Yesterday Bob and I joined an absolutely fascinating historical tour to explore some of the results of the complicated events of 1974 in the history of Cyprus. The truth is now – 50 years later – so lost in myth and mirk that it is difficult to really distinguish fact from fiction and this is made doubly difficult by the rewriting of the history taught in schools to Greek Cypriots and the campaign of black propaganda spread relentlessly by the Greek Cypriot government.

For sure, there are no “good” sides in a war and no winners at the end but it does seem to us that the poor old Turkish Cypriot community – the minority ethnic group on the island – have been ruthlessly treated by their Greek Cypriot countrymen, at least on a national political level, goaded on by the Greek Orthodox Church. From about 1955 onwards the majority government systemically uprooted them from their homes and forcibly relocated them to different villages where they were increasingly ghettoised. Persecuted in the 1960s when the call to “enosis”, full incorporation into Greece reached a fever pitch, then subject to disappearances and assassination by the nationalist terror group EOKA and EOKA-B. They lived in fear, self arming and barricading themselves into their ghettoes for protection.

Turkey, one of the 3 guarantor countries tried unsuccessfully through diplomacy to come to their aid. The UK were distracted and desperate to hold onto their military bases on the island especially after the disaster of Suez. The USA were trying to remove the British influence from the eastern Mediterranean and replace it with their own and were playing both sides, causing trouble. Finally, when lobbying of the USA and UK (the other 2 powers) failed in the summer of 1974, Turkey launched a military rescue mission at the request of the Turkish Cypriot people who were facing increasing ethnic cleansing.. The Turks fought their way from the north coast in 2 phases finally establishing a line through Nicosia, about a third of the island. As they did so, Greek Cypriots fled south leaving EOKA fighters as well as legitimate Greek military to defend against the Turkish army. During this period atrocities beyond belief took place where despite the attempted intervention of some of the legitimate Greek Military, whole villages were wiped out – old men, women and children. One such site is the three close villages of Maratha, Santalaris and Aloda. Firstly all the young men were rounded up and taken to be incarcerated in a football stadium in Limassol with many more, leaving the villages full of the elderly and the women and children. These were then tortured and raped by EOKA men. As the Turkish army approached, they decided not to leave any witnesses and murdered the lot – 126 of them aged 3 months to 85 years of age. Then they chopped them up and buried them in the village rubbish pit. The bodies were eventually found and later identified by DNA and are being relocated to individual graves. The old schoolhouse where so many of the children were kept and killed is a haunting museum and the new burial site is a place of stark memorial where families – mother and up to 6 children are buried together. A brutal and horrible tale of what humans can do to each other. These sites are by no means unique, there are more all over the island. Horrifying. The words of the very few survivors and family witnesses are quite haunting.

We then had a guided walking tour of Varosha, the ghost town near Famagusta that was once the toast of the Mediterranean and the Dubai of the 1960s and early 1970s. In its heyday, there were over 100 hotels, more aparthotels, 10,000 tourist beds, luxury villas and shops…. The rich and famous flocked there. It is now a ghost town where nature is fast reclaiming all the buildings and where only 2 of the main avenues are open. How did this happen?

In August 1974 the Turkish army approached Famagusta causing panic in nearby Varosha. Nearly all tourists had been evacuated, only those sheltering in the British owned Golden Sands hotel remained with the staff. The Turks had not intended to take Varosha, they were aiming for the old walled city and the Turkish Cypriot community sheltering inside the walls. However, when they saw how close it was and that it had been largely abandoned, they moved in. Most Greek Cypriots had fled south, although they were assured of safety. Only EOKA fighters remained within. There was limited street fighting and 3 buildings which housed fighters were bombed but the city was quickly taken and enclosed. The Turks decided to use it as a bargaining chip, fenced the whole place off and banned anyone from entering. Their expectation was that the Greek side would negotiate a peace and Varosha would be returned to the property owners. This never happened and the years passed. Eventually the army removed anything of value like a/c units and shutters. In 2020, it was decided to open up part of the city again to tourist visits and to make renewed attempts to get the Greek CYpriot owners of property to come back and reclaim their hotels and homes. This initiative was condemned by the GC government and no one came forward despite a large area of the city being offered up. And that is the status quo. Other than the 2 re-tarmacked avenues – Avenue of Democracy and Avenue of the Kennedys, – only one tiny area has been renovated. There is a tiny masjid set near some market shops and that courtyard has been renovated and decorated with container plants, well tended. A glimpse of the charm that could be restored.

It is a fascinating time capsule of a place to walk around – even the limited area open. The opera house stands abandoned. Shops and businesses with names recognisable from that time – BEA the airline, Hoover, Singer sewing machines, fur coat shops, Olympic Airlines…… coffee shops and hotels…. palm trees left untrimmed for 50 years. A giant crane towers over an unfinished hotel. 3 blocks of cement still hang from it. The operator ran with the rest. Of course there was no internet in 1974 so all airlines had an office in town for people to buy tickets. There were many fur coat shops!!! Part of the beach is now open during the daytime. It was odd to see people enjoying the water with the ruined town as a backdrop.

Who knows what the future of Varosha will be? To most observers, the last best chance of island unification was lost in 2008 when the Turkish Cypriot people voted yes to the Annan Plan and the Greek Cypriot side voted no, unwilling to power share in any meaningful way. This was compounded when the EU admitted the Republic of Cyprus into the EU without insisting on a political settlement. There is no real impetus now for a deal. In many ways, it would appear that the Greek side would prefer there to be no solution rather than a solution that gives any power at all to Turkish Cypriots. For their part Turkish Cypriots are extremely wary of any solution that gives them into the power of the Greek Cypriots based on previous history. In the meantime a beach resort the size of Marbella stands empty being over-run by plants and trees…….

We ended a very interesting day with a late lunch in a kebab restaurant in the old quarter of Famagusta. Delicious. I would really recommend a guided visit to Varosha if not one of the mass grave sites or to the Museum of Brutality in Nicosia. Something definitely to muse on.