekros… (Meaning this is Makarios, I am not dead, I am alive…)
I remember the last broadcast from this radio on the 17th of July in Arabic like this:
-Yahya Guprus, yahya Demokradiyedde Milliyedde Guprus.
And this was the last announcement. I will not forget that the assault boat called "Leventis" would bomb this radio station and silence it. It may be the same day or a day earlier, I think the same assault boat would be bombing the units in the Paphos Castle and they would exchange fire… One of my friends who was on top of the Ebubekir Mosque would call down to one of our police friends and say "Hey! One of the artillery just fell down in your garden and your garden is burning" and this friend would be worried since his father had gone towards that garden… Their orchards were in Ktima Paphos (Dip Baf) in 1963, where the Paphos Airport is now…
Again, after the Pirate Radio had stopped its transmissions, with the permission of the Turkish Cypriot Military Command (Sancaktarlik) of Paphos, Makarios would pass over us with two English helicopters towards the sea and from there would fly to the Akrotiri British Military Bases. The clear and exact order of the "Sancaktarlik" (The Turkish Cypriot Military Command) in Paphos was that there would be no firing at the helicopter of Makarios and we had protected Makarios in this way against the fascist Junta.
When the civil war began among Greek Cypriots in the area called Mavrali (this area had been occupied in 1964 and 9 Turkish Cypriots had been killed) two Greek Cypriot policemen became trapped there and again with the orders of the Turkish Cypriot Military Command of Paphos (Sancaktarlik) some of our Turkish Cypriot friends would bring food to these policemen. I personally saw Aygun Necip and Arif Ruso (who would later be killed in the war and become a martyr) bringing food to these policemen. I want the young generations to know these… During the war, our sympathy was towards the Makarios and the Left in general and we supported them against the Junta. This was the general trend among Turkish Cypriots in Paphos. And we were ordered to be kind to those leftists and Makarios supporters when they would seek shelter in Paphos. It was as though the Makarios supporters and the leftists were on our side and this was the general trend. I will say it even more openly… During the civil war, we heard that the owner of a farm from Paphos who was a supporter of Makarios would go on the hills and there was this feeling that if the civil war continued like that, we would be with him…
When the civil war was continuing and we were digging trenches near the water depot of Lazana Front, an older acquaintance who is not alive now but whose son is a close friend of mine was saying "Let NATO come and let it partition Cyprus so that we can rest" and I had found what he was saying very interesting. I remember as a 17-year-old of being against such a view. As we deepened the trenches at the Lazana Front, I would witness the strong resistance of the Makarios supporters of Chloraka against the Junta Units as they were entering Chloraka.
After taking over the Mavrali Area, on the 20th of July I remember the Turkish Cypriot Military Command (Sancaktar) of Paphos upon seeing us kids in military positions that he would start crying and that we would surround the Greek Cypriot policemen as brothers and as friends and we would tell them that we would not do anything to them, that we would give them to the UN soldiers and I remember the Greek Cypriot policemen embracing us after we said these…
I saw one of these police friends in Pyla and we would embrace each other just as we had done years ago on that day… (His name was Glafcos, on my last visit to Paphos, I learned that he died, may he rest in peace I say…) And on the 22nd of July 1974 as Paphos fell, an EOKA guy would point a gun at me and he would prevent that and show that he knew me… He too had saved my life.
On the 20th of July 1974, inside the Mavrali stream I was with the late Mustafa Tarkush, we were putting some canvas cloth so that the airplanes would see and not far from us at that moment thousands of Greek Cypriot militia and soldiers were at the Melano… The Commander Osman Karshili was looking to find some volunteer people to carry three shells of artillery to go together with our friend Arif Ruso. The place they would be sent was an extremely dangerous area – it would be certain death going there. I knew that because my father always showed me this area… When the commander asked, no one volunteered so he had to throw a coin for heads and tails and a friend called the English Doghan (since his looks were like English) had to go and he would lose couple of fingers and Arif Ruso who was using the artillery, would lose his life… Most of us were very young kids and we struggled until the last moment so that the Junta supporters would not take over Paphos. But the truth was this: They had long ago given up Paphos, those who had made the partition plan, had planned it that way. I wish that from the very beginning we would have had known all of this consciously and so that we would not go through so much pain as the two communities. From now on as both communities, we should be careful not to fall into the same mistakes again…
As it became clear on the night of the 20th of July that Paphos would fall the following day, my late uncle Omer Ayral would come home and cry – he had been the founding director of the Gazi Baf Radio since 1965 and he had broken all the equipment and had come home in sadness, crying… I will never forget that…
I also remember this very clearly: My late father had come home briefly before the war began and would show me units of ELDIK who were landing and said to me, "They too have humans inside them… No human being is born guilty when he or she is born… Be careful but don't be cruel…"
War is a terrible thing… Young people dying is a bad fate… After 45 years, the point I have come to is this: Now is the time for peace, time to embrace, time to talk, time to draw lessons so mistakes will never be made again, time to make empathy… I say peace now, immediately…
In memory of all our people whom we lost in July and August with respect…"
"Two friends we lost in the area of Mavrali in Paphos: Arif Ruso and Ihsan Kilich…"
Ulus Irkad remembers two of his friends whom he lost during the war in 1974 in the area of Mavrali in Paphos… He says:
"On the 20th of July 1974, in the Mavrali area of Paphos we lost two of our friends… One of them is Arif Ruso. He was going to the frontline with an artillery. We had a draw and the person who went with him also lost some of his fingers… The other friend was Ihsan Kilich… He had come from England to see his wife and his three-year-old son. Due to the war, he ran to the military posts… Just before the war, I had said to him, "Today you look very handsome…" And he had replied "I am always handsome…" That was it… A few hours later he would be shot… And unfortunately where his father fell in 1964 and died, he too died in the same place as his father in 1974… We were together with both until their last moments… May they rest in peace… May there be no war again I say…"
Photo: When Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots of Paphos meet...
(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 1st of September 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on the 26th of July 2019 and here is the link:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/tek-bir-dilegim-var-tek-bir-kibrisli-cocugun-daha-kardesim-yannis-gibi-kurban-olmasi-14284yy.htm
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
Our good friend from Paphos, researcher and author Ulus Irkad sheds light on something not many people know: How the Turkish Cypriots of Paphos had helped the Makarios supporters and the Left against Junta, during the coup… Today I want to share what he wrote about this… Here is what Ulus Irkad says:
"Today I would like to tell the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots a few things that they would not find in any books of history: That we had saved the life of Makarios…
After the coup of the 15th of July 1974, on the 16h of July, I was called to the military post and I was 16 years old. I served at the Paphos Mosque Area with an English made automatic Sten gun in my hand until the 17th of July 1974.
During the coup, the units of the Greek Cypriot National Guard and EOKA B were fighting in the streets of Paphos. The units of Makarios and the left that they had formed… There were resistance at various places. I will never forget that as the Junta Units and their supporters attacked Limassol, a group of Makarios supporters and some left wing Paphidians had got on a truck to go as support to Limassol and they would be ambushed at Kolossi and most of them would be killed.
Since the Makarios supporters and the left were the victim, I will say openly that both myself and my friends were feeling sympathy towards them. The youngsters who were the two kids of our neighbour from Vretcha who used to work as construction workers in the Greek Cypriot side had come home in fear – they had witnessed to the killing of two policemen by EOKA-B and I would never forget how worried they were.
Our house was just on the border and in those days it had been turned into a military unit for the Turkish Cypriot fighters and close to our street, I will never forget the screams of a woman whose young son was shot and killed by some Greek soldiers.
Makarios had escaped the coup and had took refuge in Paphos… In those days I remember the following broadcast from a radio transmitting from Chloraka until the 17th of July around noon:
-Ime Makarios, ime zondanos, ohi inenekros… (Meaning this is Makarios, I am not dead, I am alive…)
I remember the last broadcast from this radio on the 17th of July in Arabic like this:
-Yahya Guprus, yahya Demokradiyedde Milliyedde Guprus.
