Cyprus-Forum.com

[Kikapu]

Wow! Pictures as well....I don't think that Kikapu will ever write one of his crappy stories again....

One man's crap is another man's treasure.

Looks like you got all the crap from my story.

Now let Bir finish his Journal and don't try to derail it as you and Miss Piggy tried with mine, without success I may add.

I will not be responding to any more of your posts in this thread Zan, so lets just drop it.

[zan]

Wow! Pictures as well....I don't think that Kikapu will ever write one of his crappy stories again....

One man's crap is another man's treasure.

Looks like you got all the crap from my story.

Now let Bir finish his Journal and don't try to derail it as you and Miss Piggy tried with mine, without success I may add.

I will not be responding to any more of your posts in this thread Zan, so lets just drop it.

There is nothing to slam Bir about so far Kiks. His heartfelt story is not political like yours was and you should not have responded anyway....I have already given Bir encouragement. This last post was meant to be a bit of banter but he is not speaking to me so the banter will stop. Can I still comment on how much I am enjoying his story or are you going to ban me.

[Natty]

Bir, you write with such emotion..keep the posts coming I'm really enjoying reading about your Cyprus experiences..

Thank you,dear Natty...I hope to write another post later on today!
Keep watching this space...

I'm a watchin Bir..

[BirKibrisli]

The mixed village of Aytotro (Ayios Theodoros) in Larnaca was the stage of two important events in the 60s. I was a resident there during the school year 1960/61...And in November,1967 the last major battle, before 1974, between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots took place there...The first event admitedly did not have as much impact on Cypriot political history as the second!!!

As most of you would know,after the 1963/64 troubles Turkish Cypriots lived in enclaves scattered all around the island...With the exception of the TC stronghold in and around Nicosia,the police forces of the ROC patroled all enclaves as they saw fit...In September, 1967 the Turkish Cypriots living in Aytotro decided to prevent the police patrols from entering the village. Helped by the strong TC fighters and their erratic Turkish commander based in the nearby village of Kofunye (Kophinou) they managed to effectively cut the road and hence severe communications between Larnaca and Limassol...This had the effect of isolating the GC inhabitants of Aytotro who felt outnumbered and surrounded by the TC inhabitants of Kofunye on one side and Mari on the other.

The ROC government feared that if the GC villagers abandoned Aytotro for the areas controlled by the government,a new Turkish Cypriot enclave would be created. At a strategy meeting attended by no lesser mortals as Makarios and Grivas,it was decided that this had to be prevented at all cost..Otherwise they feared it would serve as a precedent for similar TC action in other areas.They also had another fear. What if this local Turkish Commander (who was a colonel in the Turkish army) was acting on orders from Ankara? And he was trying to create a pretext for Turkish invasion of Cyprus??? To complicate the matters further Rauf Denktash who had been in exile in Turkey from 64 to October 67 had just been arrested trying to land secretly in Cyprus in a fishing vessel...

To cut a long story short,after interviewing Denktash and making diplomatic inquiries in Ankara,it was decided that the local Turkish commander had lost his marbles,that he was acting on his own against the orders from the TC leadership...So on the 14th of November,67 strong units of the National Guard and the Police Force surrounded the villages of Aytotro and Kofunye under the command of Grivas...Fierce fighting began on the 15th,and before long both Aytotro and Kofunye were occupied by GC forces...From memory tens of TCs and somewhat fewer GCs died in the operation.The strong Turkish reaction came on the 17th of November. In anticipation of the Turkish reaction the Greek Junta had already recalled Grivas the day before, alleging that Grivas had exceeded his authority by entering and occupying the two villages...Turkey was not satisfied. She demanded the withdrawal of all Greek troops from the island,disbanding of the National Guard,and placing the Police force under UN command...Turkish planes began flying over Cyprus,and the Navy sailed out in the sea between Cyprus and Turkey...
The Greek junta government quickly agreed to the withdrawal of all Greek troops from Cyprus,except the 900 stationed under the Treaty of Alliance...The ROC government refused the other two demands...With the persuasive influence of the American Envoy,Cyrus Vance,Turkey agreed to refrain from military action if the GC forces left the TC villages at once and Grivas was not allowed to return to Cyprus...

This episode in our tragic past is now characterized as a major national disaster by the ROC government. For while the military operation was successful its political repercussions were devastating.The withdrawal of the Greek forces from Cyprus served to demoralise Greek Cypriots,while the Withdrawal of the National Guard from the villages boosted Turkish Cypriot morale. TCs now knew that the GCs could not use their superiority to establish Government control over all the Republic territory,because Greece was not prepared to risk a war with Turkey over Cyprus...

"The Kophinou Disaster" encouraged King Constantine of Greece to try to oust the Junta government.His attempt on the 13th of December,1967 failed and he had to go into exile...The people of Greece had to wait for another disaster,the 1974 "catastropy" to get themselves rid of the military government. Aytotro/Kofunye episode brought about another vital change in Cyprus political landscape... It convinced Makarios to seek a "feasible" solution to the Cyprus problem,and abandon the "desired" solution :ENOSIS...

