With feelings of honor and deep emotion we gathered at the Archangel Michael Church, to pay our last respects to our until recently missing compatriot and fellow countryman, Andreas Ioannidis, née Savvas X''Yannis Machou.
Today, more than half a century after the bicommunal riots of 1963-64, Andreas returns to his hometown and is buried with due respect in the presence of the state, his beloved family, friends and fellow countrymen.
His tragic parents passed away many years ago full of anguish, grief and unanswered questions about the fate of their beloved son. A young and peaceful man, only 31 years old, whose traces were unexpectedly lost on the morning of May 26, 1964, in the midst of the difficult and harsh period of the bicommunal riots.
Andrew's cowardly murder reflects another aspect of the violent and tragic reality of war, which in no time turns people's lives upside down, transforming the simple flow of their carefree everyday life into unspeakable pain with dramatic consequences.
Andreas Ioannidis was born in 1933, in Agios Ioannis Pitsilia, Limassol district. He was the sixth of the seven children of Savvas Ioannidis and Maria Hatzigiannis. He grew up with his siblings, Antigoni, Evdokia, Evagoras, Anna, Eleni and Niki in a poor rural family, who struggled daily with dignity for their survival. From a young age he was a quiet and obedient child, much loved by his family and friends. Every day he assisted his father in agricultural work, contributing in his own way to the hardscrabble of life.
His upbringing in a family of principles and values, and the unfailing love of his parents, contributed to the formation of an excellent character, the chief traits of which were modesty, honesty and industry. People who knew him testify that he always responded positively to everything that was asked of him, offering his help generously, which confirms that kindness, selflessness and gentleness adorned his personality.
Fate, however, was destined to be very cruel to him, since one spring morning, the journey of his short life was cruelly interrupted by Turkish atrocities.
This brutal event took place at a turbulent time, when our country was trying to recover from the suffering caused by British colonialism, with its policy of divide and rule. A policy that allowed Turkey to make the partition of our island its goal, even before its independence.
As we bid farewell to Andreas Ioannidis today with feelings of awe and emotion, our thoughts turn to the era of the bicommunal riots, which was the first black page in our modern history.
At that time, when, on the instructions of Ankara and as a result of the conflicts it engineered, a series of ghetto areas were created throughout Cyprus, which were called Turkish Cypriot enclaves. At the same time, Turkish Cypriot ministers, parliamentarians and civil servants left their posts, and they themselves became trapped in the enclaves, as imposed on them by the deep state in Turkey, which used the Turkish Cypriot terrorist organisation TMT, headed by Rauf Denktash, as a tool to promote its objectives.
The instructions to all Turkish Cypriots were strict and clear: Stop all contact and cooperation with the Greek Cypriots.
It had become clear by now that the Turkish Cypriot leadership, with instructions from Ankara, was acting in various ways to partition the island. A constant slogan of the Turkish Cypriots since 1956, which was their response to the demand of the overwhelming majority of the Greeks of Cyprus for union with Greece.
All the facts show that with one action following another, the Turkish-controlled part of the Turkish Cypriot population had been working methodically for the partition of the island long before. Something which has been wheeled out through various political and paramilitary actions. On the political front, they constantly put obstacles in the way of the legislative work and the powers of the President of the Republic. Along with various demands, which were indicative of their intentions, even during the transitional period, before Cyprus became independent, such as the geographical separation of municipalities and the co-presidency and resettlement in Cyprus of 300 thousand non-existent Turkish Cypriot immigrants.
It is in this context of their aspirations that they reacted strongly to the submission of the 13 points by President Makarios on 30 November 1963 to address the dysfunction of the state. Simple incidents were exploited to create crises and situations that served their purposes and aspirations and undermined the smooth functioning of the state. In addition, they also engaged in provocative acts of propaganda, such as the bombing of two Muslim mosques in Nicosia on 25 March 1962, a national holiday, an act admitted 22 years later by Rauf Denktash.
But there were even more serious events, which demonstrated the war preparations of the Turkish Cypriots on the orders of Ankara, such as the arrest of the Turkish sailing ship Deniz on 18 October 1959, which was carrying arms to Cyprus from Turkey, the creation of the military enclave in Mansoura, the disclosure of official secret documents on the concentration of the Turkish Cypriot population in compact areas before the fighting started and others.
The first spark for the start of the inter-communal riots was lit in the Ayios Kassianos area of Nicosia, when Turkish Cypriots in a vehicle refused to be checked by a police patrol, who considered them suspicious and opened fire on them. Very soon the riots on the part of the Turkish Cypriots spread almost all over Cyprus, which showed that there had been a long preparation on their part.
It was in this tense atmosphere, created by Turkish Cypriot extremists, with the contribution of Ankara, that the traces of our late compatriot Andreas Ioannidis were lost on 26 May 1964.
On the morning of that day, Andreas boarded a bus from his village to go to Limassol, where he was scheduled to meet with the managers of KOKA KOLA to discuss his possible employment. One of his sisters had also boarded the same bus. When the bus arrived in Limassol, Andreas disembarked in the area of Tziamouda, while his sister remained on the bus to reach her own destination. On the way to the KOKA COLA factory, which ran through the then Turkish Cypriot quarter of the city, Andreas Ioannidis disappeared.