And this was the last announcement. I will not forget that the assault boat called "Leventis" would bomb this radio station and silence it. It may be the same day or a day earlier, I think the same assault boat would be bombing the units in the Paphos Castle and they would exchange fire… One of my friends who was on top of the Ebubekir Mosque would call down to one of our police friends and say "Hey! One of the artillery just fell down in your garden and your garden is burning" and this friend would be worried since his father had gone towards that garden… Their orchards were in Ktima Paphos (Dip Baf) in 1963, where the Paphos Airport is now…
Again, after the Pirate Radio had stopped its transmissions, with the permission of the Turkish Cypriot Military Command (Sancaktarlik) of Paphos, Makarios would pass over us with two English helicopters towards the sea and from there would fly to the Akrotiri British Military Bases. The clear and exact order of the "Sancaktarlik" (The Turkish Cypriot Military Command) in Paphos was that there would be no firing at the helicopter of Makarios and we had protected Makarios in this way against the fascist Junta.
When the civil war began among Greek Cypriots in the area called Mavrali (this area had been occupied in 1964 and 9 Turkish Cypriots had been killed) two Greek Cypriot policemen became trapped there and again with the orders of the Turkish Cypriot Military Command of Paphos (Sancaktarlik) some of our Turkish Cypriot friends would bring food to these policemen. I personally saw Aygun Necip and Arif Ruso (who would later be killed in the war and become a martyr) bringing food to these policemen. I want the young generations to know these… During the war, our sympathy was towards the Makarios and the Left in general and we supported them against the Junta. This was the general trend among Turkish Cypriots in Paphos. And we were ordered to be kind to those leftists and Makarios supporters when they would seek shelter in Paphos. It was as though the Makarios supporters and the leftists were on our side and this was the general trend. I will say it even more openly… During the civil war, we heard that the owner of a farm from Paphos who was a supporter of Makarios would go on the hills and there was this feeling that if the civil war continued like that, we would be with him…
When the civil war was continuing and we were digging trenches near the water depot of Lazana Front, an older acquaintance who is not alive now but whose son is a close friend of mine was saying "Let NATO come and let it partition Cyprus so that we can rest" and I had found what he was saying very interesting. I remember as a 17-year-old of being against such a view. As we deepened the trenches at the Lazana Front, I would witness the strong resistance of the Makarios supporters of Chloraka against the Junta Units as they were entering Chloraka.
After taking over the Mavrali Area, on the 20th of July I remember the Turkish Cypriot Military Command (Sancaktar) of Paphos upon seeing us kids in military positions that he would start crying and that we would surround the Greek Cypriot policemen as brothers and as friends and we would tell them that we would not do anything to them, that we would give them to the UN soldiers and I remember the Greek Cypriot policemen embracing us after we said these…
I saw one of these police friends in Pyla and we would embrace each other just as we had done years ago on that day… (His name was Glafcos, on my last visit to Paphos, I learned that he died, may he rest in peace I say…) And on the 22nd of July 1974 as Paphos fell, an EOKA guy would point a gun at me and he would prevent that and show that he knew me… He too had saved my life.
On the 20th of July 1974, inside the Mavrali stream I was with the late Mustafa Tarkush, we were putting some canvas cloth so that the airplanes would see and not far from us at that moment thousands of Greek Cypriot militia and soldiers were at the Melano… The Commander Osman Karshili was looking to find some volunteer people to carry three shells of artillery to go together with our friend Arif Ruso. The place they would be sent was an extremely dangerous area – it would be certain death going there. I knew that because my father always showed me this area… When the commander asked, no one volunteered so he had to throw a coin for heads and tails and a friend called the English Doghan (since his looks were like English) had to go and he would lose couple of fingers and Arif Ruso who was using the artillery, would lose his life… Most of us were very young kids and we struggled until the last moment so that the Junta supporters would not take over Paphos. But the truth was this: They had long ago given up Paphos, those who had made the partition plan, had planned it that way. I wish that from the very beginning we would have had known all of this consciously and so that we would not go through so much pain as the two communities. From now on as both communities, we should be careful not to fall into the same mistakes again…
As it became clear on the night of the 20th of July that Paphos would fall the following day, my late uncle Omer Ayral would come home and cry – he had been the founding director of the Gazi Baf Radio since 1965 and he had broken all the equipment and had come home in sadness, crying… I will never forget that…
I also remember this very clearly: My late father had come home briefly before the war began and would show me units of ELDIK who were landing and said to me, "They too have humans inside them… No human being is born guilty when he or she is born… Be careful but don't be cruel…"
War is a terrible thing… Young people dying is a bad fate… After 45 years, the point I have come to is this: Now is the time for peace, time to embrace, time to talk, time to draw lessons so mistakes will never be made again, time to make empathy… I say peace now, immediately…
In memory of all our people whom we lost in July and August with respect…"
"Two friends we lost in the area of Mavrali in Paphos: Arif Ruso and Ihsan Kilich…"
Ulus Irkad remembers two of his friends whom he lost during the war in 1974 in the area of Mavrali in Paphos… He says:
"On the 20th of July 1974, in the Mavrali area of Paphos we lost two of our friends… One of them is Arif Ruso. He was going to the frontline with an artillery. We had a draw and the person who went with him also lost some of his fingers… The other friend was Ihsan Kilich… He had come from England to see his wife and his three-year-old son. Due to the war, he ran to the military posts… Just before the war, I had said to him, "Today you look very handsome…" And he had replied "I am always handsome…" That was it… A few hours later he would be shot… And unfortunately where his father fell in 1964 and died, he too died in the same place as his father in 1974… We were together with both until their last moments… May they rest in peace… May there be no war again I say…"
Photo: When Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots of Paphos meet...
(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 1st of September 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on the 26th of July 2019 and here is the link:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/tek-bir-dilegim-var-tek-bir-kibrisli-cocugun-daha-kardesim-yannis-gibi-kurban-olmasi-14284yy.htm
«Πως οι Τουρκοκύπριοι της Πάφου βοήθησαν τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και την Αριστερά έναντι της Χούντας στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος…»
«Πως οι Τουρκοκύπριοι της Πάφου βοήθησαν τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και την Αριστερά έναντι της Χούντας στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος…»
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Τηλ: 99 966518
Ο καλός μας φίλος από την Πάφο, ερευνητής και συγγραφέας Ulus Irkad μας διαφωτίζει για κάτι που δεν γνωρίζουν πολλοί άνθρωποι: Πως οι Τουρκοκύπριοι της Πάφου βοήθησαν τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και την Αριστερά έναντι της Χούντας στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος… Σήμερα θέλω να μοιραστώ μαζί σας αυτά που έγραψε για το θέμα… Ο Ulus Irkad λέει:
«Σήμερα θέλω να πω στους Τουρκοκύπριους και Ελληνοκύπριους μερικά πράγματα που δεν θα βρουν σε κανένα βιβλίο ιστορίας: Ότι είχαμε σώσει τη ζωή του Μακαρίου…
Μετά το πραξικόπημα της 15ης Ιουλίου 1974, στις 16 Ιουλίου, κλήθηκα σε στρατιωτική θέση και ήμουν 16 χρονών. Υπηρέτησα στην περιοχή του Τζαμιού Πάφου με ένα Αγγλικό αυτόματο όπλο Sten στο χέρι μου μέχρι τις 17 Ιουλίου 1974.
Στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος, οι μονάδες της Ελληνοκυπριακής Εθνικής Φρουράς και της ΕΟΚΑ Β πολεμούσαν στους δρόμους της Πάφου. Τις μονάδες του Μακαρίου και της αριστεράς που είχαν σχηματίσει… Υπήρχε αντίσταση σε διάφορα μέρη. Ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω πως καθώς οι μονάδες της Χούντας και οι υποστηρικτές τους επιτέθηκαν στη Λεμεσό, μια ομάδα υποστηρικτών του Μακαρίου και κάποιοι αριστεροί Παφίτες είχαν μπει σε ένα φορτηγό για να πάνε ως υποστήριξη στη Λεμεσό και τους επιτέθηκαν στο Κολόσσι και οι περισσότεροι από αυτούς σκοτώθηκαν.
Εφόσον οι υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και οι αριστεροί ήταν τα θύματα, θα πω ανοικτά ότι τόσο εγώ όσο και οι φίλοι μου νιώθαμε συμπάθεια προς αυτούς. Οι νεαρότεροι, που ήταν τα δύο παιδιά του γείτονα μας από τα Βρέτσια και που εργάζονταν ως οικοδόμοι στην Ελληνοκυπριακή πλευρά, είχαν έρθει στο σπίτι φοβισμένοι – είχαν γίνει αυτόπτες μάρτυρες στη δολοφονία δύο αστυνομικών από την ΕΟΚΑ Β και ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω την ανησυχία τους.
Το σπίτι μας ήταν ακριβώς το σύνορο και εκείνες τις μέρες είχε μετατραπεί σε στρατιωτική μονάδα για τους Τουρκοκύπριους αγωνιστές και κοντά στο δρόμο μας, ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω τις φωνές μιας γυναίκας της οποίας ο γιος πυροβολήθηκε και σκοτώθηκε από κάποιους Έλληνες στρατιώτες.
Ο Μακάριος είχε διαφύγει από το πραξικόπημα και βρήκε καταφύγιο στην Πάφο… Εκείνες τις μέρες θυμούμαι την ακόλουθη εκπομπή από ένα ράδιο που μετέδιδε από την Χλώρακα μέχρι τις 17 Ιουλίου γύρω στο μεσημέρι:
-Είμαι ο Μακάριος, είμαι ζωντανός, δεν είμαι νεκρός…
Θυμούμαι την τελευταία εκπομπή από αυτό το ράδιο στις 17 Ιουλίου στα αραβικά κάπως έτσι:
-Yahya Guprus, yahya Demokradiyedde Milliyedde Guprus.
Και αυτή ήταν η τελευταία ανακοίνωση. Ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω το επιθετικό σκάφος «Λεβέντης» που βομβάρδισε αυτόν τον ραδιοφωνικό σταθμό και τον αποσιώπησε. Μπορεί να ήταν την ίδια μέρα ή μια μέρα νωρίτερα, νομίζω το ίδιο επιθετικό σκάφος βομβάρδισε τις μονάδες στο Κάστρο της Πάφου και αντάλλαξαν πυρά… Ένας φίλος μου που ήταν στην οροφή του Τζαμιού Ebubekir φώναξε κάτω σε ένα από τους αστυνομικούς φίλους μας «Έϊ! Ένα πυροβόλο μόλις έπεσε στον κήπο σας και ο κήπος σας καίγεται» και αυτός ο φίλος ανησυχούσε αφού ο πατέρας του είχε πάει προς εκείνο τον κήπο… Τα περβόλια τους το 1963 ήταν στο Κτήμα της Πάφου (Dip Baf), εκεί που τώρα βρίσκεται το Αεροδρόμιο Πάφου…
Και πάλι, μετά που ο Πειρατικός Ραδιοφωνικός Σταθμός σταμάτησε τις εκπομπές του, με την άδεια της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktarlik) ο Μακάριος πέρασε από πάνω μας με δύο Αγγλικά ελικόπτερα προς τη θάλασσα και από εκεί προς τις Βρετανικές Στρατιωτικές Βάσεις Ακρωτηρίου. Η σαφής και ακριβής διαταγή του Sancaktarlik (η Τουρκοκυπριακή Στρατιωτική Διοίκηση) στην Πάφο ήταν ότι δεν θα υπήρχαν πυρά προς το ελικόπτερο του Μακαρίου και είχαμε προστατεύσει με αυτό τον τρόπο τον Μακάριο από την φασιστική Χούντα.
Όταν ξεκίνησε ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος μεταξύ των Ελληνοκυπρίων στην περιοχή που ονομάζεται Μαυραλή (η περιοχή αυτή είχε καταληφθεί το 1964 και είχαν σκοτωθεί 9 Τουρκοκύπριοι), δύο Ελληνοκύπριοι αστυνομικοί παγιδεύτηκαν εκεί και ξανά, με τις διαταγές της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktarlik) κάποιοι από τους Τουρκοκύπριους φίλους μας έφεραν φαγητό σε αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς. Εγώ προσωπικά είδα τους Aygun Necip και Arif Ruso (που αργότερα σκοτώθηκαν στον πόλεμο και έγιναν μάρτυρες) να φέρνουν φαγητό σε αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς. Θέλω οι νεότερες γενιές να τα γνωρίζουν αυτά… Στη διάρκεια του πολέμου, η συμπάθεια μας ήταν προς το Μακάριο και την Αριστερά γενικά και τους υποστηρίζαμε ενάντια στη Χούντα. Αυτή ήταν η γενική τάση ανάμεσα στους Τουρκοκύπριους στην Πάφο. Και είχαμε διαταγές να είμαστε ευγενικοί σε εκείνους τους αριστερούς και τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου όταν αναζητούσαν καταφύγιο στην Πάφο. Ήταν σαν πως και οι υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και οι αριστεροί ήταν στη δική μας πλευρά και αυτή ήταν η γενική τάση. Θα το πω ακόμα πιο ανοικτά… Στη διάρκεια του εμφυλίου πολέμου, είχαμε ακούσει ότι ο ιδιοκτήτης μιας φάρμας από την Πάφο που ήταν υποστηρικτής του Μακαρίου πήγε στα βουνά και υπήρχε αυτή η αίσθηση ότι αν συνέχιζε με αυτό τον τρόπο ο εμφύλιος, θα ήμασταν μαζί του…
Όταν συνέχιζε ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος και σκάβαμε χαρακώματα κοντά στην αποθήκη νερού του Μετώπου Λαζάνας, ένας πιο ηλικιωμένος γνωστός που δεν ζει πλέον, αλλά του οποίου ο γιος είναι στενός μου φίλος, έλεγε «Ας έλθει το ΝΑΤΟ και να διαιρέσει την Κύπρο έτσι ώστε να ησυχάσουμε» και βρήκα πολύ ενδιαφέρον αυτό που έλεγε. Θυμούμαι ως 17χρονος ότι ήμουν εναντίον μιας τέτοιας άποψης. Καθώς βαθαίναμε τα χαρακώματα στο Μέτωπο Λαζάνας, έγινα μάρτυρας της ισχυρής αντίστασης των υποστηρικτών του Μακαρίου από τη Χλώρακα ενάντια στις μονάδες της Χούντας καθώς έμπαιναν στη Χλώρακα.
Μετά την κατάληψη της περιοχής Μαυράλη, στις 20 Ιουλίου, θυμούμαι τον Διοικητή της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktar) μόλις μας είδε εμάς τα παιδιά σε στρατιωτικές θέσεις άρχισε να κλαίει και περικυκλώσαμε τους Ελληνοκύπριους αστυνομικούς ως αδελφοί και φίλοι και τους είπαμε ότι δεν θα τους κάναμε τίποτε, ότι θα τους παραδίδαμε στους στρατιώτες των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και θυμούμαι τους Ελληνοκύπριους αστυνομικούς που μας αγκάλιασαν μετά που τα είπαμε αυτά…
Είδα ένα από αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς φίλους στην Πύλα και αγκαλιαστήκαμε ακριβώς όπως είχαμε κάνει πριν χρόνια, εκείνη τη μέρα… (Το όνομα του είναι Γλαύκος, και στην τελευταία μου επίσκεψη στην Πάφο έμαθα ότι είχε πεθάνει, ας αναπαυτεί εν ειρήνη…) Και στις 22 Ιουλίου 1974 καθώς έπεφτε η Πάφος, ένας άντρας της ΕΟΚΑ έστρεψε το όπλο του πάνω μου και αυτός τον σταμάτησε και έδειξε ότι με ήξερε… Και αυτός μου είχε σώσει τη ζωή.
