The Parliamentary Library has been given the name of Cengiz Ratip who was the only Turkish Cypriot MP falling as a martyr.
Cengiz Ratip, well-known with his good and peaceful personality, fell as martyr on the 14th February, 1964, but his body has not still been found.
A ceremony was held today for the naming of the Parliament’s library which was attended by a large of group people including ministers and MPs.
Speeches were delivered by the President of the Society of Martyrs’ Families and Disabled War Veterans Ertan Ersan, Ratip’s son Mustafa Kemal Ratip, his wife Hayriye Cengiz Gokeri and a friend of him, a former undersecretary- Mehmet Salih Sucuoglu.
The Parliamentary Speaker Fatma Ekenoglu also delivered a speech during which she pointed to the importance of maintaining the struggle for a solution to the Cyprus problem in order not to cause more deaths and not to leave any more widows and orphans behind.
Ekenoglu stressed that President Mehmet Ali Talat works hard at the negotiation table to reach a sustainable settlement in Cyprus.
CENGIZ RATIP COMMEMORATED
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CENGIZ RATIP COMMEMORATED
by halil » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:39 pm
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by halil » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:58 pm
A Cypriot MP who is `missing` from 1964: The story of Cengiz Ratip…
Segül Uludağ
Cengiz Ratip was an MP of the Republic of Cyprus. There were two communal chambers, where MPs were elected by each community and Cengiz Ratip was elected to the Turkish Cypriot Communal Chamber back in the 60s, when the two communities were still running together the Republic of Cyprus.
He was originally from Pelathousa village. He was working at the Limni mine company and had a good wage. He got married with Hayriye, the daughter of Husnu and Emine – Hayriye’s grandfather was a very well known person in Polis – he was Hasan Agha, a rich man, much respected in the village because he helped a lot of people. Hayriye Hanim remembers having very good relations with the Greek Cypriots of Polis of those times… Hayriye and Cengiz moved to Limni, where they were given a big house… She tells me her story in her house in Morphou now (Guzelyurt):
`We were so happy… We were such a loving couple. Cengiz was the finest man on earth… He was good to everyone, to Greek Cypriots, to Turkish Cypriots… He liked to help people. He was elected an MP in 1961, if I remember correctly. Every three months he would get 50 Cypriot Pounds for this. But he never took this money. He gave it to the underground organization. He was the chief of the area of TMT in those times. Greek Cypriots also knew this.
Cengiz helped save a lot of people. There was Taner from Pelathousa. He was arrested at Yalya – Cengiz went to Ktima, Paphos and also to the Yalya police. He waited all night long… He managed to save him.
Then there was the case of Kokkino… Some Turkish Cypriots, in retaliation for the kidnapping of some Turkish Cypriots from Kokkinos, had kidnapped two buses full of Greek Cypriots. Lutfi Celul and Saydam Husnu had been kidnapped and killed by some Greek Cypriots. Those kidnapped in retaliation to this were some Greek Cypriot students on one of the buses – they were from Polis. So they notified Cengiz and off he went to Kokkino and convinced the Turkish Cypriots from Kokkinos to release these busloads of people… He told them `This will not solve the problem, release them…`And they released these people and when the Greek Cypriots of Polis got back their children from the bus, they were so happy… They would hug and kiss Cengiz…`
They had three sons: The oldest was 7, Ratip, the second one Kemal, 6 and the third one Birtan, 3… And Hayriye was pregnant with his daughter Emine.