Concerns expressed about his disappearance were heightened by the fear of armed Turkish Cypriot groups, who were kidnapping people walking unsuspectingly in the streets.
From the moment of his arrest until his execution in cold blood, Andreas Ioannidis spent all his agony and terror in the hands of his kidnappers and murderers. The same fate was shared by 44 other compatriots who also disappeared during that sad and bloody period, including another son of St. John Pitsilia, Theodosis Vourkas. So far, only 18 of them have had their remains recovered and identified, including Andreas.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Andreas' family for many years lived with the drama of the disappearance of their loved one. His venerable parents, Savvas and Maria, and three of his sisters, Antigone, Eudocia and Eleni, passed away, unjust and uninformed about the fate of their own man.
Two of his other sisters, Anna and Niki, are present at this very special and special moment and offer their final farewell, along with the prayers of all of us, for the repose of his soul.
To all his relatives we express our deepest condolences, as well as our deep appreciation and respect for the strength and endurance they have shown throughout the years.
The exhumation of Andreas' remains took place in 2012 from a mass grave, which was located in an area of the Turkish Cypriot village of Hamit Mandres, north of Nicosia, which turned out to be a place of concentration and execution of Greek Cypriot prisoners both in 1963-64 and during the Turkish invasion of 1974.
The recovery of the remains was carried out in the framework of the exhumation and identification programme of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations. Subsequently, anthropological and DNA tests were carried out, based on which the bones of Andreas Ioannidis were identified. His family was informed of the identification of his remains by competent officials of the Greek Cypriot Community Office and thus today the tragic epilogue of his sacrifice is written.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our homeland suffered many trials and still bears the unpleasant consequences of the Turkish invasion of 1974. The missing persons are one of the most tragic aspects of Cyprus' drama. Too many families are still living with the anguish and pain of the disappearance of their loved ones, like the family members of Andreas Ioannidis for so many years.
The state's commitment to this sensitive and humanitarian issue should be taken for granted, as should the ongoing efforts to determine the fate of the 776 missing persons who remain on the sad list, in addition to those who have been confirmed dead but whose remains have not been found.
Friends,
Time is ticking relentlessly with the painful and devastating consequences of the Turkish invasion and occupation still visible and unchanging for our land. Today, 48 years later, we are still living in a divided homeland and struggling for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.
The Government, with prudence and goodwill, is making every possible effort to resume a constructive dialogue, based on confidence-building measures, through which the concerns of both sides will be discussed, in order to achieve progress and the prospect of a solution to our national problem. Unfortunately, every day we are witnessing a horrific war on European soil, unfolding in front of our screens, leaving behind untold destruction, human losses, refugees and, of course, untold pain, fear, anguish and insecurity.
From the very first moment, Cyprus, as a country that has experienced and continues to experience such sad events, reacted with empathy, condemning the Russian invasion, which clearly violates international law, expressing its solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people.
The entire European Union, to which we belong as an equal member, is making efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement that will end the bloodshed and pave the way for negotiations.
The use of diplomatic channels and an end to any aggressive action is the only feasible solution for the restoration of stability and security. And this is recognised by the entire political culture of humanity and in particular by Europe, which is united in its efforts to preserve peace in the face of new challenges and manifestations of barbarism.
It is in this context that our own reactions are activated, aimed primarily at defending our state sovereignty. In addition, we consider particularly important the development by the Government of strategic alliances in various sectors, which highlight the enhanced geopolitical role that Cyprus can play and the fact that it can be a factor of stability in the crucially important region of the Eastern Mediterranean. In his recent meetings with both the UN Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Asia and the Americas, Mr. Yetzia, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Ersin Tatar, in the presence of UN officials, he stressed the need to resume the process for the settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-zonal bicommunal federation, as envisaged by the UN parameters and the Security Council resolutions.
He also stressed that the creation of a positive climate between the parties involved is essential, as well as the creation of conditions that will put an end to any illegal actions both in the maritime area and on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, particularly in the enclosed area of Famagusta.
Addressing Mr Tatar, the President of the Republic also referred extensively to the difficult and ever-changing problem of migratory flows observed in the free areas, as well as their instrumentalisation in order to serve Turkey's political objectives. Unfortunately, once again, unacceptable positions were observed and the firm and intransigent attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side was recorded, which clashes with the principles and values to which we remain fully committed.
We will not cease for a moment to seek the prevalence of human rights in our country and the cultivation of conditions of peaceful coexistence. We recognize our imperative duty not to let oblivion, ignorance and untruth win. We also acknowledge that today's realities, within and beyond our borders, make the message of solidarity and peace more urgent than ever.
This is dictated by our historical conscience and due respect for those who have sacrificed over time in our national struggles. These include six other children of the Community, in addition to Andreas Ioannidis, who lost their lives or are missing, five during the 1974 invasion and two in the 1964 bicommunal riots.
In front of this venerable ossuary we all bow reverently, hoping for better days for us and our children in our long-suffering, "beautiful and strange homeland."
May the earth be light that will cover you, unremembered and beloved, Andreas Ioannidis! Αιωνία σου η μνήμη.
(ΝΓ)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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