Στις 20 Ιουλίου 1974, ήμουν μέσα το ποτάμι Μαυραλή μαζί με τον μακαρίτη Mustafa Tarkush και βάζαμε ύφασμα από καμβά έτσι ώστε να το δουν τα αεροπλάνα και εκείνη τη στιγμή χιλιάδες Ελληνοκύπριοι πολιτοφύλακες και στρατιώτες ήταν στο Μελανό, όχι πολύ μακριά από εμάς… Ο Διοικητής Osman Karshili έψαχνε να βρει κάποιους εθελοντές για να μεταφέρουν τρία βλήματα πυροβόλου για να πάνε μαζί με το φίλο μας Arif Ruso. Το μέρος στο οποίο τους έστειλαν ήταν μια εξαιρετικά επικίνδυνη περιοχή – το να πας εκεί ήταν σίγουρος θάνατος. Το ήξερα αυτό επειδή ο πατέρας μου πάντοτε μου έδειχνε αυτή την περιοχή… Όταν ζήτησε ο διοικητής κανένας δεν προθυμοποιήθηκε έτσι έπρεπε να βάλει κλήρο και ένας φίλος που λεγόταν ο Άγγλος Doghan (επειδή έμοιαζε με Άγγλο) έπρεπε να πάει και έχασε μερικά δάκτυλα και ο Arif Ruso που χειριζόταν το πυροβόλο έχασε τη ζωή του… Οι περισσότεροι μας ήμασταν πολύ νεαρά παιδιά και αγωνιζόμασταν μέχρι το τελευταίο λεπτό έτσι ώστε οι υποστηρικτές της Χούντας να μην καταλάβουν την Πάφο. Όμως η αλήθεια ήταν αυτή: Είχαν εγκαταλείψει την Πάφο από καιρό, εκείνοι που είχαν κάνει το σχέδιο διαίρεσης το είχαν σχεδιάσει έτσι. Μακάρι να τα ξέραμε συνειδητά όλα αυτά από την αρχή και έτσι να μην περάσουμε τόσο πολύ πόνο ως οι δύο κοινότητες. Από εδώ και μπρος ως οι δύο κοινότητες, πρέπει να είμαστε προσεκτικοί να μην κάνουμε ξανά τα ίδια λάθη…
Καθώς έγινε ξεκάθαρο τη νύκτα της 20ης Ιουλίου, ότι η Πάφος θα έπεφτε την επόμενη μέρα, ο μακαρίτης θείος μου Omer Ayral ήρθε στο σπίτι και έκλαιγε – ήταν ο ιδρυτής διευθυντής του Ραδιοφώνου Gazi Baf από το 1965 και είχε σπάσει όλο τον εξοπλισμό και είχε έρθει στο σπίτι στενοχωρημένος κλαίγοντας… Δεν θα το ξεχάσω ποτέ…
Επίσης θυμούμαι πολύ καθαρά το εξής: Ο μακαρίτης πατέρας μου είχε επιστρέψει σύντομα στο σπίτι πριν να ξεκινήσει ο πόλεμος και μου έδειξε μονάδες της ΕΛΔΥΚ που προσγειώνονταν και μου είπε, «Και αυτοί είναι άνθρωποι… Κανένας άνθρωπος δεν γεννιέται ένοχος… Πρόσεχε, αλλά να μην είσαι σκληρός…»
Ο πόλεμος είναι φοβερό πράγμα… Είναι κακή μοίρα να πεθαίνουν οι νεαροί… Μετά από 45 χρόνια έχω φτάσει στο εξής σημείο: Τώρα είναι η ώρα για ειρήνη, η ώρα για να αγκαλιαστούμε, η ώρα για να μιλήσουμε, η ώρα να πάρουμε μαθήματα έτσι ώστε να μην ξαναγίνουν λάθη, η ώρα να δείξουμε ενσυναίσθηση… Λέω ειρήνη τώρα, αμέσως…
Με σεβασμό, στην μνήμη όλων των ανθρώπων μας που χάσαμε τον Ιούλιο και τον Αύγουστο…»
«Δύο φίλοι που χάσαμε στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο: Arif Ruso and Ihsan Kilich…»
Ο Ulus Irkad θυμάται δύο από τους φίλους του που έχασε στον πόλεμο το 1974 στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο… Λέει:
«Στις 20 Ιουλίου 1974, στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο χάσαμε δύο από τους φίλους μας… Ο ένας από αυτούς ήταν ο Arif Ruso. Πήγαινε στην πρώτη γραμμή με ένα πυροβόλο. Τραβήξαμε κλήρο και το άτομο που πήγε μαζί του επίσης έχασε μερικά από τα δάκτυλα του… Ο άλλος φίλος ήταν ο Ihsan Kilich… Είχε έρθει από την Αγγλία για να δει τη γυναίκα του και τον τρίχρονο γιο του. Λόγω του πολέμου, έτρεξε στις στρατιωτικές θέσεις… Ακριβώς πριν από τον πόλεμο του είχα πει, «Σήμερα φαίνεσαι πολύ όμορφος…» Και μου είχε απαντήσει «Πάντοτε είμαι όμορφος…» Αυτό ήταν… Μετά από μερικές ώρες τον πυροβόλησαν… Και δυστυχώς ακριβώς στο ίδιο σημείο που είχε σκοτωθεί ο πατέρας του το 1964, πέθανε και αυτός στο ίδιο σημείο το 1974… Ήμασταν μαζί και με τους δύο μέχρι τις τελευταίες τους στιγμές… Ας αναπαυθούν εν ειρήνη… Μακάρι λέω, να μην υπάρξει πόλεμος ξανά…»
Photo: Συνάντηση των Τουρκοκυπρίων και Ελληνοκυπρίων της Πάφου…
(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 1st of September 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on the 26th of July 2019 and here is the link:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/tek-bir-dilegim-var-tek-bir-kibrisli-cocugun-daha-kardesim-yannis-gibi-kurban-olmasi-14284yy.htm
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Τηλ: 99 966518
Ο καλός μας φίλος από την Πάφο, ερευνητής και συγγραφέας Ulus Irkad μας διαφωτίζει για κάτι που δεν γνωρίζουν πολλοί άνθρωποι: Πως οι Τουρκοκύπριοι της Πάφου βοήθησαν τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και την Αριστερά έναντι της Χούντας στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος… Σήμερα θέλω να μοιραστώ μαζί σας αυτά που έγραψε για το θέμα… Ο Ulus Irkad λέει:
«Σήμερα θέλω να πω στους Τουρκοκύπριους και Ελληνοκύπριους μερικά πράγματα που δεν θα βρουν σε κανένα βιβλίο ιστορίας: Ότι είχαμε σώσει τη ζωή του Μακαρίου…
Μετά το πραξικόπημα της 15ης Ιουλίου 1974, στις 16 Ιουλίου, κλήθηκα σε στρατιωτική θέση και ήμουν 16 χρονών. Υπηρέτησα στην περιοχή του Τζαμιού Πάφου με ένα Αγγλικό αυτόματο όπλο Sten στο χέρι μου μέχρι τις 17 Ιουλίου 1974.
