Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Turkish Cypriot newspaper publishes statements of eye-witnesses regarding the places where mass graves of Greek Cypriots are in the occupied areas of Cyprus
Under the front-page title "Are there massive graves in the center of Nicosia?" Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (13.01.05) publishes an article by Ali Osman who comments on the inconclusive result of excavations in the Turkish occupied village of Trachonas, carried out by the British Enforce Foundation, which failed to locate any remains belonging to Greek Cypriots listed as missing, believed to have been buried there during the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Mr Osman notes that when the excavations began he received a call by a Turkish Cypriot who was around forty years old in 1974. The man told Mr Osman to inform those who conducted the excavations not to do it because it would be in vain. He also said that either military installations have been built on the places where the mass graves of Greek Cypriots are in the occupied areas of Cyprus, or they are now used as prohibited military zone.

The man invited Mr Osman to his house and after making him promise that he would not reveal his name, said the following:

"Perhaps one day you will write my name, but now it is not the time. They can do nothing to me. However, they could harm my children and grandchildren. 'In 1974 they brought the dead persons first to the cemetery (for Turkish soldiers) behind 'Halkin Sesi' newspaper. During the burying some Greek Cypriots were found among the dead persons. They did not let us to bury the Greek Cypriots in the cemetery. After we buried the Turks in the cemetery we have not been given the chance to ask one another what we would do. We were ordered to dump the dead Greek Cypriots into a well which is behind the Kema Printing House and in the southern part of the cemetery. We did this. We dump them into the well".

Mr Osman concludes his article noting, inter alia, the following: "Everybody knows very well that absolutely nothing will come up from the excavations conducted at Trachonas, because this is not the place that should be excavated. However, they are not saying this. The fear of the past is somehow not abandoning them. And those who talk say 'do not write my name, they will not hurt me, but they could harm my children and grandchildren'. '".

Meanwhile, in his daily column in AFRIKA (13.01.05) Sener Levent writes that some Turkish Cypriots, who called him asking their names not to be revealed, said that mass graves are in the Pediaios stream, which passes through Nicosia, and at the occupied villages of Assia and Trachoni.

AFRIKA publishes a photograph of a parking place on its front page noting that there is a parking place today at the place where it is said that a mass grave is in the occupied part of Nicosia.

[brother]

Its good to see that as a community we will not sit by and let this be pushed under the carpet and that people are ringing in and informing the relevant people of the true locations.

This is a sure sign of tc want for peace and unity by not wanting there gc brothers to carry on suffering and have closure on their loved ones.

[-mikkie2-]

Its a pity the TC leadership and Turkey don't see things in the same way.

I suspect that the Turks are actually afraid to let it be known where the location of the dead is because they want to hide the true extent of their crimes.

This is a humanitarian issue which the political leaders of the north continue to exploit. And is it any wonder why the GC's question the sincerity of the Turks? They give us plenty of ammunition.

[mehmet]

Mikkie you are right to point out the difference between ordinary civilians and the political leadership. If you question the sincirety of all Turks we have a problem. That is like me questioning the sincirety of all Greeks by judging the actions of your political leadership. Remember Papadopoulos and his statements about Turkish Cypriot casualties?