Quotes

ACTION CYPRUS

AN HEC PROJECT

 

 

The Missing Persons

 

Christakis Georgiou

Secret History, Dead or Alive, Channel 4, 1994

Turks concealing evidence on missing, says Tassos

NEW evidence suggests the Turkish army is concealing information on the whereabouts of missing Greek Cypriots despite Ankara's long-held denials, President Tassos Papadopoulos said.

Papadopoulos said documents shedding new light on the fate of a five-year-old Greek Cypriot boy who vanished in 1974 dispels Turkish claims that no one disappeared on its soil.

"The document that was made public offers, I believe, an indication or testimony that Turkey has in its possession - especially the Turkish army - information on the fate of missing persons," Papadopoulos told reporters before leaving for Brussels yesterday.

A 32-year-old Turkish army document revealed by daily Politis shows that five-year-old Christakis Georgiou who disappeared in 1974 was sent to Turkey for treatment of a gunshot wound to his leg.

Fresh denials

Corroborating the document was a former Turkish soldier who spoke to the paper of being explicitly told by doctors that the boy had, in fact, been flown by helicopter to the Turkish mainland for further treatment. The revelations prompted fresh denials from Ankara that it has no knowledge of missing persons ever being transported to Turkey proper.

Papadopoulos recalled how the Christakis Georgiou case had surfaced repeatedly in the aftermath invasion with then Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash flip-flopping on the boy's whereabouts.

"Mr. Denktash said the boy was found in a hospital in Turkey where he was taken for treatment. The following week, Mr. Denktash said the information was incorrect and that it was owed to confusion."

Papadopoulos said Ankara has never wavered from its denials, but the revelations could pressure Turkish authorities to finally release information lying hidden in its classified archives.

"We are continuing our efforts so that Turkey cooperates in the investigation into the fate of Christakis Georgiou and of other missing persons."

Papadopoulos said the European Court of Human Rights has urged Turkey to cooperate on the missing persons issue by giving any and all relevant information in its possession.

Commander

Compounding the apparent cover-up over Christakis Georgiou's disappearance is new information of a second missing Greek Cypriot boy last seen alive in the care of a Turkish paratrooper. The information is contained in the personal account of now dead Turkish General Bendretin Demirel who was overall commander of invading Turkish troops.

Demirel wrote of a paratrooper caring for a number of Greek Cypriot children near the village of Massari where six-year-old Christakis Eleftheriou disappeared on August 17, 1974.

In his account, Demirel described how the paratrooper was put in charge of captured Greek Cypriots.

In one passage, Demirel speaks of the paratrooper hoisting a boy on his shoulders and marching off with other troops as other Greek Cypriot prisoners - women and children among them - are handed over to Turkish Cypriot fighters who executed them.

Although the boy is neither named nor is he referred to again, relatives suspect him to be Christakis Eleftheriou.

This suggests that the Turkish army has more to answer for regarding the disappearance of Greek Cypriot children during the invasion.

Cyprus Weekly, 9 March 2007

Channel 4 is a public service broadcaster subsidised by the British tax payer. The above clip can therefore be considered to be public domain and fair use is permissible given the nature of the content in context to the issue of the Missing Persons.

 

Missing Persons Index

 

A grieving mother holding photos of her missing son.
1600+ men, women and children still missing

Greek Cypriots taken prisoner and transported to Turkey.
up to 70,000 held hostage in concentration camps

A Greek Cypriot napalmed by the Turkish air-force.
5000+ massacred

Greek Cypriots subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment.
thousands raped and tortured
200,000 ethnically cleansed

Christian gave stones smashed by the Turks.
500+ churches desecrated or destroyed

The murder of Tasos Isaac.
murders of refugees continue to this day

The murder of Solomos Solomou.

© 2001/2007 HEC and Argyros Argyrou. Updated on 10 March 2007.