Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Relatives demand justice over Tochni massacre
By George Psyllides


RELATIVES of Turkish Cypriot missing persons yesterday asked Attorney-general Petros Clerides to launch an investigation into the case of 84 Turkish Cypriots seized and subsequently executed by Greek Cypriot irregulars on August 14, 1974.

Emine Erk, who headed the group of relatives, said the case concerned 84 civilians who seized in the village of Tochni in the Larnaca district.

Erk said the specific case was different from others, as the names of those who seized the Turkish Cypriots and led them to Palodia on buses where they were executed were known.

It was one day before the second round of the Turkish invasion when elements of the EOKA B extremist group arrested all the men – understood to be 68 in total – from the mixed village of Tochni, and put them in the community school.

They were held there with 14 men from the village of Zygi and two from Mari until the next day when they were put on buses.

According to reports, the men were told they were being taken to a detention camp in Limassol but they were executed near Palodia, north of Limassol, and buried in a mass grave.

However, one of the men, Hussein Kafandar, survived and managed to escape to the British base of Akrotiri where he testified about what happened.

Sources said that after hearing that the massacre had been uncovered, the perpetrators dug up the grave and re-buried the bodies in the Gerasa area, just north of Palodia.

Erk said they gave Clerides copies of the files of each individual case, which included eyewitness testimonies.

The names of seven Greek Cypriots, several of which were Tochni residents, were also handed over to the Attorney-general, with the request that they be investigated and prosecuted if necessary.

A similar petition was handed over to President Tassos Papadopoulos and Foreign Minister George Iakovou on July 6.

“The relatives of the missing wish to give the names of the people they know are responsible for their demise so that the necessary investigation can be carried out,” Erk said.

She later told the Cyprus Mail that the relatives expected that the state would look into their case.

“We request that the Attorney-general takes steps to investigate the crime that was committed,” she said.

The Committee of Missing Persons, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations, is understood to be investigating 1,493 cases submitted by the Greek Cypriot side and 500 cases submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side.




Now this is a step in the right direction, those responsible for the massacre of innocent human beings must be punished, but this cannot just happen one way we must also get the people who massacred innocents on the other side aswell and only then we will start to get some closure on this bloody past of ours, let this send a message out to these murderers that their time is coming and they will pay for the atrocities they committed against their own people.

[Bananiot]

I place a lot of trust in the new Attorney General, Petros Klerides and I believe that if there is a man that can do this job is Petros. He is a very decent man and being politically impartial he is the right person for the job. Let us hope Emine, who is also a well known lwayer in the TC community (wife of Kutlai Erk, Mayor of N. Nicosia and a prominent member of CTP) can work wonders with Petros Klerides.

[brother]

I hope you are Bananiot but how willing is the authorities to give these people up if they are senior people in the community.

[Nickp]

Relatives demand justice over Tochni massacre
By George Psyllides


RELATIVES of Turkish Cypriot missing persons yesterday asked Attorney-general Petros Clerides to launch an investigation into the case of 84 Turkish Cypriots seized and subsequently executed by Greek Cypriot irregulars on August 14, 1974.

Emine Erk, who headed the group of relatives, said the case concerned 84 civilians who seized in the village of Tochni in the Larnaca district.

Erk said the specific case was different from others, as the names of those who seized the Turkish Cypriots and led them to Palodia on buses where they were executed were known.

It was one day before the second round of the Turkish invasion when elements of the EOKA B extremist group arrested all the men – understood to be 68 in total – from the mixed village of Tochni, and put them in the community school.

They were held there with 14 men from the village of Zygi and two from Mari until the next day when they were put on buses.

According to reports, the men were told they were being taken to a detention camp in Limassol but they were executed near Palodia, north of Limassol, and buried in a mass grave.

However, one of the men, Hussein Kafandar, survived and managed to escape to the British base of Akrotiri where he testified about what happened.

Sources said that after hearing that the massacre had been uncovered, the perpetrators dug up the grave and re-buried the bodies in the Gerasa area, just north of Palodia.

Erk said they gave Clerides copies of the files of each individual case, which included eyewitness testimonies.

The names of seven Greek Cypriots, several of which were Tochni residents, were also handed over to the Attorney-general, with the request that they be investigated and prosecuted if necessary.

A similar petition was handed over to President Tassos Papadopoulos and Foreign Minister George Iakovou on July 6.

“The relatives of the missing wish to give the names of the people they know are responsible for their demise so that the necessary investigation can be carried out,” Erk said.

She later told the Cyprus Mail that the relatives expected that the state would look into their case.

“We request that the Attorney-general takes steps to investigate the crime that was committed,” she said.

The Committee of Missing Persons, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations, is understood to be investigating 1,493 cases submitted by the Greek Cypriot side and 500 cases submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side.




Now this is a step in the right direction, those responsible for the massacre of innocent human beings must be punished, but this cannot just happen one way we must also get the people who massacred innocents on the other side aswell and only then we will start to get some closure on this bloody past of ours, let this send a message out to these murderers that their time is coming and they will pay for the atrocities they committed against their own people.

I heard rummours that these people were buried under the maroni river bed which is dry in the summer. I also have heard people say they could point out people involved from a neighbouring village. Don't know if this is hear say but from what i heard it seemed quite real.

[cannedmoose]

I heard rummours that these people were buried under the maroni river bed which is dry in the summer. I also have heard people say they could point out people involved from a neighbouring village. Don't know if this is hear say but from what i heard it seemed quite real.

If the river bed floods in winter, it's possible that the remains of these people will have been flushed out into the open sea then. I'm not familiar with the river bed at Maroni, but a natural assumption would be that it floods like other river beds on the island and at the same time erodes the dry soil around. Hence, it's likely that if these poor souls were buried in shallow graves, their bones could well be in the Med by now.

[fi]

Hope that some answer is given regarding the 1600 Greek Cypriots missing after the Turkish invasion too. However the TC side so far has been only promises and no action.