More than 100 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot organizations, on the occasion of 60 years since the first victims of bicommunal conflict and violence in Cyprus, will hold a memorial event at Ledra Palace crossing point on Monday 18 July, inviting people to join them in honoring their memory.
The event will take place at 8 pm outside the Home for Cooperation at Ledra Palace. On this occasion, a total of 113 organizations from both communities express their common will to see the island “reunited within a Bicommunal Bizonal Federation”.
Christos Efthymiou, on behalf of the Bicommunal Peace Initiative “United Cyprus”, told CNA, the event will honor the victims of bicommunal violence, as well as the people that have actively expressed mutual solidarity between the communities.
The event will pay special tribute to Antreas Efstathiou and Mehmet Hulusi Kilich. Antreas, a Greek Cypriot soldier back in 1974, provided Mehmet with milk for his little daughter, in the heart of the war. This act of solidarity has inspired the film “Süt Babam” (Milk Father) by Cemal Yildirim.
Bicommunal conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots dates back in the early 1960s. In the min-60s, Turkish Cypriot clusters were formed in various areas on the island and after the Turkish invasion in 1974, the Turkish Cypriots have been residing mainly in the occupied areas on the northern part of Cyprus.
SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY