APHRODITE’S CHILDREN

APHRODITE’S CHILDREN

HASAN'INAN GADINOU - OXAΣΑΝ TΣ’Η KATINOY

The story:

Cyprus history from 1950’s when EOKA started the guerilla war against the British rule. When the British soldiers were going to villages, to look for the EOKA guerillas, they were facing protests from young Greek Cypriots holding the Greek flags up. Then the Auxiliary Police Force was formed, all from the Turkish Cypriot community and their duty was to stop EOKA’s uprising against the British.

Intercommunal conflict erupted. Then the international community decided to give Cyprus its independence and in 1960 Republic of Cyprus was founded.

Although there had been a lot of disturbances between 1963-67, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots were enjoying life, working and living together on the island especially between 1967-74.

On 15th July 1974 the Greek Junta organised a coup against the Republic of Cyprus and tried to kill president Makarios.

This encouraged Turkey to intervene as a guarantor power on 20 July 1974 and as a result Cyprus was divided into two parts.

250 thousand people had to leave their houses from both Greek and Turkish Cypriots and become refugees. More than 2000 people went missing and some of them are still missing.

On 23 April 2003, the politicians suddenly decided to open the check points after 30 years of separation. People from both communities ran to cross to the “other side” of Cyprus to visit their homes and villages they left behind.

This is where our story begins.