Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Greek Cypriot "Man with a mission" is presented by CYPRUS TIMES to be persecuted by the Greek Cypriots
Under the front page title "Man with a mission", Turkish Cypriot newspaper CYPRUS TIMES (17.06.05) reports the following:

"Tony Angastiniotis is a Greek Cypriot photo-journalist and former Nationalist, who was featured in the 4 June issue, experiences a change of heart, and now produces documentaries exposing atrocities committed by Greek Cypriots against the Turkish Cypriot people. As a result, he is despised by his own people, lost his house and income and has become a hunted man forced to travel around like a gypsy, relying on the kindness of strangers.

He is a man much in demand these days, but took time from a frenetic schedule to speak with CYPRUS TIMES yesterday. His message is so important that we have given him another front page.

"We go day by day", he says. "My wife supports me all the way. She believes and I believe and I honour her very much for her support and courage. "Despite all the hardships, living away from his wife and child, sometimes even going hungry, he sees his work as a mission, "something in my heart I have to do and in my conscience that is beyond sides or politics". He says he is finding the truth that has no flag, colours or nationality. It hurts some people and it is hard for them because truth is truth. I will find it and expose it (acts of murder and aggression carried out by Greek Cypriots against Turkish Cypriots) to set the record straight as to what really happened. I believe in the power of the media to touch people in the heart and mind".

Angastiniotis said he never questioned what he was taught, believing that the "barbarian Turks" wanted to murder Greek Cypriots and had done so in the past. Not until the Green Line opened two years ago, when he decided to cross over to find out for himself, were those ingrained beliefs challenged.

What he discovered was the untold story of crimes committed against Turkish Cypriots by his won people, and discovered that the Greek Cypriots were not the victims, but rather the perpetrators. As a photo-journalist, he realized that he had to bring this truth not only to his people, but to the world. He wanted to see beyond the 1970s to what else happened, "and unfortunately", he said, "if you see what really happened, so much crime and bad policy that comes from the Greek side, then it becomes impossible to see things in the old way.

Even the most naïve person, if he knows what happened, and because of what happened before 1974, must see the truth for themselves. Yet 99 per cent of Greek Cypriot youth have no idea about what happened before 1974. The elders know but do not speak, and they carry the biggest responsibility. I am cursed and blessed with the truth. I made elders speak to me in `coffee shop interviews´ listening to their views. But they always said, "off the record", but that is how my first documentary called Voice of Blood was created. The second version, Voice of Blood II is now finished.

Then I came across to visit Turkish Cypriot villagers to hear their stories. They were suspicious of a man driving with Greek car plates. They didn't expect a Greek to write the truth. But when one man saw tears in my eyes, tears for him, he opened up and shared his story."



I speak to Tony every now and again and i can tell you all on this forum he is a decent man who is only interested in the truth and puts humanity first and the nationalistic bullshit last, i respect what he has done and hope one day a TC will do the same and expose all the truths too

[gabaston]

great post Bro

If all gc's had this gentlemans foresight the cyprob would be resolved sooner rather than never.

[Bananiot]

Brother, your last statement is a sermon for me. We all have skeletons in our closets and we need to bury them. This can only be achieved if we acknowledge the misery and sufferings we have caused to each other. This will only happen, however, when we get leaders that are brave enough to tell the people the truth. The GC community at the moment, as you know, is led by a person with personal involvement in the persecutions of TC's. Thus, for the moment at least, one cannot expect anything but the usual rhetoric from our part. It is a huge pity AKEL, the champion for many years of rapproachment, has become attached to the bandwagon of the most reactionary forces in the GC community. Christofias will be judged very harshly, I have no doubt. This means that voices of people like Angastiniotis will be hard to hear in the coming years, as Papadopoulos is charting his way for another 5 year term. Its very sad, but here you are my friend. The hawks have taken the knives out and are looking for fresh blood. Under thes conditions voices of sanity are blown by the wind ...

[Viewpoint]

Takes great courage to not only see and realize the truth but to document it, well done, im sure our GC contributors will explain it away by labelling him a traitor to the "RoC" and cause, like they do with anyone who steps out of the official way of thinking.

[cannedmoose]

The sooner that both sides recognise their atrocities against each other, the better. If the work of people like Tony helps to highlight this, I applaud his courage. However, as another poster just said, it's easy for nationalists to label such people as traitors and hence they get no exposure where it's really needed. Somehow I doubt we'll see Tony on PIK anytime soon.

[boulio]

moose even that we dont see him on pik or bbc at least he came out why arent the t/c coming out with there atrocities and were the missing have gone?

[cannedmoose]

moose even that we dont see him on pik or bbc at least he came out why arent the t/c coming out with there atrocities and were the missing have gone?

Boulio, I fully agree with you, it's about time that a TC took the same stance as Tony and exposed their attrocities against GCs. Neither side in Cyprus has a monopoly on innocence.

[Kifeas]

Takes great courage to not only see and realize the truth but to document it, well done, im sure our GC contributors will explain it away by labelling him a traitor to the "RoC" and cause, like they do with anyone who steps out of the official way of thinking.

Viewpoint,
I will not label him a traitor but I will ask you this. Can you tell me why so far no TC has done a similar documentary about atrocities committed either by Turkish Army or TCs?

Is it because they didn't happen?

[Viewpoint]

totally aggree and have put in my 2 peneth woth with our current government. Hope they resovle this issue once and for all but as far as I can find out the delay is not just one sided, although I blame our side totally not voicing more clearly the obsticles and bringing to an end peoples continious grief.

[Viewpoint]

Kifeas

I will not label him a traitor but I will ask you this. Can you tell me why so far no TC has done a similar documentary about atrocities committed either by Turkish Army or TCs?

Is it because they didn't happen?

Unfortunately they happened, ı personally wish that no one have to go through what our communities went through back then. I personally tried to apologise and acknowledge what happened to GCs on this forum but had it thrown back in my face.