Στη διάρκεια του πραξικοπήματος, οι μονάδες της Ελληνοκυπριακής Εθνικής Φρουράς και της ΕΟΚΑ Β πολεμούσαν στους δρόμους της Πάφου. Τις μονάδες του Μακαρίου και της αριστεράς που είχαν σχηματίσει… Υπήρχε αντίσταση σε διάφορα μέρη. Ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω πως καθώς οι μονάδες της Χούντας και οι υποστηρικτές τους επιτέθηκαν στη Λεμεσό, μια ομάδα υποστηρικτών του Μακαρίου και κάποιοι αριστεροί Παφίτες είχαν μπει σε ένα φορτηγό για να πάνε ως υποστήριξη στη Λεμεσό και τους επιτέθηκαν στο Κολόσσι και οι περισσότεροι από αυτούς σκοτώθηκαν.
Εφόσον οι υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και οι αριστεροί ήταν τα θύματα, θα πω ανοικτά ότι τόσο εγώ όσο και οι φίλοι μου νιώθαμε συμπάθεια προς αυτούς. Οι νεαρότεροι, που ήταν τα δύο παιδιά του γείτονα μας από τα Βρέτσια και που εργάζονταν ως οικοδόμοι στην Ελληνοκυπριακή πλευρά, είχαν έρθει στο σπίτι φοβισμένοι – είχαν γίνει αυτόπτες μάρτυρες στη δολοφονία δύο αστυνομικών από την ΕΟΚΑ Β και ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω την ανησυχία τους.
Το σπίτι μας ήταν ακριβώς το σύνορο και εκείνες τις μέρες είχε μετατραπεί σε στρατιωτική μονάδα για τους Τουρκοκύπριους αγωνιστές και κοντά στο δρόμο μας, ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω τις φωνές μιας γυναίκας της οποίας ο γιος πυροβολήθηκε και σκοτώθηκε από κάποιους Έλληνες στρατιώτες.
Ο Μακάριος είχε διαφύγει από το πραξικόπημα και βρήκε καταφύγιο στην Πάφο… Εκείνες τις μέρες θυμούμαι την ακόλουθη εκπομπή από ένα ράδιο που μετέδιδε από την Χλώρακα μέχρι τις 17 Ιουλίου γύρω στο μεσημέρι:
-Είμαι ο Μακάριος, είμαι ζωντανός, δεν είμαι νεκρός…
Θυμούμαι την τελευταία εκπομπή από αυτό το ράδιο στις 17 Ιουλίου στα αραβικά κάπως έτσι:
-Yahya Guprus, yahya Demokradiyedde Milliyedde Guprus.
Και αυτή ήταν η τελευταία ανακοίνωση. Ποτέ δεν θα ξεχάσω το επιθετικό σκάφος «Λεβέντης» που βομβάρδισε αυτόν τον ραδιοφωνικό σταθμό και τον αποσιώπησε. Μπορεί να ήταν την ίδια μέρα ή μια μέρα νωρίτερα, νομίζω το ίδιο επιθετικό σκάφος βομβάρδισε τις μονάδες στο Κάστρο της Πάφου και αντάλλαξαν πυρά… Ένας φίλος μου που ήταν στην οροφή του Τζαμιού Ebubekir φώναξε κάτω σε ένα από τους αστυνομικούς φίλους μας «Έϊ! Ένα πυροβόλο μόλις έπεσε στον κήπο σας και ο κήπος σας καίγεται» και αυτός ο φίλος ανησυχούσε αφού ο πατέρας του είχε πάει προς εκείνο τον κήπο… Τα περβόλια τους το 1963 ήταν στο Κτήμα της Πάφου (Dip Baf), εκεί που τώρα βρίσκεται το Αεροδρόμιο Πάφου…
Και πάλι, μετά που ο Πειρατικός Ραδιοφωνικός Σταθμός σταμάτησε τις εκπομπές του, με την άδεια της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktarlik) ο Μακάριος πέρασε από πάνω μας με δύο Αγγλικά ελικόπτερα προς τη θάλασσα και από εκεί προς τις Βρετανικές Στρατιωτικές Βάσεις Ακρωτηρίου. Η σαφής και ακριβής διαταγή του Sancaktarlik (η Τουρκοκυπριακή Στρατιωτική Διοίκηση) στην Πάφο ήταν ότι δεν θα υπήρχαν πυρά προς το ελικόπτερο του Μακαρίου και είχαμε προστατεύσει με αυτό τον τρόπο τον Μακάριο από την φασιστική Χούντα.
Όταν ξεκίνησε ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος μεταξύ των Ελληνοκυπρίων στην περιοχή που ονομάζεται Μαυραλή (η περιοχή αυτή είχε καταληφθεί το 1964 και είχαν σκοτωθεί 9 Τουρκοκύπριοι), δύο Ελληνοκύπριοι αστυνομικοί παγιδεύτηκαν εκεί και ξανά, με τις διαταγές της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktarlik) κάποιοι από τους Τουρκοκύπριους φίλους μας έφεραν φαγητό σε αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς. Εγώ προσωπικά είδα τους Aygun Necip και Arif Ruso (που αργότερα σκοτώθηκαν στον πόλεμο και έγιναν μάρτυρες) να φέρνουν φαγητό σε αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς. Θέλω οι νεότερες γενιές να τα γνωρίζουν αυτά… Στη διάρκεια του πολέμου, η συμπάθεια μας ήταν προς το Μακάριο και την Αριστερά γενικά και τους υποστηρίζαμε ενάντια στη Χούντα. Αυτή ήταν η γενική τάση ανάμεσα στους Τουρκοκύπριους στην Πάφο. Και είχαμε διαταγές να είμαστε ευγενικοί σε εκείνους τους αριστερούς και τους υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου όταν αναζητούσαν καταφύγιο στην Πάφο. Ήταν σαν πως και οι υποστηρικτές του Μακαρίου και οι αριστεροί ήταν στη δική μας πλευρά και αυτή ήταν η γενική τάση. Θα το πω ακόμα πιο ανοικτά… Στη διάρκεια του εμφυλίου πολέμου, είχαμε ακούσει ότι ο ιδιοκτήτης μιας φάρμας από την Πάφο που ήταν υποστηρικτής του Μακαρίου πήγε στα βουνά και υπήρχε αυτή η αίσθηση ότι αν συνέχιζε με αυτό τον τρόπο ο εμφύλιος, θα ήμασταν μαζί του…
Όταν συνέχιζε ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος και σκάβαμε χαρακώματα κοντά στην αποθήκη νερού του Μετώπου Λαζάνας, ένας πιο ηλικιωμένος γνωστός που δεν ζει πλέον, αλλά του οποίου ο γιος είναι στενός μου φίλος, έλεγε «Ας έλθει το ΝΑΤΟ και να διαιρέσει την Κύπρο έτσι ώστε να ησυχάσουμε» και βρήκα πολύ ενδιαφέρον αυτό που έλεγε. Θυμούμαι ως 17χρονος ότι ήμουν εναντίον μιας τέτοιας άποψης. Καθώς βαθαίναμε τα χαρακώματα στο Μέτωπο Λαζάνας, έγινα μάρτυρας της ισχυρής αντίστασης των υποστηρικτών του Μακαρίου από τη Χλώρακα ενάντια στις μονάδες της Χούντας καθώς έμπαιναν στη Χλώρακα.
