Commemoration of the Maratha, Santalaris and Aloda massacres

musander · Post by **musander** » Sat 19 Oct 2019 4:28 pm

As an Italian fascinated by TRNC, I have read the history of the gruesome massacres carried out by the Cypriot National Guard and by the Greek army (ELDYK) against the defenseless Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of the villages of Maratha, Santalaris and Aloda during the war of 1974. Most of them were women and children. Are these awful events officially commemorate in TRNC? Moreover, planning to visit- at last!- TRNC in the next months, I would like to bring a small bunch of flowers to the memorial of the victims, that having been Turkish Cypriots have been shamefully considered as "disposable commodity" by the EU press. Please give me some hints how to get there.

Maisiemoo · Post by **Maisiemoo** » Sat 19 Oct 2019 9:20 pm

Worth a look are the YouTube videos 'Voice of Blood, searching for Selden' 1 to 5, made by a Greek Cypriot Tony Angastiniontis. They chart his journey to uncover the truth of what happened in the massacres. I was privileged to attend a showing of the film and hear Tony speak 15 years ago.
I should maybe add that he was hounded out of his job in South Cyprus and came to work in the North for a while, a very brave man for telling the truth!

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Sun 20 Oct 2019 7:13 am

I am in the UK until the 30th October. Any time after that you can call me on 0533 8463507 and I will be able to help you.

musander · Post by **musander** » Sun 20 Oct 2019 2:57 pm

Thanks for you courteous answers. I have already watched, with commotion and sadness, the video series that Maisiemoo suggested. It is really a shame that in Europe few people seem to be aware of the ordeal the Turkish Cypriots had to suffer from since 1963.

My personal opinion is that Greek nationalism has still a very powerful propagandistic weapon in EU countries: the legacy of the Classical civilization, cunningly exploited to depict even Nikos Samson and the butchers of Selden as legitimate descendants of Achilles, Themistocles and Pericles, who were continuing their struggle against barbary. So, paraphrasing Orwell, the Greek massacres are less massacres than the others'.

It is amusing to meet friends coming back from holidays in Turkey and still puzzled for having discovered that a country they thought inhabited by the heirs of Gengiz Khan is actually a modern nation with a fluorishing culture, a friendly people and even an aerospace industry which sends the GOKTURK satellites into orbit.