Turkish Cypriots in London commemorate victims of 'Bloody Christmas'

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A commemoration ceremony was held Wednesday in London on the 59th anniversary of "Bloody Christmas," also called “Black Christmas” by Turkish Cypriots.

The horrors of the deadly, systematic attacks on Turkish Cypriots by members of the extremist Greek Cypriot nationalist terrorist group EOKA live on in people’s memories 59 years after they led to the deaths of hundreds and displaced thousands from their ancestral homes.

The events leading up to Bloody Christmas started in 1955 with the foundation of EOKA, led by Georgios Grivas, a veteran officer of World War I and World War II as well as a staunch opponent of communists and Turks.

Active in Cyprus, then ruled by the UK, EOKA targeted not only British soldiers and civil servants but also Turkish and Greek Cypriots who opposed its extreme ideology and its goal of union with Greece.

Turkish Cypriots gathered in front of the office of the Greek Cypriot High Commission in London on Wednesday evening, lit candles in memory of those who were killed during the first 10-day period of the massacre and exhibited the photographs of those who lost their lives or went missing during EOKA's attacks.

During the infamous "Bloody Christmas" massacre, also called “Black Christmas,” EOKA killed more than 370 Turkish Cypriots and displaced 25,000-30,000 others during the Christmas season of 1963.

- Call for Greek Cypriots to recognize suffering of Turkish Cypriots

Eren Ramadan, founder and chairman of the Young Turkish Cypriots group in London, said they gathered to pay their respects to the victims and were trying to show the world what actually happened nearly 60 years ago.

"Such a sad atmosphere (here).Very somber...We'll just try to be as respectful as we can today,” he said.

He said that 1963 was the beginning of the problems for Turkish Cypriots.

"Because of the Greek Cypriot coup, Turkish Cypriots have lost their representation on the international stage. 1963 marks the start of the Cyprus problem and the start of Turkish Cypriot isolation."

At the end of the event, the gathering prayed for those who lost their lives during the massacre.

Meanwhile, a letter from the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (UK) was left at the Greek Cypriot High Commission building.

In the letter, Turkish Cypriots called on Greek Cypriots to recognize the suffering of Turkish Cypriots and to apologize for their role in their persecution.

It also called on Greek Cypriots to "bring to justice all those responsible for crimes against humanity and end the inhumane embargoes against Turkish Cypriots."