Μετά την κατάληψη της περιοχής Μαυράλη, στις 20 Ιουλίου, θυμούμαι τον Διοικητή της Τουρκοκυπριακής Στρατιωτικής Διοίκησης Πάφου (Sancaktar) μόλις μας είδε εμάς τα παιδιά σε στρατιωτικές θέσεις άρχισε να κλαίει και περικυκλώσαμε τους Ελληνοκύπριους αστυνομικούς ως αδελφοί και φίλοι και τους είπαμε ότι δεν θα τους κάναμε τίποτε, ότι θα τους παραδίδαμε στους στρατιώτες των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και θυμούμαι τους Ελληνοκύπριους αστυνομικούς που μας αγκάλιασαν μετά που τα είπαμε αυτά…
Είδα ένα από αυτούς τους αστυνομικούς φίλους στην Πύλα και αγκαλιαστήκαμε ακριβώς όπως είχαμε κάνει πριν χρόνια, εκείνη τη μέρα… (Το όνομα του είναι Γλαύκος, και στην τελευταία μου επίσκεψη στην Πάφο έμαθα ότι είχε πεθάνει, ας αναπαυτεί εν ειρήνη…) Και στις 22 Ιουλίου 1974 καθώς έπεφτε η Πάφος, ένας άντρας της ΕΟΚΑ έστρεψε το όπλο του πάνω μου και αυτός τον σταμάτησε και έδειξε ότι με ήξερε… Και αυτός μου είχε σώσει τη ζωή.
Στις 20 Ιουλίου 1974, ήμουν μέσα το ποτάμι Μαυραλή μαζί με τον μακαρίτη Mustafa Tarkush και βάζαμε ύφασμα από καμβά έτσι ώστε να το δουν τα αεροπλάνα και εκείνη τη στιγμή χιλιάδες Ελληνοκύπριοι πολιτοφύλακες και στρατιώτες ήταν στο Μελανό, όχι πολύ μακριά από εμάς… Ο Διοικητής Osman Karshili έψαχνε να βρει κάποιους εθελοντές για να μεταφέρουν τρία βλήματα πυροβόλου για να πάνε μαζί με το φίλο μας Arif Ruso. Το μέρος στο οποίο τους έστειλαν ήταν μια εξαιρετικά επικίνδυνη περιοχή – το να πας εκεί ήταν σίγουρος θάνατος. Το ήξερα αυτό επειδή ο πατέρας μου πάντοτε μου έδειχνε αυτή την περιοχή… Όταν ζήτησε ο διοικητής κανένας δεν προθυμοποιήθηκε έτσι έπρεπε να βάλει κλήρο και ένας φίλος που λεγόταν ο Άγγλος Doghan (επειδή έμοιαζε με Άγγλο) έπρεπε να πάει και έχασε μερικά δάκτυλα και ο Arif Ruso που χειριζόταν το πυροβόλο έχασε τη ζωή του… Οι περισσότεροι μας ήμασταν πολύ νεαρά παιδιά και αγωνιζόμασταν μέχρι το τελευταίο λεπτό έτσι ώστε οι υποστηρικτές της Χούντας να μην καταλάβουν την Πάφο. Όμως η αλήθεια ήταν αυτή: Είχαν εγκαταλείψει την Πάφο από καιρό, εκείνοι που είχαν κάνει το σχέδιο διαίρεσης το είχαν σχεδιάσει έτσι. Μακάρι να τα ξέραμε συνειδητά όλα αυτά από την αρχή και έτσι να μην περάσουμε τόσο πολύ πόνο ως οι δύο κοινότητες. Από εδώ και μπρος ως οι δύο κοινότητες, πρέπει να είμαστε προσεκτικοί να μην κάνουμε ξανά τα ίδια λάθη…
Καθώς έγινε ξεκάθαρο τη νύκτα της 20ης Ιουλίου, ότι η Πάφος θα έπεφτε την επόμενη μέρα, ο μακαρίτης θείος μου Omer Ayral ήρθε στο σπίτι και έκλαιγε – ήταν ο ιδρυτής διευθυντής του Ραδιοφώνου Gazi Baf από το 1965 και είχε σπάσει όλο τον εξοπλισμό και είχε έρθει στο σπίτι στενοχωρημένος κλαίγοντας… Δεν θα το ξεχάσω ποτέ…
Επίσης θυμούμαι πολύ καθαρά το εξής: Ο μακαρίτης πατέρας μου είχε επιστρέψει σύντομα στο σπίτι πριν να ξεκινήσει ο πόλεμος και μου έδειξε μονάδες της ΕΛΔΥΚ που προσγειώνονταν και μου είπε, «Και αυτοί είναι άνθρωποι… Κανένας άνθρωπος δεν γεννιέται ένοχος… Πρόσεχε, αλλά να μην είσαι σκληρός…»
Ο πόλεμος είναι φοβερό πράγμα… Είναι κακή μοίρα να πεθαίνουν οι νεαροί… Μετά από 45 χρόνια έχω φτάσει στο εξής σημείο: Τώρα είναι η ώρα για ειρήνη, η ώρα για να αγκαλιαστούμε, η ώρα για να μιλήσουμε, η ώρα να πάρουμε μαθήματα έτσι ώστε να μην ξαναγίνουν λάθη, η ώρα να δείξουμε ενσυναίσθηση… Λέω ειρήνη τώρα, αμέσως…
Με σεβασμό, στην μνήμη όλων των ανθρώπων μας που χάσαμε τον Ιούλιο και τον Αύγουστο…»
«Δύο φίλοι που χάσαμε στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο: Arif Ruso and Ihsan Kilich…»
Ο Ulus Irkad θυμάται δύο από τους φίλους του που έχασε στον πόλεμο το 1974 στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο… Λέει:
«Στις 20 Ιουλίου 1974, στην περιοχή Μαυραλή στην Πάφο χάσαμε δύο από τους φίλους μας… Ο ένας από αυτούς ήταν ο Arif Ruso. Πήγαινε στην πρώτη γραμμή με ένα πυροβόλο. Τραβήξαμε κλήρο και το άτομο που πήγε μαζί του επίσης έχασε μερικά από τα δάκτυλα του… Ο άλλος φίλος ήταν ο Ihsan Kilich… Είχε έρθει από την Αγγλία για να δει τη γυναίκα του και τον τρίχρονο γιο του. Λόγω του πολέμου, έτρεξε στις στρατιωτικές θέσεις… Ακριβώς πριν από τον πόλεμο του είχα πει, «Σήμερα φαίνεσαι πολύ όμορφος…» Και μου είχε απαντήσει «Πάντοτε είμαι όμορφος…» Αυτό ήταν… Μετά από μερικές ώρες τον πυροβόλησαν… Και δυστυχώς ακριβώς στο ίδιο σημείο που είχε σκοτωθεί ο πατέρας του το 1964, πέθανε και αυτός στο ίδιο σημείο το 1974… Ήμασταν μαζί και με τους δύο μέχρι τις τελευταίες τους στιγμές… Ας αναπαυθούν εν ειρήνη… Μακάρι λέω, να μην υπάρξει πόλεμος ξανά…»
Photo: Συνάντηση των Τουρκοκυπρίων και Ελληνοκυπρίων της Πάφου…
(*) Article published in POLITIS newspaper on the 1st of September 2019, Sunday. A similar article was published on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in the YENİDÜZEN newspaper on the 26th of July 2019 and here is the link:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/tek-bir-dilegim-var-tek-bir-kibrisli-cocugun-daha-kardesim-yannis-gibi-kurban-olmasi-14284yy.htm
The tragedy of the families split by the Cyprus conflict…
The tragedy of the families split by the Cyprus conflict…
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
The Cyprus conflict beginning at the end of the 1950s, continuing during 1963-64 and escalating to the war of 1974 has split many Cypriot families splitting them, dividing them and cutting off relationships for many years to come… And until the opening of the checkpoints of 2003, many of those Cypriot families could not manage to have contact… Only after the checkpoints would be opened, would some of those families start to come together again…
15 years ago I had written a series of articles based on my investigations in YENIDUZEN newspaper entitled `The missing part of the mosaic`, reflecting some of the stories of such mixed Cypriot families…
I could not write many of those stories since the atmosphere in both communities would treat such subjects as a `taboo` and people were hesitant and were afraid of the reaction they would get if they spoke up…
One such story was from Limassol – a Turkish Cypriot woman had married a Greek Cypriot from Famagusta decades ago… The conditions in those days for getting married forced individuals from both communities to change their name and their religion. Therefore, all traces of their origin would be lost, unless they spoke up and told this… In fact, the marriage of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots was actually banned by the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, unless they changed religion and name!