He loved his children. He would come home around midnight and while eating his food he would put the photos of his children on the table…
`Don’t put them to bed!` he would tell me, `I miss these mascaras so much!`
`How can such young children wait until midnight?` I would tell him. `Go to work later, so you can see them…`
`No, we can’t stop now` he would tell me.`
They had moved to Pelatousa in 1964 but Cengiz was in Polis, going back and forth between the two villages because `troubles` had begun amongst the two communities in the area. Gradually, the `division` of Polis and confrontation was taking root. After the conflict in Limassol, they had called Cengiz to tell him to `move the Turkish Cypriots of Polis to only one place and the fighters (mucahit) can protect them…` `They were in different mahalles in Polis which proved difficult to guarantee safety…`
One of the friends and chief assistant of Cengiz Ratip, Mehmet Salih Sucuoglu continues the story:
`Greek Cypriots of Polis were on good terms with us until December. But from January the atmosphere had changed. They started patrolling and pushing us in a corner. We thought it is difficult to protect the population, dispersed in three-four different places. Our population, together with those in Prodromi was around 800. We decided to move the population to the school in Polis. When we moved there, the Greek Cypriots around the school left the area and we created a zone for ourselves. During the movement of the population many people did not take their furniture. So despite the order not to go back to their houses, a lot of Turkish Cypriots went to pick up their furniture and necessary items from the houses they had left…`
This created chaos… Some people came shouting one day, saying that some Greek Cypriots had dirtied the mosque and somebody must go and check… Cengiz, as the leader of the area, decided to go, not only for this but also to check on his people who had gone to pick up furniture from their homes. His friends remember that he trusted very much the Greek Cypriots of Polis because he, himself had saved their children from being killed in Kokkinos. And everybody loved and respected Cengiz… What’s more, he was an MP of the Republic of Cyprus and everybody knew that. The date was 14th of February, 1964.
Cengiz had bought a new car, a Fiat, the colour of the smoke… He got in his car and a teacher, Turgut Sitki, got in with him. He had left his pistol back at his office so he was not armed. Cengiz drove inside Polis. His assistant Mehmet Salih Sucuoglu tells the rest of the story:
`Most probably, these armed patrols of the Greek Cypriots motioned him to stop but he did not stop. It was not possible for him to stop… They fired at him from the side, shooting and killing him – the car went and hit the church wall. Turgut jumped out of the car – this was the crossroads. He tried to climb up the road leading to the school. A Greek Cypriot with a Thompson gun came towards him. He turned down to go towards the police there was another person with a gun there. He turned towards the river to escape and there, he was killed, shot to his heart. A girl who had gone to pick up furniture watched the whole scene from her house. One of those who killed these two was Y. from Polis. He was the son of A… The other one was from the village Steni. And there was a third one, L.`
That night Sucuoglu remembers RIK giving `news` about the issue: `Two Turkish Cypriot terrorists attacked the police and they were shot dead!` Remember, Cengiz was an MP without any guns! Definitely not a `terrorist` as the `news` claimed!
The British soldiers went to visit the Turkish Cypriots and told Sucuoglu, `They shot both of them and took some prisoners`. They had taken around 7 Turkish Cypriots who were around the shooting area and had witnessed the murdering of Cengiz and Turgut.
Sucuoglu told them `We can also go out and take around 20 prisoners. Would we have a bargain then? We must save these 7…`
`No` the British told him, `we will follow them. Don’t do anything…`
`At least they should give back the bodies of Cengiz and Turgut…`
British went and came back, `They did not agree to give back the bodies…`
The 7 prisoners were set free only after one and a half months in Nicosia.
But since those times, both Cengiz Ratip the Cypriot MP and the teacher of the village Turgut Sitki are missing.
Where could they be buried? According to Sucuoglu, he was buried near the Pomo dam. I heard other rumours that he was buried inside Polis, near the hospital. Sucuoglu says, `Perhaps Raftis would know the whole story – he was the chief of the area back then. If you could speak to him, perhaps he could tell you more details…`
Back in the 90s, Panicos Chrysanthou had told me another story and it looked as though Cengiz and Turgut were buried there. In Latchi fishing village, in a carob store three bodies were discovered, buried under the floor. Were these Cengiz and Turgut and another person?
Where are Cengiz and Turgut buried? Does anyone know to help the Missing Persons Committee? And to his wife Hayriye and to his daughter Emine who never actually saw him? And to his sons, who really miss him?… Perhaps the House of Representatives can start looking for him?…
copyleft (c) 2001-05 hamamboculeri.org
Segül Uludağ
Cengiz Ratip was an MP of the Republic of Cyprus. There were two communal chambers, where MPs were elected by each community and Cengiz Ratip was elected to the Turkish Cypriot Communal Chamber back in the 60s, when the two communities were still running together the Republic of Cyprus.
