ENCLAVED Greek Cypriot children yesterday spoke of an apparently blissful existence in the north, unconcerned by the fear and isolation blighting the lives of their parents.
In an exclusive interview with the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), three primary school girls spun an innocent picture of outings to the sea, trips to local beauty spots and friendships with Turks.
The UN has consistently condemned the Denktash regime for its restrictions on the enclaved, a view backed up by last month’s judgment from the European Court of Human Rights that held Turkey responsible for mass violations of their human rights.
The Strasbourg court ruled that Greek Cypriots living in the north were denied freedom of expression, rights to education, free thought, conscience and religion, peaceful enjoyment of their property, a private, family life and home, plus right to effective remedy for such inhumane and degrading treatment.
But on a trip south with 27 other enclaved children, Androulla Elia, Angeliki Zacharia and Erato Koukoutsikou gave the impression they couldn’t be happier in Rizokarpaso – the most remote village on the Karpas peninsula.
“I want to say that at Rizokarpaso we all love each other. Greeks and Turks go to all lengths to be friendly. They don’t do anything to us,” said Angeliki.
Asked what life was like, Androulla said: “it’s very nice, we have a very good time. We go to the sea, we go to the churches, which are now not well, because the Turks knocked them down when they came.”
Angeliki was delighted with her special status that meant she could go to places no one else could.
“I have a great time in Rizokarpaso. We go on trips with the whole school. We go to Kyrenia and to Morphou and to all the areas that the Turks are holding and other people can’t go and visit.”
“The occupied areas are deserted. Sometimes when we go to a place we feel it comes alive and that it’s glad to see us,” said Erato.
But, she made it clear that she never felt threatened by the Turks, who she said were their friends.
“We feel good.we’re safe. Even with the Turks holding us we’re fine. We’re friendly with [them]. We play with some little Turkish children, they come to our house, we play; they teach us Turkish. Sometimes they talk Turkish and we talk Turkish. Sometimes we teach them Greek and they talk to us in Greek.”
But Erato did end with one slightly baffling comment that cast a shadow on their otherwise carefree experiences: “Some Grannies and Grandpas,” she said, “as soon as they see us, they die.”
And despite their apparently happy early years, the children face separation from their families when they reach secondary school, being forced to come south as there are no teachers in the occupied areas.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