So she had got married with this Greek Cypriot and when I wanted to write about her story, she panicked… She asked me not to write… Her husband was a famous businessman and her son-in-law had no idea that his mother-in-law was in fact a Turkish Cypriot. I respected her decision and did not write her story… I felt sorry for her since she had to pretend that she was someone else, instead of being herself… And had to keep this as a secret… This is the shame of both communities that instead of accommodating this richness of having someone `different` amongst you, that they practically choose to `pretend` that `everyone is the same, it's uniform`… What a ridiculous view! Both communities accept the marriage of Cypriots with people from England, Russia, China, Philippines, USA, Moldova, Bulgaria or you name whatever country, except from our own country and stigmatize them!
One of those stories was from Famagusta again about a Greek Cypriot woman who had got married with a Turkish Cypriot and had to change her name and her religion. Her son was writing very `nationalist` articles and was displaying his deep hatred towards Greek Cypriots. When I had called him and told him that I wanted to write the story of his mother, he asked me not to do this, that he was afraid of the reaction from the community. I would respect his request and did not write the story of his mother. And he continued to swear at the Greek Cypriots in the newspapers. Actually the community he was swearing at and he hated was the community of his own mother…
Each baby coming to this earth has no chance to choose his or her mother, father, the place he or she is born, his or her language, religion, colour or being born as a male or a female… The baby can be born as a blind person or a baby with no hearing and not being able to speak. The baby might be born without the ability to walk or one of her or his legs shorter than the other. A baby can be born out of a Greek Cypriot mother and Turkish Cypriot father, an English father and a Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot mother… These are not the choices of the babies born on this earth… They find themselves in a family and try to stay alive, try to grow up and develop themselves in harmony with whatever community they are born in…
Unfortunately whether they are growing within the Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot community, there is very few children out of such mixed weddings who are peaceful and at peace with themselves. We have such shining examples and unfortunately we cannot write their stories either – because they too are afraid of reaction from their communities… But the most dangerous ones are the ones whose mother is a Greek Cypriot and father a Turkish Cypriot or vice versa but who pose as the biggest nationalists and patriots and who try to `prove` themselves that they are the biggest patriots, against the other community throughout their lives…
One such person was someone I had worked with in a newspaper many decades ago. He was from Famagusta. His mother was Turkish Cypriot and his father was Greek Cypriot. His father had changed his name and religion in order to be able to get married with his mother. I was working with him at the beginning of the 1980s, so that must be around 40 years ago…
This person from the very beginning till the very end would take the stand of `the biggest patriot` - with his articles he would see the Greek Cypriot community as `his enemy` and he would resist and would be against any sort of bicommunal activity.
But many years later by a coincidence, I would find out that he was meeting his Greek Cypriot relatives secretly and systematically long before the checkpoints were opened! In those years, the United Nations were getting together the split families due to the Cyprus conflict at the Ledra Palace Hotel, regularly. And this `ultra-patriot` was going to the Ledra Palace Hotel and meeting his Greek Cypriot family and upon return he would continue to swear at the Greek Cypriots in the newspapers and his statements as though nothing had happened.
There is even a more sad story about such children… In a story I found out, there was this Turkish Cypriot family from a village when they chose to change religion and name and be part of the Greek Cypriot community. One member of this family had turned out to be a `big patriot` and even volunteered to be a `sniper` in a group who were taking an active part in the kidnapping and killing of some Turkish Cypriots during the 1963-64 conflict. Did he, himself pull the trigger or would he simply watch as the trigger was pulled by some Greek Cypriots in this group?
All of this shows us what sort of huge traumas there are and what sort of huge taboos on this island and how the conflict itself steals the humanity of our people and turns them into something else under the guise of `patriotism` and `nationalism`…
There is another very sad story of a family whose mother was a Turkish Cypriot and father was a Greek Cypriot. They were living in a village in Mesaoria. Their mother had been married to a Turkish Cypriot and then fell in love with a Greek Cypriot and had a divorce and married the Greek Cypriot. She moved to a village with him where only the Greek Cypriots were living. The Turkish Cypriots had left the village during the conflict of 1963… They would have more than 5 or 6 kids…
In 1974 when some Turkish Cypriots entered this village, they would take her for a Greek Cypriot and they would kill her… And she would lay on her bed full of blood… Her children had turned out to be supporters of EOKA-B… Such a state of mind looks suicidal and this woman is still `missing` as far as I know. Neither the Greek Cypriots, nor the Turkish Cypriots bothered to put her on the `official` List of Missing Persons… As an unregistered `missing person`, her bones are fading somewhere in the soil in the Mesaoria…
But there are stories that warm one's heart, stories that despite taboos and the conflict and the partition and lack of opportunities, where strong family ties have survived…
One of the most striking stories of all times in Cyprus is that of the Ahmediyes. The Ahmediye or Ahmet family was from Agia Marina, it was a mixed family of Turkish Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots. In 1963-64 the Turkish Cypriots of Agia Marina had to flee the village… And in 1974, the Cypriot Maronites had to flee… The Ahmediyes were a mixed family: Some of those born out of the marriage of the Turkish Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots remained in the northern and some in the southern part of our island. As soon as the checkpoints opened in 2003, the Ahmediyes found each other and were never divided again… They would meet cousins whom they had never met before…
From time to time, I get some requests from Cypriots (both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots) to try to help them to find the traces of their relatives who stayed in the southern or northern part of our island. Actually this is very difficult since even if you try to find their traces, sometimes the children of those relatives do not want their parents to have ties with the other side, due to the pressures from their own communities.
One such thing happened recently – a request came to me from a Greek Cypriot who was looking for his relatives from Muttayaga. A young journalist from SIM TV, Mustafa Bafli asked me to help him.
There was this Turkish Cypriot woman called C. who fell in love with a Greek Cypriot who came to the village to sell vegetables. She would go with him and change her name and her religion and get married with him. She would be called Amalia… They would get married and they would have a son called G.
G. would grow up not knowing that in fact his mother was a Turkish Cypriot. Only after his mother died, he would find a diary in her chest and he would learn that she had been a Turkish Cypriot… And he would try to find his relatives from the village Muttayaga.
So I had names, I had details. I would speak to many Turkish Cypriots from Muttayaga but no one would accept this connection, some claimed that their mothers did not remember no such thing, and some said "I don't know"… In the end I realized that some people from Muttayaga was approaching this issue with either great fear or with great indifference… So we could not help him yet… But still I have not lost hope since humans are sometimes full of surprises… Some people may approach the issue of split families with fear or with indifference, but some might feel the importance of getting people together and might embrace G. and help him to connect with his Turkish Cypriot relatives…
4.8.2019
(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 8th of September 2019, Sunday. Similar series of articles was published in the YENIDUZEN newspaper on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in Turkish on the 3rd, 5th and 6th of August 2019 and here are the links:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/kibrista-catismalarin-bolup-parcaladigi-aileler1-14312yy.htm
http://www.yeniduzen.com/kibrista-catismalarin-bolup-parcaladigi-aileler2-14319yy.htm
http://www.yeniduzen.com/yillar-gecti-aradan-ama-ben-unutmadim-14324yy.htm
Sevgul Uludag
caramel_cy@yahoo.com
Tel: 99 966518
The Cyprus conflict beginning at the end of the 1950s, continuing during 1963-64 and escalating to the war of 1974 has split many Cypriot families splitting them, dividing them and cutting off relationships for many years to come… And until the opening of the checkpoints of 2003, many of those Cypriot families could not manage to have contact… Only after the checkpoints would be opened, would some of those families start to come together again…
15 years ago I had written a series of articles based on my investigations in YENIDUZEN newspaper entitled `The missing part of the mosaic`, reflecting some of the stories of such mixed Cypriot families…
I could not write many of those stories since the atmosphere in both communities would treat such subjects as a `taboo` and people were hesitant and were afraid of the reaction they would get if they spoke up…
One such story was from Limassol – a Turkish Cypriot woman had married a Greek Cypriot from Famagusta decades ago… The conditions in those days for getting married forced individuals from both communities to change their name and their religion. Therefore, all traces of their origin would be lost, unless they spoke up and told this… In fact, the marriage of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots was actually banned by the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, unless they changed religion and name!
