Missing Presumed Alive: Christakis Georgiou - Part 2/2

Missing Presumed Alive, 1994
Fair Use/Public Domain

Turks concealing evidence on missing, says Tassos

NEW evidence suggests the Turkish army is concealing information on the whereabouts of missing Greek Cypriots despite Ankara's long-held denials, President Tassos Papadopoulos said.

Papadopoulos said documents shedding new light on the fate of a five-year-old Greek Cypriot boy who vanished in 1974 dispels Turkish claims that no one disappeared on its soil.

"The document that was made public offers, I believe, an indication or testimony that Turkey has in its possession - especially the Turkish army - information on the fate of missing persons," Papadopoulos told reporters before leaving for Brussels yesterday.

A 32-year-old Turkish army document revealed by daily Politis shows that five-year-old Christakis Georgiou who disappeared in 1974 was sent to Turkey for treatment of a gunshot wound to his leg.

Fresh denials

Corroborating the document was a former Turkish soldier who spoke to the paper of being explicitly told by doctors that the boy had, in fact, been flown by helicopter to the Turkish mainland for further treatment. The revelations prompted fresh denials from Ankara that it has no knowledge of missing persons ever being transported to Turkey proper.

Papadopoulos recalled how the Christakis Georgiou case had surfaced repeatedly in the aftermath invasion with then Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash flip-flopping on the boy's whereabouts.

"Mr. Denktash said the boy was found in a hospital in Turkey where he was taken for treatment. The following week, Mr. Denktash said the information was incorrect and that it was owed to confusion."

Papadopoulos said Ankara has never wavered from its denials, but the revelations could pressure Turkish authorities to finally release information lying hidden in its classified archives.

"We are continuing our efforts so that Turkey cooperates in the investigation into the fate of Christakis Georgiou and of other missing persons."

Papadopoulos said the European Court of Human Rights has urged Turkey to cooperate on the missing persons issue by giving any and all relevant information in its possession.

Commander

Compounding the apparent cover-up over Christakis Georgiou's disappearance is new information of a second missing Greek Cypriot boy last seen alive in the care of a Turkish paratrooper. The information is contained in the personal account of now dead Turkish General Bendretin Demirel who was overall commander of invading Turkish troops.

Demirel wrote of a paratrooper caring for a number of Greek Cypriot children near the village of Massari where six-year-old Christakis Eleftheriou disappeared on August 17, 1974.

In his account, Demirel described how the paratrooper was put in charge of captured Greek Cypriots.

In one passage, Demirel speaks of the paratrooper hoisting a boy on his shoulders and marching off with other troops as other Greek Cypriot prisoners - women and children among them - are handed over to Turkish Cypriot fighters who executed them.

Although the boy is neither named nor is he referred to again, relatives suspect him to be Christakis Eleftheriou.

This suggests that the Turkish army has more to answer for regarding the disappearance of Greek Cypriot children during the invasion.


Cyprus Weekly, 9 March 2007

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Cyprus
• Missing
• Persons
• Turkey
• Rauf
• Denktash
• Glafkos
• Clerides
• Christakis
• Georgiou
• Occupied
• Occupation
• Turkish
• Invasion

[godapollon]

both sides have an amout of blame? well both sides dont have equal claim to cyprus. Cyprus belongs to cypriots and not turkey

[OZGREEKDUDE]

Well im sad to say that CHristakis being so very young and vulnerable was taken to Turkey and given to a Turkish family and is now Turkish. (The final ending of Greeknes was for him to be circumsised. Sad though, this has happened over the hundred of years with Turks and boy I can imagine how many hundred of thousands of Christian boys now became Turk boy. Turkish shame !

[TurkeylovesGreece]

Cyprus belongs not to Greece or Turkey it belongs to the Cypriots!!Well this is the truth but both side are to proud to admit the truth!!

[pilotanthony]

@pilotanthony Turkish*

[pilotanthony]

@multimediaperson turkish cypriots spoke greek not turkush

[pilotanthony]

@zilli80 watch the video u cunt, who refuses to move forward theree? ^^

[pilotanthony]

this just goes to show that Turkey does not want peace on the Island of Cyprus, and therefore should leave the island which should be better for both sides, so they can return to their homes.

[Sodnal]

Rauf Denktash is a dog of the worst sort. He knows full well that most of the 1654 missing Cypriots were executed by the Turkish military and paramilitaries. He'll rot in hell for his hate and sins.

[OZGREEKDUDE]

Rauf Denktash is a racist and hates Greeks. This is well known and he never wanted any agreement but seperation of an a new state.

He forgets that Mr Glafcos Clerides saved him and his family, during the 1960's. He forgets this that a Greek Cypriot Politician saved him and his family because of a kind hearted Me Clerides. I am not sure he would od done the same, he would of been happy to see Cypriot Greeks killed etc.

[OZGREEKDUDE]

Rauf Denktash is a racist and hates Greeks. This is well known and he never wanted any agreement but seperation of an a new state.

He forgets that Mr Glafcos Clerides saved him and his family, during the 1960's. He forgets this that a Greek Cypriot Politician saved him and his family because of a kind hearted Me Clerides. I am not sure he would od done the same, he would of been happy to see Cypriot Greeks killed etc.

[OZGREEKDUDE]

Rauf Denktash is a racist and hates Greeks. This is well known and he never wanted any agreement but seperation of an a new state.

[wellwellwellhello]

turkey will not make it to the EU. no transparancy, no respect, not a democracy. No acknowlegement of atrocities against greeks, armenians etc. NO RESPECT.