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| Atilla 1 Peace Operation begins. |
The 40th Peace and Freedom Day celebrations are a just recognition of
the monumental events of that day in history that was to set in train such
events that would reverberate through the fabric of the island to this very day
and doubtless beyond. Writers and historians whose minds are immeasurably
superior to that of this columnist have catalogued the unfolding of the events
of July 20th 1974 in many forms over the years, but to the visitor
to Northern Cyprus a more concise account of this day is unlikely to be found
in any other book than “30 Hot Days” by
the eminent, late Turkish journalist,
Mehmet Ali Birand: This publication can be found in most good book shops in
Northern Cyprus.
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| Turkish White Stars air display team |
On the 20th July above the Old Harbour of Kyrenia (Girne)
the skies will fill with a flight of Northop F5 aircraft that comprise the
Turkish White Stars Air Display team and who are themselves this year
celebrating their 20th anniversary. Soaring over the Beşparmak Mountain range and high above the skies, they
will weave their aerial tapestry of exquisite skill and derring-do and will
thrill the myriad crowds that will gather in the harbour, on hotel roofs and
indeed any vantage point that can afford the best view of this bi-annual air
display, the 2nd of which celebrates the birthday of the declaration
of the Republic.
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| Turkish White Stars |
Whilst accounts of the macro events of those times are well catalogued
the micro events – those that affected ordinary Turkish Cypriot men and women
are less well recorded. Their voices are seldom heard and a great many of them
are no longer here to raise them anyway. Too many of these voices scream from
premature and unmarked graves and it behoves upon those of us that are left to
speak for them, where we can so do. Some would question (and many do) why those
of us who were not directly concerned, touched or otherwise, by the conflict of
the time, should devote so much time to the cause of Turkish Cypriots and with
so much passion.
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| TRNC Flag from 1983 onwards. |
Having spent time on the island since 2002 and also having lived
amongst Turkish and Turkish Cypriot people, this writer has acquired such
necessary passion requisite to the task of seeking justice for these people
particularly having had the honour of meeting at first hand, a number of the
survivors of those times and many of their thoughts and words have been
recorded by hand. Of course, this makes uncomfortable reading for the Greeks
and their apologists.
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| Turkish Intervention Forces-July 1974 |
The Turkish Military Intervention began at 0430 (local) and with great
excitement one family, who to this day remain to be residents of the village of
Ozanköy, climbed onto the roof of a restaurant to witness the unfolding
historical spectacle before them and the advent of a two-stage operation that
would cost the lives of 1317 sons of Turkey the remains of whom today lie in
the soft red soils of Turkish Cyprus in most reverently tended resting places.
In the interests of balance, in excess of 1500 Greek National Guardsmen and
Greek Cypriots were to meet the same fate.
Mr Denktaş (pictured above) had broadcast on
BRT radio to urge calm ahead of what was about to take place whilst also
issuing a general warning that incoming (Turkish) aircraft should not be
engaged as to do so would mark out the area concerned for retaliatory action. A
retired British officer, one General Toyeman, a resident of Ozanköy (then known
as Kazavane) entreated the ‘Anne’ (mother) of the family alluded to here “not
to worry; the Greeks are running away”. In response she said to him that she had
plenty of supplies and that he would not go short. In fact, at this stage the
Greeks were far from running away for they were very well dug in and whilst
taken by surprise (they were pounding the Gunyele enclave at the time) they
nevertheless inflicted some 500 fatal casualties to the incoming Turkish Paratroopers and
Amphibian forces in the first 48 hours in and around St Helarion.
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| Salvation in the form of the Turkish Intervention |
On July 23rd, the Turkish forces (TSK) had entered Ozanköy en route to
Bellapais. The soldiers were warmly welcomed by this and many other families who
freely handed out cigarettes and food in gratitude to their saviours. At one
point, five Greek military vehicles sped into the village; these were quickly
‘disabled’ and the surviving occupants were incarcerated within the welcoming
walls of Kyrenia castle over which the White Stars will ‘dance’ today.
