THE TURKISH Cypriot side yesterday refused to allow a group of Greek Cypriots to cross to the north to hold a memorial for missing persons at the site of an exhumed mass grave.
Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots from various organisations had planned to place flowers and wreaths at mass graves on both sides, at Parissinos in the south and at Palekithro in the north.
The ceremony at Parissinos passed off successfully, according to Phaedon Vassiliades, a representative of Stop the War Coalition, one of the organisers.
But when the special bus carrying 70 Greek and Turkish Cypriots tried to cross at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint, they were barred by Turkish Cypriot police.
“When we went to Parissinos, we laid some flowers at the site of the mass grave. Then we went to Ayios Dhometios and tried to cross but they said we couldn’t,” Vassiliades said.
He said the reasons given were that the Turkish Cypriot organisation for missing persons had objected, and that they would not allow any “political activity by foreign nationals”.
He said the Greek Cypriots had to turn the bus back, while the Turkish Cypriots hired a minibus and went on to the north with the wreaths and flowers to complete the dual event.
“It was just shocking that in 2007 this behaviour is still going on,” said Melina Yiasemide, a participant that was documenting the event on film. “They want to be in the EU, and say they have a democracy.”
Turkish Cypriot journalist Sevgul Uludag commented that people crossing to go to the casino or the beach or to spend money in restaurants did not have a problem crossing. But it seemed allowing people to unite for a common cause was unacceptable, she said.
“This development has exposed the hypocrisy of both the authorities in the north but also the political establishment in the south,” said a statement issued by the organisers later in the day.
“However liberal and peace loving the political elite in the south may pose, the truth is that no Greek Cypriot political party, especially AKEL or EDEK or any of their youth organisations, supported any of the two events to honour the innocent victims of wars in Cyprus, nor did they even bother to send at least one delegate with a bunch of flowers to Parissinos.”
It said that despite the fact that both parties claimed to support a peaceful solution, bicommunal groups who actually attempt to practice peace are told by the north that they are foreigners and in the south are left without a voice.
The statement said Greeks and Turks who attended the memorial felt even more determined to continue working towards building a movement against nationalism, “which will continue pushing the limits of our rulers both in north and south”.
“The dead and missing persons from the clashes and wars in Cyprus represent the worse aspects of the grief and pain for both communities, especially in July days every year,” it said.
ANOTHER victim of the Turkish invasion was buried yesterday at the church of Archangelos Michael in Oroklini. The remains of Stelios Savvides were identified with those of other Greek Cypriots from Yialousa listed as missing since 1974. His remains were found in a mass grave in the north and identified through DNA testing. Bishop Chrysostomos of Kiti presided over the funeral, which was also attended by Justice Minister Sophoclis Sophocleous. Another two funerals are due to take place today. The funeral of Antonis Lambrou who died fighting on July 22, 1974 on the Pentadaktylos Mountains will be held in Paphos and the funeral of another National Guardsman who died in battle, Sotiris Droushiotis from Larnaca, will be held in the church of Ayios Panteleimona in Makedonitissa in Nicosia, with the ceremony being carried out by Archbishop Chrysostomos.
Yesterday, the Archbishop announced he would become more proactive in the missing persons issue and called on all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish, to submit evidence to the Committee for Missing Persons (CMP).
During a news conference, he said he would be seeking a meeting with the third member of the CMP, Christophe Girod, and that he would visit the Institute of Neurology and Genetics and the Anthropological Laboratory where remains are identified through DNA testing. The Archbishop also said the Church would be willing to help finance the work of the CMP.
“The Church cannot remain indifferent to the pain of relatives … we feel certain the Mufti, the religious leader of the Turkish Cypriots, shares the same feelings and sensitivities,” he said.
The CMP runs on voluntary contributions and has a $3 million budget for 2007.
