Turkish Cypriots commemorate 60th anniversary of Battle of Tillyria

Turkish Cypriots on Thursday commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Tillyria in the village of Kokkina.

The village of Kokkina is now controlled by the Turkish military but is completely cut off from the rest of the north, being surrounded by the Republic on three sides and by the sea on the other. It now has no civilian population, with its native population having been moved to Yialousa, in the Karpass peninsula, in 1976.

As such, over 700 Turkish Cypriots crossed into the Republic at the Limnitis crossing point on Thursday morning to make the trip to the village, with Nikos Kleanthous, mukhtar of the neighbouring village of Pyrgos Tillyrias, saying two helicopters had also made the journey.

A memorial ceremony took place in the village at 10am, and was attended by many high-profile Turkish Cypriots, including Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, ‘deputy parliament speaker’ Fazilet Ozdenefe, and other ‘MPs’, ‘ministers’, and high-ranking military officials.

The ceremony began with the laying of wreaths at a monument to the battle, a moment of silence, the raising of the flags of both Turkey and the ‘TRNC’, and a rendition of the Turkish national anthem.

There was also a re-enactment of the battle performed by Turkish Cypriot actors, including the landing of a boat filled with weapons and of a firefight on the village’s beach.

Tatar and two military officials then signed a memorial book, before the speeches began.

 “We are proudly celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Kokkina resistance, which we call the Turkish Cypriots’ Gallipoli campaign, in a responsible manner, and with a historical context,” Tatar began.

“Hundreds of Turkish Cypriot young people, who left their education unfinished and went to Kokkina to defend their homeland and live an honourable life, resisted the Greek attacks supported by the Greek Cypriot regiment, which were launched with the aim of Enosis, risking their lives and achieving a great victory in Kokkina,” he said.

He added that the Turkish Cypriot students who joined the battle and who organised student associations abroad “drew attention to what was happening”, before heading into battle together with the local villagers.

“This spark lit by the Kokkina martyrs … is among the beginnings of the sacred journey which led to the July 20 peace operation and the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said.

He added, “while the United Nations were watching on and the Greek Cypriots were attacking, the struggle was going on with great determination, and our motherland Turkey came to our rescue and Kokkina was not allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy.”

He also made reference to Turkish air force pilot Cengiz Topel, whose aircraft was hit by Greek Cypriot anti-aircraft fire as he attempted to sink a ship in the harbour at Karavostasi. He ejected from the plane and parachuted into the village of Peristeronari, before being captured and later killed by Greek Cypriot forces.

“The Turkish Cypriot people did not forget, will not forget, and will forever keep Captain Cengiz Topel alive in their hearts,” Tatar added.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz was not present in Kokkina, but did release a statement, in which he said, “we will continue to move forward towards a strong future, always together and united with the TRNC, which our heroic martyrs defended with their lives and blood, and which was built as an eternal homeland for the Turkish Cypriots.”

Meanwhile, on Friday, a specially prepared mawlid to honour those who died in the Battle of Tillyria and Palestinians who have died in Gaza will be read at six mosques across the north during the midday prayers.

The Battle of Tillyria took place in the summer of 1964 as the National Guard, led by George Grivas, put the village of Kokkina under siege in an attempt to cut it off from the incoming supplies of weapons and other paraphernalia from Turkey.

Turkey helped the Turkish Cypriots in the battle, carrying out air raids in the region. The Turkish Cypriots defended the beachhead at the village, though with the Greek Cypriots now controlling the coastal road, its usefulness to them or Turkey dwindled after the battle.