Turkish Cypriots commemorate victims of Bloody Christmas in front of Greek Cypriot Embassy in London

Turkish Cypriots living in the UK held a commemoration ceremony in London on Wednesday to mark the 59^th anniversary of “Bloody Christmas” also called “Black Christmas” by Turkish Cypriots. 

Turkish Cypriots gathered in front of the Embassy of the Greek Cypriot administration in London, lit candles and exhibited the photographs of those who lost their lives during the Greek Cypriot attacks.

The head of the Young Turkish Cypriots Group Eren Ramadan, in his speech at the ceremony, stated that he knew the family members of many people who were displaced, disappeared and killed due to the events that took place in Cyprus at that time and that this personally affected him.

“Turkish Cypriots have lost their representation on the international stage due to the coup carried out by the Greek Cypriots. 1963 is the beginning of the Cyprus problem and the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots” he said.

After the ceremony, prayers were recited for the martyrs and then Nejla Clements left a letter prepared on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots to the Greek Cypriot embassy.

In the letter, the Greek Cypriot Administration has been invited to tell the truth about the Cyprus issue to its own people and to the world.

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.

AA, BRTK