My fragile belief
I wrote "The Greek and Turkish Cypriots live separately not because they chose to, I want to believe, but because the strong and the powerful of this planet decided so". However, this belief of mine becomes fragile and vulnerable when on the day that I write these things, June 3rd 1996, I hear on the radio that another Greek-Cypriot soldier has been killed by the occupying army. At the age of 19, he tried to cross the buffer zone with open hands and shouting "brother" to the Turkish-Cypriot soldier on the other side only to be shot in cold blood 2 times. Stelios Panagi, is the 7th Greek-Cypriot soldier murdered in a similar way since the invasion. Like this murder wasn't enough, a few months later,the Turks showed their real face again. Two Greek-Cypriots were murdered in the most brutal way. The first, Anastasios Isaac, was beaten to death. The second hero, Solomos Solomou, was shot in cold blood by the Turkish occupation army. Their crime? They wanted to protest against the country - Turkey - that for 22 years kept them with force away from their homes. Turkish-Cypriots were said to have taken part in both murders. How can any Greek Cypriot feel anything but anger, pain and determination to return? In the few months that I've kept this project open, I've been forced to repeatedly add to this macabre list. Sunday, 12th of October. Another Greek-Cypriot shot dead. Petros Kakoullis made the "terrible crime" to go a few meters into the buffer zone to pick snails! But he didn't take in mind that the Turk invaders consider the life of a human being less valuable than the snails his was picking. His daughter's husband that was present at the site of the murder witnessed that Petros put his hands up, surrendering, but the Turks shot him twice. Then, the Turks who want to call themselves humans, came on top of the dying body of Kakoullis, and shot him a third time, making sure he was "absolutely" dead. I'm unable to comprehend the logic of these people. Mentally sick, brainwashed by the intense propaganda that their army and politicians put out every day. The victim? Humanity. Let these pages be dedicated to all the people that died in the Cyprus tragedy. demetris@cylink.net
Like this murder wasn't enough, a few months later,the Turks showed their real face again. Two Greek-Cypriots were murdered in the most brutal way. The first, Anastasios Isaac, was beaten to death. The second hero, Solomos Solomou, was shot in cold blood by the Turkish occupation army. Their crime? They wanted to protest against the country - Turkey - that for 22 years kept them with force away from their homes. Turkish-Cypriots were said to have taken part in both murders. How can any Greek Cypriot feel anything but anger, pain and determination to return?
In the few months that I've kept this project open, I've been forced to repeatedly add to this macabre list. Sunday, 12th of October. Another Greek-Cypriot shot dead. Petros Kakoullis made the "terrible crime" to go a few meters into the buffer zone to pick snails! But he didn't take in mind that the Turk invaders consider the life of a human being less valuable than the snails his was picking. His daughter's husband that was present at the site of the murder witnessed that Petros put his hands up, surrendering, but the Turks shot him twice. Then, the Turks who want to call themselves humans, came on top of the dying body of Kakoullis, and shot him a third time, making sure he was "absolutely" dead. I'm unable to comprehend the logic of these people. Mentally sick, brainwashed by the intense propaganda that their army and politicians put out every day. The victim? Humanity.
demetris@cylink.net