Former Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakau-Marcoullis stands out among officials of her ilk on divided Cyprus. Kozakau-Marcoullis, who highlighted a massacre of Turkish Cypriots in a 2016 social media post, did the same thing last week, sharing a photo of a group of schoolchildren, all killed 50 years ago by Greek Cypriots. Her post, accompanied by a message decrying the impunity of the state for the incident, was a return to old wounds for Şafak Nihat, the only child in the photo who survived the massacre. Nihat, however, terms it as a positive development after decades of deliberate ignorance of the dark history of the island.
The former minister wrote in her message under the black-and-white photo that the children attending the Muratağa primary school were murdered by criminals of the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA-B) on Aug. 14, 1974, referring to a Greek paramilitary group that led the killings of Turkish Cypriots in the 1970s in a genocidal attempt on the island divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
“Although the killers are known, no one has been brought to justice. No one has been punished for these heinous crimes,” the former minister said before apologizing to the “children.”
“We are unworthy as a state and as citizens of this state as we did nothing to this day to punish the criminals,” she wrote.
Nihat told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday that it was “strange” that Greek Cypriots would admit to the massacre after 50 years. Nihat escaped the massacre as he was hidden by his family while their teacher, the only adult in the photo shared by Kozakau-Marcoullis, was held captive by Greek Cypriots.
“Still, what she did is a good step for the future,” Nihat, who helped Turkish soldiers find mass graves after the massacre, says. Remembering his schoolmates, Nihat said the school hosted children from two villages, and all were killed. He recounted how their village, Muratağa, remained abandoned for a long time as people did not want to live there anymore after the massacres.
The massacre of the children took place only two months after their photo shared by the former Greek Cypriot minister was taken. “Her admission shows that Greek Cypriots deliberately covered it up. If they were a genuine ‘Republic of Cyprus,’ they would punish them,” he said, referring to the official name of the Greek Cypriot side of the island recognized internationally.
“Muratağa was the scene of a genocide. Ultranationalist EOKA committed a genocide against Turkish Cypriots,” he added.
The killing of school children is part of a string of similar massacres known as the “Muratağa-Sandallar and Atlılar massacres,” named after where they took place. On Aug. 14, 1974, the EOKA-B killed 126 Turkish Cypriots, all children, women and the elderly, in three villages before dumping their bodies into mass graves. The mass graves were discovered weeks later.
The massacres led to the launch of the Turkish army’s second phase of the Cyprus Peace Operation, which helped Turkish Cypriots defend themselves against Greek Cypriot aggression and ensure their future security.
On July 20, 1974, Türkiye launched the operation after a coup attempt by the Greek Cypriots on the island south of Türkiye. The operation, which ultimately prevented Cyprus' incorporation into Greece, paved the way for strengthening the safety of the Turkish Cypriot community. After two days, Türkiye suspended the operation and called the U.K. and Greece to come to the negotiation table. Ultimately, the guarantor states signed the Geneva Declaration on July 30, 1974. Türkiye relaunched the military operation on Aug. 14 and two days later, a cease-fire was declared, successfully wrapping up the operation. But tragedy followed as withdrawing Greek Cypriot troops committed massacres in Turkish villages on their way back. Mass graves were discovered after the peace operation ended. The Turkish army lost 498 soldiers during the operation, while 70 "mücahits" (volunteer Turkish Cypriot fighters) were also killed.
About two months after the operation, Turkish Cypriots declared autonomy and, one year later, announced the establishment of the Turkish Cypriot Federal State. In 1983, its name was changed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Greek Cypriots partially admit to the massacres, including those predated the Muratağa massacre and blame it squarely on the EOKA-B. The TRNC says the killings were part of Greek Cypriots’ “enosis” and “Akritas” plans for incorporating the island into the state of Greece, which was then ruled by a military junta. The TRNC has presented evidence of the participation of Greek Cypriot soldiers and police in massacres in the past. Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar has said earlier that the massacres went down in history as unpunished crimes carried out upon the orders of Greek Cypriot officials.
