Bananiot wrote:
Petros and Costas in 1974. You can see the bullet mark on Petros's belly.
Paphitis, I have conveyed your message to Petros Souppouris, who is a pilot with Cyprus Airways. I think your suggestions apply more for him who witnessed the cold blooded killing of 17 members of his family, including his parents and two younger brothers.
When the borders opened in 2003, Petros went to his house in Palaikythron taking with him his children. He showed them the spot where his parents were killed. In my house, he said, now lives a good person, who told me that whenever I want to return he would give me the house back. Everything happened in the prevailing conditions at the time. Some lost. some won, some were affected by the events some became rich as a result of the events. At the moment, what is of utmost importance is for my children, your children, not to go through the same experience. We need to understand what happened and prevent such a thing ever happening again.
Petros taught his children not to hate. It is of no consequence, he told his children, if they took your house. What is of importance is to learn to live together with the Turkish Cypriots and all our fellow human beings regardless of ethnic background and to appreciate their concerns.
Petros participated in a reconcilliation meeting last summer and he spoke in front of a mixed audience. Husein Akansoi was with Petros. Husein hails from Maratha and in 1974 he lost 30 members of his family. He said that he became a proponent of reconcilliation despite seeing the headless bodied of his brothers.
Paphitis, you can staff your nationalism.
Yasasin Petros and Husein!
I have a family connections with this family through marriage.
My in laws know them all very well. They are from the same village Palekythro/Kythrea.
Another Uncle is buried in the Palekythro Cemetery.
This is his grave:
So you can send my regards to Petros Soupouris. Tell him that my father in law that owned the Kythrea Petrolina sends his warmest regards.
Also tell him that I may very well apply to Cy Air in a few years....He knows what to do....
Another thing, my partner and I visited her parents home in Kythrea and in it lives a former TMT. We felt most unwelcome and the guy left me with cold shivers down my spine. Her grandparents home next door is inhabited by a normal TC family. The husband is an officer of the "trnc" police. This guy and his family were wonderful. We broke bread together, drank wine and still maintain contact to this very day.