On the 43rd anniversary of the ominous "Dark Christmas", the Turkish Cypriot People, are solemnly remembering the brutal and merciless attacks launched on them by the Greek Cypriots, on 21 December 1963. The Turkish Cypriots commemorate each year between 21- 25 December "National Struggle and Martyrs Week", the Turkish Cypriots who lost their lives during the onslaught staged by the Greek- Greek Cypriot duo between 1963-74.

The Republic of Cyprus, which was established on 16 August 1960 between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, lasted merely for three years owing to the unending aspirations of the Greeks for ENOSIS (unification of the island with Greece). The partnership independence within a bi-national Republic based on the equality of the two parties was far from satisfying the ultimate demands of the Greek Cypriots. Therefore, they put into effect an ethnic cleansing campaign in order to eliminate the Turkish Cypriots en mass, the only obstacle in front of ENOSIS.

For this purpose, the Greek Cypriots resorted to force of arms on 21 December 1963, attacking the Turkish Cypriots all over the island. Fierce attacks were carried out by the Greek Cypriot terrorist organization EOKA according to a secret plan called the "Akritas Plan". Although Turkish Cypriots put up a stiff and effective resistance against the Greek Cypriot bands who were collaborating with troops who clandestinely came from Greece and were dispatched to the island, the two carried out brutal attacks against Turkish Cypriot homes in all villages and towns in a ruthless rampage of murder and vandalism. Turkish Cypriots suffered heavy losses of life and property. Around 600 Turkish Cypriots lost their lives during the onslaught against them and 203 missing persons are now presumed to be dead. They had to flee from their ancestral homes and as a result 103 Turkish villages were evacuated. More than 3000 Turkish Cypriots had to take refuge in safer areas to perpetuate their existence.

Many Turkish Cypriots, like the ones living in the village of Ayvasıl (Ayios Vassilios) were massacred and buried in mass graves. In a horrible case in Lefkoşa, a mother and her three innocent children were shot dead in their bathroom, where they had desperately tried to hide from the armed Greek Cypriot thugs. Following this incident, hundreds of Turkish Cypriots lost their lives during the atrocities of the "Black Christmas", in 1963.

In spite of the fact that, these atrocities have been registered in international documents, the Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos could not refrain himself from defaming the realities and expressed that "No Turkish Cypriots had been killed during the 1963-74 period" (Sunday Mail, 12 September 2004).

Turkish Cypriot people were forced to live in enclaves within an area of only 3% of the island under harsh conditions for eleven years. The right of freedom of movement, transportation, communication, trade or even joining cultural activities had been denied to the Turkish Cypriots. No education or even health facilities had been allowed into the enclaves. Four thousand Turkish Cypriot public servants and all the Turkish Cypriot Ministers and MPs had been expelled from their duties, at gunpoint.

Since 1964, the Greek Cypriot side has been using the illegal authority they usurped under the title of the "Cyprus Republic" to perpetuate their acts of oppression against the Turkish Cypriot people, especially in the international arena, unfairly denying them their vested right of political equality.

The years between 1963 and 1974 had been a harsh period for the Turkish Cypriot people, which were marked by violence, injustice, oppression and discrimination and can sadly never be forgotten. No effort was enough to halt the Greek Cypriot onslaughts and the United Nations were not successful safeguarding the lives of innocent people.

The desire for ENOSIS of the Greek-Greek Cypriot front culminated in a coup d'etat on 15 July 1974, staged by the military junta in Greece in collaboration with its supporters in Cyprus and once more ignored Turkey's determination not to abandon the Turkish Cypriots. During the coup, hundreds of Turkish Cypriot civilians including women and children together with numbers of Greek Cypriots who were against the junta were killed, maimed or wounded. Turkey, who was left with no other alternative, intervened on 20 July 1974 exercising its legitimate right granted to it under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and Alliance, in order to end the problem in Cyprus once and for all.

However, the genocidal acts against the Turkish Cypriots were also repeated during Turkey’s Peace Operation. This time, Greek-Greek Cypriot atrocities appeared in the villages of Atlılar, Muratağa and Sandallar where all the villagers, regardless of their ages were killed and buried in mass graves. Ex- EOKA member , Andreas Dimitriou’s recent confessions have been illustrative about the ethnic cleansing campaign that was carried out against the Turkish Cypriot civilians in Taşkent (Tohni). Dimitriou expressed that “All the men (89 people) in the village were gathered and taken away by soldiers from Hirokitia". He also said: “What we did, we did it together with the state’s legal forces". Greek-Greek Cypriot thugs later gunned down all the men who were taken from their homes on 14 August 1974.

For Turkey, the need for creating a peaceful land for the Turkish Cypriot people became obvious.

Ever since the 1974 Peace Operation, the Turkish Cypriot people have been living within their heavenly home on the northern part of Cyprus, in tranquility, peace and harmony. They are leading their own way both politically, economically and in all other fields under their democratically elected administrations and seek the recognition of their independent state, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus that was established on 15 November 1983.

The negotiations process, which have been continuing for decades between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots in search for a new settlement have not been fruitful. The face-to-face talks, which began with the initiation of the Turkish Cypriot side 2002, also came to an end without reaching a functional settlement, that was satisfactory to the two parties. "The Comprehensive Settlement of the Cyprus Problem (Annan Plan)" prepared by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, was taken to separate referanda on both sides on 24 April 2004. Although, 65% of the Turkish Cypriot people voted "yes" for the plan, due to the rejection of the Greek Cypriot people by 75% "no" votes, the Plan has been nullified.

Despite the fact that, it was the Greek Cypriot side, who brought violence to the island, destroyed the state of affairs in 1963 and recently rejected the comprehensive settlement plan for the Cyprus problem, the Greek Cypriot administration has been accepted as a member of the European Union, whereas, the Turkish Cypriot side is still being subjected to illegal restrictions and embargoes. It is high time that the inhuman embargoes imposed upon the Turkish Cypriot people, who have been sincerely contributing to the efforts of the international world, are lifted outright

The Turkish Cypriot side will not accept any conditions that will bring about a return to the pre-1974 conditions and standards of life. A just and viable settlement can be attained only if it is based on the political equality of the two parties in Cyprus where parties would live side by side in security, peace and harmony without one having the ability to govern, exploit, oppress or threaten the other and through which both internal and external power balances between the two states of Cyprus, between motherlands Turkey and Greece and within the region are reaffirmed.