He was originally from Pelathousa village. He was working at the Limni mine company and had a good wage. He got married with Hayriye, the daughter of Husnu and Emine – Hayriye’s grandfather was a very well known person in Polis – he was Hasan Agha, a rich man, much respected in the village because he helped a lot of people. Hayriye Hanim remembers having very good relations with the Greek Cypriots of Polis of those times… Hayriye and Cengiz moved to Limni, where they were given a big house… She tells me her story in her house in Morphou now (Guzelyurt):
`We were so happy… We were such a loving couple. Cengiz was the finest man on earth… He was good to everyone, to Greek Cypriots, to Turkish Cypriots… He liked to help people. He was elected an MP in 1961, if I remember correctly. Every three months he would get 50 Cypriot Pounds for this. But he never took this money. He gave it to the underground organization. He was the chief of the area of TMT in those times. Greek Cypriots also knew this.
Cengiz helped save a lot of people. There was Taner from Pelathousa. He was arrested at Yalya – Cengiz went to Ktima, Paphos and also to the Yalya police. He waited all night long… He managed to save him.
Then there was the case of Kokkino… Some Turkish Cypriots, in retaliation for the kidnapping of some Turkish Cypriots from Kokkinos, had kidnapped two buses full of Greek Cypriots. Lutfi Celul and Saydam Husnu had been kidnapped and killed by some Greek Cypriots. Those kidnapped in retaliation to this were some Greek Cypriot students on one of the buses – they were from Polis. So they notified Cengiz and off he went to Kokkino and convinced the Turkish Cypriots from Kokkinos to release these busloads of people… He told them `This will not solve the problem, release them…`And they released these people and when the Greek Cypriots of Polis got back their children from the bus, they were so happy… They would hug and kiss Cengiz…`
They had three sons: The oldest was 7, Ratip, the second one Kemal, 6 and the third one Birtan, 3… And Hayriye was pregnant with his daughter Emine.
He loved his children. He would come home around midnight and while eating his food he would put the photos of his children on the table…
`Don’t put them to bed!` he would tell me, `I miss these mascaras so much!`
`How can such young children wait until midnight?` I would tell him. `Go to work later, so you can see them…`
`No, we can’t stop now` he would tell me.`
They had moved to Pelatousa in 1964 but Cengiz was in Polis, going back and forth between the two villages because `troubles` had begun amongst the two communities in the area. Gradually, the `division` of Polis and confrontation was taking root. After the conflict in Limassol, they had called Cengiz to tell him to `move the Turkish Cypriots of Polis to only one place and the fighters (mucahit) can protect them…` `They were in different mahalles in Polis which proved difficult to guarantee safety…`
One of the friends and chief assistant of Cengiz Ratip, Mehmet Salih Sucuoglu continues the story:
`Greek Cypriots of Polis were on good terms with us until December. But from January the atmosphere had changed. They started patrolling and pushing us in a corner. We thought it is difficult to protect the population, dispersed in three-four different places. Our population, together with those in Prodromi was around 800. We decided to move the population to the school in Polis. When we moved there, the Greek Cypriots around the school left the area and we created a zone for ourselves. During the movement of the population many people did not take their furniture. So despite the order not to go back to their houses, a lot of Turkish Cypriots went to pick up their furniture and necessary items from the houses they had left…`
This created chaos… Some people came shouting one day, saying that some Greek Cypriots had dirtied the mosque and somebody must go and check… Cengiz, as the leader of the area, decided to go, not only for this but also to check on his people who had gone to pick up furniture from their homes. His friends remember that he trusted very much the Greek Cypriots of Polis because he, himself had saved their children from being killed in Kokkinos. And everybody loved and respected Cengiz… What’s more, he was an MP of the Republic of Cyprus and everybody knew that. The date was 14th of February, 1964.
