Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Memories of Mansoura-Tilliria
23.01.2009

Ozcan Ozcanhan

As the two leaders prepare to take up the issue of property and territory at the conference table, while Alexander Downer (UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus) maintains his ‘cautious optimism’ I have spoken with a family from Mansoura-Kokkina-Tilliria.
Mother and daughter, Nafia and Meral, showed me photos of their native village at Tilliria and narrated their painful and miserable life because of the Greek Cypriot onslaught in 1964 and 1974.
Nafia Rasim Mehmet (71) said: “I had to flee with three daughters. Meral was only one year-old in 1964 when they attacked us from the land and from the sea using both tanks and gunboats and heavy guns. They fired on women, children and the elderly with the aim of crushing Turkish positions. UNFICYP soldiers took us to Pirgos Camp and left us to go to Lefke after three days. The Turkish Air Force intervened on the 8 and 9 August to save the remaining Turkish Cypriot villagers, defenders and our villages. The Greek and Greek Cypriot forces withdrew. We returned from Lefke to Kokkina in 1965, not Mansoura, because our village had been destroyed by the Greeks. We lived in tents and haphazard dwellings and were improving our livelihood when the Greeks toppled Makarios and started shedding blood and killing in July 1974. Until 20 July, when the Turkish army landed in Cyprus and saved us, we lived a terrified life. We feared that Greek-Greek Cypriot forces would attack like they did in 1964 and kill us all. When the enemy forces were defeated badly all over Cyprus and the Greeks and Greek Cypriots moved south, we were taken to Yialousa (Yeni Erenkoy) in 1976. There was population exchange. We were rehabilitated and started a new life. Children grew up and married. I have grandchildren but my husband died. My daughter Meral heard so much about our former village and home that she decided to open a restaurant with the name of Mansoura as she had worked at restaurants at Bogaz-Iskele for many years.”
I asked Meral about her ordeal. She said, “I lived with the memories of my family about our village and when they talked, I said to myself, I will one day bring Mansoura’s survival here. Today I opened my restaurant with the name of my original, native village. My parents told me about how they had to escape from Greek Cypriot attacks, about the martyrs we lost; the tanks and gunboats bombarding us as we fled to caves and were helped by UN troops. How Turkish forces, years later, saved us from the enclave and the siege by enemy forces, I learned all this from my parents and villagers. Some of my family settled at Yeni Erenkoy, some at Yesilkoy and some at Yeni Iskele.”
When I asked Meral Sertsoy if she had a grudge and bitterness against the Greek Cypriots she replied: “No. The past is gone. We remember the bitter and bloody days. But, now we have peace, security and they also live peacefully in the South. There is no need for bloodshed and fighting any more. Our leaders must find a solution. Everybody must be free to go where they want. Greek Cypriots come to the Karpaz and Apostolos Andreas. They are welcome to see their old places but they cannot settle here again because we will have to be displaced again. I served many Greek Cypriots in the Bogaz restaurants. I sold them snails, wild asparagus, narcissus and other wild flowers. I invite them, like everybody else, to come to my restaurant at Yesilkoy (Ayios Androniko) to have Kleftico, Turkish and local food, fish, kebab and everything, including home made bread and buns, burek and kofte. We are all peoples of Cyprus. Cyprus belongs to us and the Greek Cypriots. I now have three children, 2 daughters and one son in University. Let us live in peace in our common homeland without any more fighting and bloodshed. Let the leaders solve the property issue and territory questions permanently. Let people stay where they are and do not force them to become refugees, displaced and homeless people once more. We are happy where we are. Let the Greek Cypriots also be happy with what they have. After all, it was their leaders and fanatical extremists who started all the bloodshed for ENOSİS. Now, no enosis and no taksim (partition). Let the people of Cyprus live peacefully as close and good neighbours. Every one is welcome at Karpaz and at Mansoura restaurant. Let them try it once and I assure them they will enjoy it and come back many, many more times. People of Tylliria are very hospitable, all Cypriots are, in my view. Let us remember what happened in the past and let us not allow anyone to cause a repetition of those bad days. Let everybody look ahead. Let our leaders, give our leaders a chance to find a final, peaceful solution. At my restaurant everyone can find peace, fun, entertainment and good food.”
Is it not worth testing what she has been suggesting?
http://www.observercyprus.com/observer/ ... px?id=3441

[DT.]

They are welcome to see their old places but they cannot settle here again because we will have to be displaced again. I served many Greek Cypriots in the Bogaz restaurants. I sold them snails, wild asparagus, narcissus and other wild flowers. I invite them, like everybody else, to come to my restaurant at Yesilkoy (Ayios Androniko) to have Kleftico, Turkish and local food, fish, kebab and everything, including home made bread and buns, burek and kofte.

Apologies for being cynical but this seems more like an advert for a TC restaurant to GC's rather than anything else. I would like all GC's to dine at my resturant freely but not to move back to their homes....

[Paphitis]

They are welcome to see their old places but they cannot settle here again because we will have to be displaced again. I served many Greek Cypriots in the Bogaz restaurants. I sold them snails, wild asparagus, narcissus and other wild flowers. I invite them, like everybody else, to come to my restaurant at Yesilkoy (Ayios Androniko) to have Kleftico, Turkish and local food, fish, kebab and everything, including home made bread and buns, burek and kofte.