All this flashed through my mind as we drove slowly into the unassuming little village in the hills...My information had come from the horses mouth,the impressive work of One Glafkos Clerides in his 4 volume memoirs,Cyprus:My Deposition...When I last lived here the events I described had not yet come to pass...I was 10 years old and in the grip of my first romantic attachment to a little 7-year-old GC girl ...Her house was the first thing that caught my eye...Opposite that and on the other side of the road stood the Teacher's House,the place I called home for one year, back in the good old days of early 60s...As I expected it was unoccupied and in ruins...

(To be continued...)

[BirKibrisli]

[Nikitas]

Bir, thank you for this instalment.

Ayios Theodoros has a special place in my memories too. It was the scene of the most brilliant Easter celebration I have ever experienced, probably in 1960 or 61. A truly communal celebration in a valley just outside the village where all the families held a big feast.

As to the Kofinou incident in 1967, friends who interviewd Grivas afterwards, said he was adamant that he was dead against the National Guard being used in that operation. His opinion was that it was a police matter. He was given direct orders to carry out the operation, orders by those who later withdrew the Greek Army. Here we have a contradiction between sources, Clerides and Grivas. I wonder who is the more reliable source.

[BirKibrisli]

Bir, thank you for this instalment.

Ayios Theodoros has a special place in my memories too. It was the scene of the most brilliant Easter celebration I have ever experienced, probably in 1960 or 61. A truly communal celebration in a valley just outside the village where all the families held a big feast.

As to the Kofinou incident in 1967, friends who interviewd Grivas afterwards, said he was adamant that he was dead against the National Guard being used in that operation. His opinion was that it was a police matter. He was given direct orders to carry out the operation, orders by those who later withdrew the Greek Army. Here we have a contradiction between sources, Clerides and Grivas. I wonder who is the more reliable source.

Thanks for your comments,Nikitas.
We were probably there at the same time then? But I was nowhere near the Easter celebrations of course.
I was surprised to learn that Grivas was involved in this operation.But they obviously thought it was very sensitive to leave it to anyone else..
Clerides implies that Grivas was a bit gang ho about the whole thing,and went further than necessary. Personally i feel I can trust Clerides' account more.But it might be my inborn anti-Grivas bias...He was truly portrayed as a monster to us TCs... What is your impression of him???

[halil]

BirKibrisli Gardaş,
I am reading your storie with great pleasure . it is very interesting also informative.pls put more pictures and tell more about pictures as well.
good luck .................

[BirKibrisli]

The mixed village of Aytotro (Ayios Theodoros) in Larnaca was the stage of two important events in the 60s. I was a resident there during the school year 1960/61...And in November,1967 the last major battle, before 1974, between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots took place there...The first event admitedly did not have as much impact on Cypriot political history as the second!!!

As most of you would know,after the 1963/64 troubles Turkish Cypriots lived in enclaves scattered all around the island...With the exception of the TC stronghold in and around Nicosia,the police forces of the ROC patroled all enclaves as they saw fit...In September, 1967 the Turkish Cypriots living in Aytotro decided to prevent the police patrols from entering the village. Helped by the strong TC fighters and their erratic Turkish commander based in the nearby village of Kofunye (Kophinou) they managed to effectively cut the road and hence severe communications between Larnaca and Limassol...This had the effect of isolating the GC inhabitants of Aytotro who felt outnumbered and surrounded by the TC inhabitants of Kofunye on one side and Mari on the other.

The ROC government feared that if the GC villagers abandoned Aytotro for the areas controlled by the government,a new Turkish Cypriot enclave would be created. At a strategy meeting attended by no lesser mortals as Makarios and Grivas,it was decided that this had to be prevented at all cost..Otherwise they feared it would serve as a precedent for similar TC action in other areas.They also had another fear. What if this local Turkish Commander (who was a colonel in the Turkish army) was acting on orders from Ankara? And he was trying to create a pretext for Turkish invasion of Cyprus??? To complicate the matters further Rauf Denktash who had been in exile in Turkey from 64 to October 67 had just been arrested trying to land secretly in Cyprus in a fishing vessel...

To cut a long story short,after interviewing Denktash and making diplomatic inquiries in Ankara,it was decided that the local Turkish commander had lost his marbles,that he was acting on his own against the orders from the TC leadership...So on the 14th of November,67 strong units of the National Guard and the Police Force surrounded the villages of Aytotro and Kofunye under the command of Grivas...Fierce fighting began on the 15th,and before long both Aytotro and Kofunye were occupied by GC forces...From memory tens of TCs and somewhat fewer GCs died in the operation.The strong Turkish reaction came on the 17th of November. In anticipation of the Turkish reaction the Greek Junta had already recalled Grivas the day before, alleging that Grivas had exceeded his authority by entering and occupying the two villages...Turkey was not satisfied. She demanded the withdrawal of all Greek troops from the island,disbanding of the National Guard,and placing the Police force under UN command...Turkish planes began flying over Cyprus,and the Navy sailed out in the sea between Cyprus and Turkey...
The Greek junta government quickly agreed to the withdrawal of all Greek troops from Cyprus,except the 900 stationed under the Treaty of Alliance...The ROC government refused the other two demands...With the persuasive influence of the American Envoy,Cyrus Vance,Turkey agreed to refrain from military action if the GC forces left the TC villages at once and Grivas was not allowed to return to Cyprus...