So she had got married with this Greek Cypriot and when I wanted to write about her story, she panicked… She asked me not to write… Her husband was a famous businessman and her son-in-law had no idea that his mother-in-law was in fact a Turkish Cypriot. I respected her decision and did not write her story… I felt sorry for her since she had to pretend that she was someone else, instead of being herself… And had to keep this as a secret… This is the shame of both communities that instead of accommodating this richness of having someone `different` amongst you, that they practically choose to `pretend` that `everyone is the same, it's uniform`… What a ridiculous view! Both communities accept the marriage of Cypriots with people from England, Russia, China, Philippines, USA, Moldova, Bulgaria or you name whatever country, except from our own country and stigmatize them!
One of those stories was from Famagusta again about a Greek Cypriot woman who had got married with a Turkish Cypriot and had to change her name and her religion. Her son was writing very `nationalist` articles and was displaying his deep hatred towards Greek Cypriots. When I had called him and told him that I wanted to write the story of his mother, he asked me not to do this, that he was afraid of the reaction from the community. I would respect his request and did not write the story of his mother. And he continued to swear at the Greek Cypriots in the newspapers. Actually the community he was swearing at and he hated was the community of his own mother…
Each baby coming to this earth has no chance to choose his or her mother, father, the place he or she is born, his or her language, religion, colour or being born as a male or a female… The baby can be born as a blind person or a baby with no hearing and not being able to speak. The baby might be born without the ability to walk or one of her or his legs shorter than the other. A baby can be born out of a Greek Cypriot mother and Turkish Cypriot father, an English father and a Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot mother… These are not the choices of the babies born on this earth… They find themselves in a family and try to stay alive, try to grow up and develop themselves in harmony with whatever community they are born in…
Unfortunately whether they are growing within the Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot community, there is very few children out of such mixed weddings who are peaceful and at peace with themselves. We have such shining examples and unfortunately we cannot write their stories either – because they too are afraid of reaction from their communities… But the most dangerous ones are the ones whose mother is a Greek Cypriot and father a Turkish Cypriot or vice versa but who pose as the biggest nationalists and patriots and who try to `prove` themselves that they are the biggest patriots, against the other community throughout their lives…
One such person was someone I had worked with in a newspaper many decades ago. He was from Famagusta. His mother was Turkish Cypriot and his father was Greek Cypriot. His father had changed his name and religion in order to be able to get married with his mother. I was working with him at the beginning of the 1980s, so that must be around 40 years ago…
This person from the very beginning till the very end would take the stand of `the biggest patriot` - with his articles he would see the Greek Cypriot community as `his enemy` and he would resist and would be against any sort of bicommunal activity.
But many years later by a coincidence, I would find out that he was meeting his Greek Cypriot relatives secretly and systematically long before the checkpoints were opened! In those years, the United Nations were getting together the split families due to the Cyprus conflict at the Ledra Palace Hotel, regularly. And this `ultra-patriot` was going to the Ledra Palace Hotel and meeting his Greek Cypriot family and upon return he would continue to swear at the Greek Cypriots in the newspapers and his statements as though nothing had happened.
There is even a more sad story about such children… In a story I found out, there was this Turkish Cypriot family from a village when they chose to change religion and name and be part of the Greek Cypriot community. One member of this family had turned out to be a `big patriot` and even volunteered to be a `sniper` in a group who were taking an active part in the kidnapping and killing of some Turkish Cypriots during the 1963-64 conflict. Did he, himself pull the trigger or would he simply watch as the trigger was pulled by some Greek Cypriots in this group?
All of this shows us what sort of huge traumas there are and what sort of huge taboos on this island and how the conflict itself steals the humanity of our people and turns them into something else under the guise of `patriotism` and `nationalism`…
There is another very sad story of a family whose mother was a Turkish Cypriot and father was a Greek Cypriot. They were living in a village in Mesaoria. Their mother had been married to a Turkish Cypriot and then fell in love with a Greek Cypriot and had a divorce and married the Greek Cypriot. She moved to a village with him where only the Greek Cypriots were living. The Turkish Cypriots had left the village during the conflict of 1963… They would have more than 5 or 6 kids…
In 1974 when some Turkish Cypriots entered this village, they would take her for a Greek Cypriot and they would kill her… And she would lay on her bed full of blood… Her children had turned out to be supporters of EOKA-B… Such a state of mind looks suicidal and this woman is still `missing` as far as I know. Neither the Greek Cypriots, nor the Turkish Cypriots bothered to put her on the `official` List of Missing Persons… As an unregistered `missing person`, her bones are fading somewhere in the soil in the Mesaoria…
But there are stories that warm one's heart, stories that despite taboos and the conflict and the partition and lack of opportunities, where strong family ties have survived…
One of the most striking stories of all times in Cyprus is that of the Ahmediyes. The Ahmediye or Ahmet family was from Agia Marina, it was a mixed family of Turkish Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots. In 1963-64 the Turkish Cypriots of Agia Marina had to flee the village… And in 1974, the Cypriot Maronites had to flee… The Ahmediyes were a mixed family: Some of those born out of the marriage of the Turkish Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots remained in the northern and some in the southern part of our island. As soon as the checkpoints opened in 2003, the Ahmediyes found each other and were never divided again… They would meet cousins whom they had never met before…
From time to time, I get some requests from Cypriots (both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots) to try to help them to find the traces of their relatives who stayed in the southern or northern part of our island. Actually this is very difficult since even if you try to find their traces, sometimes the children of those relatives do not want their parents to have ties with the other side, due to the pressures from their own communities.
One such thing happened recently – a request came to me from a Greek Cypriot who was looking for his relatives from Muttayaga. A young journalist from SIM TV, Mustafa Bafli asked me to help him.
There was this Turkish Cypriot woman called C. who fell in love with a Greek Cypriot who came to the village to sell vegetables. She would go with him and change her name and her religion and get married with him. She would be called Amalia… They would get married and they would have a son called G.
G. would grow up not knowing that in fact his mother was a Turkish Cypriot. Only after his mother died, he would find a diary in her chest and he would learn that she had been a Turkish Cypriot… And he would try to find his relatives from the village Muttayaga.
So I had names, I had details. I would speak to many Turkish Cypriots from Muttayaga but no one would accept this connection, some claimed that their mothers did not remember no such thing, and some said "I don't know"… In the end I realized that some people from Muttayaga was approaching this issue with either great fear or with great indifference… So we could not help him yet… But still I have not lost hope since humans are sometimes full of surprises… Some people may approach the issue of split families with fear or with indifference, but some might feel the importance of getting people together and might embrace G. and help him to connect with his Turkish Cypriot relatives…
4.8.2019
(*) Article published in the POLITIS newspaper on the 8th of September 2019, Sunday. Similar series of articles was published in the YENIDUZEN newspaper on my pages entitled "Cyprus: The Untold Stories" in Turkish on the 3rd, 5th and 6th of August 2019 and here are the links:
http://www.yeniduzen.com/kibrista-catismalarin-bolup-parcaladigi-aileler1-14312yy.htm
http://www.yeniduzen.com/kibrista-catismalarin-bolup-parcaladigi-aileler2-14319yy.htm
http://www.yeniduzen.com/yillar-gecti-aradan-ama-ben-unutmadim-14324yy.htm