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| Turkish Military War Graves |
The ‘Anne’ (Mother) of Ozanköy mobilised the ladies of the village and
she organised the preparation of food supplies to the TSK and these were
distributed by the Turkish Cypriot Mücahit (fighters) and gratefully received
so they were. Similar acts would be played out throughout the island during the
entire 30 day operation and doubtless beyond. As the Turkish forces eventually
swept southwards a general feeling of calm and relief fell upon this village
and all the other liberated areas as Turkish Cypriots were enabled to emerge
from the enclaves into which they had been cast during the previous 10 ½ years
of the ‘Dark-Era’.
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| Turkish Cyprus Peace Mission 1974 |
Slowly but surely, certainly after 1975, some people began to return
from their enforced exile and today the village of Ozanköy thrives as does
Northern Cyprus in general despite the inhumane embargoes that have been
imposed largely at the behest of the vanquished Greeks. Many of course have
never returned; a great many too never actually left and these are remembered,
but remain lost in unmarked mass graves or communal wells as their unholy
resting places.
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| A depiction of war dead |
Far away in Berlin, on July 20th, Royal Signals Sgt David
McCombie was on night shift duty; these shifts were minimally staffed at the
time as nothing ‘out of the ordinary’ had seemed to be on the cards, but at
around 0530 Zulu time, the ‘Comm’s’ traffic suddenly began to come in with ever
growing intensity. What was unfolding was the world’s reaction to the Turkish
intervention on Cyprus
that historic day. A ‘Crashed Out’ order was ‘flashed’ and everyone was at
Battle Stations.
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| Turkish Paratroopers in action - July 1974 |
In reaction to the Turkish military intervention the Soviet Union then
under Breznev, immediately mobilised 19 armoured divisions and were directly
threatening Turkey
although there was universal caution in case the Russians took the opportunity
to surge westwards whilst all the confusion was going on! Huge troop movements
were reported too.
The USA reacted as we might imagine and we know that Henry Kissinger
was harassing the Turkish Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit to cease the
intervention operation and in fact it was one of these calls that eventually
led Ecevit to withdraw the intervention forces behind what we now know as the
Green Line but this was a few weeks later, of course.
It should be remembered
that there had been historical enmity between Russia
and Turkey dating back the
19th century (Turkic/Russo Wars 1877/8) whilst the Greece has been variously under communist
governments and Makarios, down on Cyprus, certainly was a communist,
amongst many other highly dubious things! There was an extremely heightened
state of alert for the duration of the crisis: The West Germans were very
nervous indeed especially at the Russian troop movements and as mentioned above,
the worry was that the Soviets would surge westwards! Russian convoy movements
increased and become more regular, adding to the tension.
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| Turkish Stars display team. |
The F5 Display Team or perhaps the ‘Lone Turk’ a display class F16,
that carve out their mysterious art today above the hills of North Cyprus and
the Eastern Mediterranean Sea are no longer weapons delivery platforms but are
the visual embodiment of man and machine in the unison of perfect concert. They
thrill, they entertain, they enthral but at the same token they evoke memories
of those who recall the events that brought the Turkish forces to the island,
firstly during August 1964 (Erenköy) and then 1974 as celebrated today. They
also fly to warn those who gaze at the 200,000 square metre symbol of Turkish
Cypriot freedom carved into the south facing escarpment of the Five Fingers
Mountains that their
latent ambitions to take back the whole of the island are futile and would be
costly to prosecute.
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| TRNC Flags carved into the hills |
But as the display ends and the F5s return to their base on the Turkish
Motherland; the red, blue and white smoke clears and the sun sets in the west
to close this momentous day: The Brits and other tourists may perhaps return to
the bars from whence they came and Turkish Cypriots repair to their day to day
lives, it is perhaps right to reflect that just 100 miles away in Syria,
mankind is once more in bloody conflict again and that the Eastern
Mediterranean is again the focus of mans insatiable capacity for inhumanity to
man. The mountains of Cyprus
of course, have seen it all before over two millennia or more of bloodshed on
this ‘island of tears’.
By
Chris Green
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| Beşparmak Media Services |