This episode in our tragic past is now characterized as a major national disaster by the ROC government. For while the military operation was successful its political repercussions were devastating.The withdrawal of the Greek forces from Cyprus served to demoralise Greek Cypriots,while the Withdrawal of the National Guard from the villages boosted Turkish Cypriot morale. TCs now knew that the GCs could not use their superiority to establish Government control over all the Republic territory,because Greece was not prepared to risk a war with Turkey over Cyprus...

"The Kophinou Disaster" encouraged King Constantine of Greece to try to oust the Junta government.His attempt on the 13th of December,1967 failed and he had to go into exile...The people of Greece had to wait for another disaster,the 1974 "catastropy" to get themselves rid of the military government. Aytotro/Kofunye episode brought about another vital change in Cyprus political landscape... It convinced Makarios to seek a "feasible" solution to the Cyprus problem,and abandon the "desired" solution :ENOSIS...

All this flashed through my mind as we drove slowly into the unassuming little village in the hills...My information had come from the horses mouth,the impressive work of One Glafkos Clerides in his 4 volume memoirs,Cyprus:My Deposition...When I last lived here the events I described had not yet come to pass...I was 10 years old and in the grip of my first romantic attachment to a little 7-year-old GC girl ...Her house was the first thing that caught my eye...Opposite that and on the other side of the road stood the Teacher's House,the place I called home for one year, back in the good old days of early 60s...As I expected it was unoccupied and in ruins...

(To be continued...)

We went up the stairs and stood under the Cypress trees in the front yard.
We had played plenty of games under these trees.A strange thought came to my mind. I had shot and killed a bird on one of these trees.With a sling-shot. I loved hunting but I was so bad with the sling that I never hit anything.Then one day I just took aim and let go...It was like a moment of Zen...The stone and the bird connected perfectly.Without a sound it fell to the ground totally lifeless.I took it in my palm and watched it as if I expected it to come back to life..Then the pointlessless of it hit me.I had just killed something for no good reason. I cant remember what I did with it.Probably buried it somewhere. But I know I never aimed the sling at another live thing again...I take that back...Some years later I was taking sling shots at other kids during our games of Cowboys and Indians or whatever...Talking about birds,I remember that people of Aytotro loved to catch and eat those little birds which they called "pulya".
They used to dip long sticks in some sort of glue and place them on trees early in the morning.Any pulya that sat on the sticks got stuck forever.I remember they tasted quiet delicious. But looked bizzare in glass containers filled with vinegar and oil (I am guessing now)...

My time in this sleepy village was mostly uneventful and happy. We lived in the predominantly GC neighbourhood and most of my friends were GC kids. Not that I took much notice of anyone other than my little Sweetheart. We met on the first day I moved to the village. She spoke Turkish well enough,as I had very little Greek myself.We soon found that we had something in common. We both loved books.Our favorite place were the steps of our kitchen which were separate from the main house.There we would sit for a longtime each reading our own book. I am trying now to remember what it was exactly that I felt for this little girl.It could not have been anything sexual.I think the main attraction was that our silences were so comfortable. And we were always the priority for the other...No matter what she was doing or who she was playing with she would drop everything as soon as I appeared on the scene. And I would do the same for her...We would then walk away,often in silence,knowing exactly what we wanted to do as if communicating by telepathy...We would get teased something terrible by kids and adults alike.But we didn't take much notice...We were in our own little world...Our dedication to each other once resulted in near ethnic-cleansing. One day coming to our house to find me she was set upon by my 6-year-old sister weilding a knife.Her screams alerted me and I rushed out to see my mother pulling my sister off my Sweetheart. "What do you think you are doing," I asked totally bewildered. "She is Greek and she wants to marry you", my sister explained as a matter of factly. "I am going to kill her!"No harm was done,and I walked her back to her house. "Lets not say anything to my mother,"she warned me."She might not let me play with you again"...

That was my first experience of pure love and dedication. And my first direct experience of the poison which corrupted our little minds...We didnt know it then, but dark clouds were forming in people's heads and storms in people's hearts.Our little paradise was about to turn into a prison ravaged by ethnic hatred...In a few short years my Sweetheart was going to turn into the "enemy". And we would never see each other again...

I went around and had a quick look at the ghost house from the back yard. Then we went and found the school. It was not being used but it looked as if some repairs were being made.I forced myself to remember something memorable. The only thing that came to mind was the cup we had won as the winners of Primary Schools Mathematics Competition.
We were a long way away from Paphos,our final destination. And we still had to make one stop in Limassol to visit the Secondary School I attended for two years...
(To be continued...)

[BirKibrisli]

BirKibrisli Gardaş,
I am reading your storie with great pleasure . it is very interesting also informative.pls put more pictures and tell more about pictures as well.
good luck .................

Thanks, Halil...I will try.
But I think the pictures are telling their own story.