Apologies for being cynical but this seems more like an advert for a TC restaurant to GC's rather than anything else. I would like all GC's to dine at my resturant freely but not to move back to their homes....

It just goes to show that food realy does float Halil's boat...

[YFred]

Memories of Mansoura-Tilliria
23.01.2009

Ozcan Ozcanhan

As the two leaders prepare to take up the issue of property and territory at the conference table, while Alexander Downer (UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor to Cyprus) maintains his ‘cautious optimism’ I have spoken with a family from Mansoura-Kokkina-Tilliria.
Mother and daughter, Nafia and Meral, showed me photos of their native village at Tilliria and narrated their painful and miserable life because of the Greek Cypriot onslaught in 1964 and 1974.
Nafia Rasim Mehmet (71) said: “I had to flee with three daughters. Meral was only one year-old in 1964 when they attacked us from the land and from the sea using both tanks and gunboats and heavy guns. They fired on women, children and the elderly with the aim of crushing Turkish positions. UNFICYP soldiers took us to Pirgos Camp and left us to go to Lefke after three days. The Turkish Air Force intervened on the 8 and 9 August to save the remaining Turkish Cypriot villagers, defenders and our villages. The Greek and Greek Cypriot forces withdrew. We returned from Lefke to Kokkina in 1965, not Mansoura, because our village had been destroyed by the Greeks. We lived in tents and haphazard dwellings and were improving our livelihood when the Greeks toppled Makarios and started shedding blood and killing in July 1974. Until 20 July, when the Turkish army landed in Cyprus and saved us, we lived a terrified life. We feared that Greek-Greek Cypriot forces would attack like they did in 1964 and kill us all. When the enemy forces were defeated badly all over Cyprus and the Greeks and Greek Cypriots moved south, we were taken to Yialousa (Yeni Erenkoy) in 1976. There was population exchange. We were rehabilitated and started a new life. Children grew up and married. I have grandchildren but my husband died. My daughter Meral heard so much about our former village and home that she decided to open a restaurant with the name of Mansoura as she had worked at restaurants at Bogaz-Iskele for many years.”
I asked Meral about her ordeal. She said, “I lived with the memories of my family about our village and when they talked, I said to myself, I will one day bring Mansoura’s survival here. Today I opened my restaurant with the name of my original, native village. My parents told me about how they had to escape from Greek Cypriot attacks, about the martyrs we lost; the tanks and gunboats bombarding us as we fled to caves and were helped by UN troops. How Turkish forces, years later, saved us from the enclave and the siege by enemy forces, I learned all this from my parents and villagers. Some of my family settled at Yeni Erenkoy, some at Yesilkoy and some at Yeni Iskele.”
When I asked Meral Sertsoy if she had a grudge and bitterness against the Greek Cypriots she replied: “No. The past is gone. We remember the bitter and bloody days. But, now we have peace, security and they also live peacefully in the South. There is no need for bloodshed and fighting any more. Our leaders must find a solution. Everybody must be free to go where they want. Greek Cypriots come to the Karpaz and Apostolos Andreas. They are welcome to see their old places but they cannot settle here again because we will have to be displaced again. I served many Greek Cypriots in the Bogaz restaurants. I sold them snails, wild asparagus, narcissus and other wild flowers. I invite them, like everybody else, to come to my restaurant at Yesilkoy (Ayios Androniko) to have Kleftico, Turkish and local food, fish, kebab and everything, including home made bread and buns, burek and kofte. We are all peoples of Cyprus. Cyprus belongs to us and the Greek Cypriots. I now have three children, 2 daughters and one son in University. Let us live in peace in our common homeland without any more fighting and bloodshed. Let the leaders solve the property issue and territory questions permanently. Let people stay where they are and do not force them to become refugees, displaced and homeless people once more. We are happy where we are. Let the Greek Cypriots also be happy with what they have. After all, it was their leaders and fanatical extremists who started all the bloodshed for ENOSİS. Now, no enosis and no taksim (partition). Let the people of Cyprus live peacefully as close and good neighbours. Every one is welcome at Karpaz and at Mansoura restaurant. Let them try it once and I assure them they will enjoy it and come back many, many more times. People of Tylliria are very hospitable, all Cypriots are, in my view. Let us remember what happened in the past and let us not allow anyone to cause a repetition of those bad days. Let everybody look ahead. Let our leaders, give our leaders a chance to find a final, peaceful solution. At my restaurant everyone can find peace, fun, entertainment and good food.”
Is it not worth testing what she has been suggesting?
http://www.observercyprus.com/observer/ ... px?id=3441

Halil,
This sort of thing does nothing for the peace process. It just encourages more tit for tat, you did this, but you did that and it never ends. The worst of all it encourages mistrust. I know the media will print all sorts. They are in the business for money. Their interest is not peace.

What we need is a truth commission where the Turks will say what they did to the Greeks, and the Greeks will say what they did to the Turks, knowing that they will not be punished; they are more likely to come out and admit to clear their conscience. At least all the missing will be found and laid to rest which will also enable their families to move on. Not that it is easy to move on from ones loss.

This will promote peace and help towards healing the wounds of the past and help us live together in harmony in the future. The past is the past. Both sides had done wrong we now that.