Cengiz had bought a new car, a Fiat, the colour of the smoke… He got in his car and a teacher, Turgut Sitki, got in with him. He had left his pistol back at his office so he was not armed. Cengiz drove inside Polis. His assistant Mehmet Salih Sucuoglu tells the rest of the story:
`Most probably, these armed patrols of the Greek Cypriots motioned him to stop but he did not stop. It was not possible for him to stop… They fired at him from the side, shooting and killing him – the car went and hit the church wall. Turgut jumped out of the car – this was the crossroads. He tried to climb up the road leading to the school. A Greek Cypriot with a Thompson gun came towards him. He turned down to go towards the police there was another person with a gun there. He turned towards the river to escape and there, he was killed, shot to his heart. A girl who had gone to pick up furniture watched the whole scene from her house. One of those who killed these two was Y. from Polis. He was the son of A… The other one was from the village Steni. And there was a third one, L.`
That night Sucuoglu remembers RIK giving `news` about the issue: `Two Turkish Cypriot terrorists attacked the police and they were shot dead!` Remember, Cengiz was an MP without any guns! Definitely not a `terrorist` as the `news` claimed!
The British soldiers went to visit the Turkish Cypriots and told Sucuoglu, `They shot both of them and took some prisoners`. They had taken around 7 Turkish Cypriots who were around the shooting area and had witnessed the murdering of Cengiz and Turgut.
Sucuoglu told them `We can also go out and take around 20 prisoners. Would we have a bargain then? We must save these 7…`
`No` the British told him, `we will follow them. Don’t do anything…`
`At least they should give back the bodies of Cengiz and Turgut…`
British went and came back, `They did not agree to give back the bodies…`
The 7 prisoners were set free only after one and a half months in Nicosia.
But since those times, both Cengiz Ratip the Cypriot MP and the teacher of the village Turgut Sitki are missing.
Where could they be buried? According to Sucuoglu, he was buried near the Pomo dam. I heard other rumours that he was buried inside Polis, near the hospital. Sucuoglu says, `Perhaps Raftis would know the whole story – he was the chief of the area back then. If you could speak to him, perhaps he could tell you more details…`
Back in the 90s, Panicos Chrysanthou had told me another story and it looked as though Cengiz and Turgut were buried there. In Latchi fishing village, in a carob store three bodies were discovered, buried under the floor. Were these Cengiz and Turgut and another person?
Where are Cengiz and Turgut buried? Does anyone know to help the Missing Persons Committee? And to his wife Hayriye and to his daughter Emine who never actually saw him? And to his sons, who really miss him?… Perhaps the House of Representatives can start looking for him?…
copyleft (c) 2001-05 hamamboculeri.org
- halil
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by DT. » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:12 pm
A lady called sotiroulla was buried today with her 2 children after 35 years. They were found in a mass grave of GC's in Palekythrou
They were executed in Turkey's "Peace Operation"
I'll attach the story tomorrow if you like halil.
They were executed in Turkey's "Peace Operation"
I'll attach the story tomorrow if you like halil.
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by Oracle » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:34 pm
halil wrote: .... He was the chief of the area of TMT in those times. Greek Cypriots also knew this. ....
What can one say? ... There were too many of these TMT associated people and some met this sort of end ... With such dubious circumstances, and under the chaos of movements, these will be the hardest tragedies to untangle.
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by halil » Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:15 pm
DT. wrote:A lady called sotiroulla was buried today with her 2 children after 35 years. They were found in a mass grave of GC's in Palekythrou
They were executed in Turkey's "Peace Operation"
I'll attach the story tomorrow if you like halil.
feel free my friend all truths must come out ..... we don't get upset from the realities my friend . Everyday in north there is a paper called Yeni Duzen publishing these kind of the Stories nothing to hide . Also paper asking help from the people to give informations about missing persons .Lots of TC's and GC's are talking and giving informations about experiences they had or how their loved one disappear or last time where he had seen .
here is the latest story about the GC man .... how he and others have been pointed as a target by EOKA-B ...... İt in Turkish but i hope someone will translate it . Also names are given .....
http://www.yeniduzengazetesi.com/templa ... &zoneid=17
- halil
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