2023-12-27 18:15:52
The foundation of the Lost Bus Monument, which was designed to be financed from Iskele Municipality’s own resources in memory of the 11 martyrs known as the “Lost Bus” martyrs, was laid at a ceremony attended by Deputy President and President of the Republic Assembly Zorlu Töre.
On May 13, 1964, 11 Turkish Cypriots, who were going to their jobs at the British Bases of Dhekelia from the Turkish region of Larnaca, were taken off the bus by the Greek Cypriots, taken to an unknown place and shot. After 43 years, they were found together in a well in 2007 as a result of the work of the Missing Persons Committee and identified.
11 martyrs were engraved in memories with the documentary “Lost Bus”, prepared by Fevzi Tanpınar and Raşit Pertev, which was shown in many places abroad and received awards.
The monument, whose foundation was laid on the Iskele-Karpaz main road, is aimed to be opened on May 13, the anniversary of the massacre.
In the lost bus, Yusuf Tosun (bus owner and driver), Mehmet A. Hindiyano, Kamil Raif Dimilliler, Behiç Hasan Göksan, Bayram Mustafa, Hasan Durmuş, Ahmet Fadıl Balamagi, Hasan Mustafa Bari, Kemal Enver Veloks, Kemal Mustafa Aydoğanlı and Hasan Hüseyin Fehmi. was located.
-Custom
In his speech at the ceremony, Deputy President and President of the Assembly of the Republic, Zorlu Töre, stated that a monument would be built in memory of the martyrs known as the “Lost Bus martyrs” in the national resistance of the Turkish Cypriot people and their fight for existence, and said, “It is our duty to keep the martyrs alive. “If we forget the martyrs, the mujahideen of that day, the TMT members, the mujahideen, our future will not be secure,” he said.
Töre said, “We will not forget, we will not let you forget. Of course we want peace on the island of Cyprus, of course we will not take what happened to the point of hatred. But Greeks, our neighbors are not angels. No one should try to introduce our neighbors as angels to us because they are Cypriots. “They are still pursuing dreams of Megal-i Idea and Enosis…” he said.
Emphasizing that the Greek Cypriot side is not willing to share the island of Cyprus with the Turkish Cypriots, Töre said that the Greek side does not approach the Turkish Cypriot people on governance and power sharing and other issues.
Töre said, “Peace at home and peace in the world are of course our goals, but we want there to be peace without compromising independence, sovereignty and freedom.”
Töre said that if the July 20 Peace Operation had not happened, what happened to the Turkish Cypriots in the Lost Bus would have happened to everyone, and emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people made the land their homeland by sacrificing their lives and blood in the attacks that started with Bloody Christmas.
Töre said, “If the Turkish army leaves the island and the TRNC disappears, this will not be called a solution, it will turn into an agreement similar to the Treaty of Sevres. “There is no giving up on the state, no giving up on the Turkish army, no giving up on the TMT spirit,” he said.
Pointing out that there was a genocide in Gaza, he stated that the Turkish Cypriots were saved from the genocide thanks to the Turkish army and the Motherland.
-Tanpınar
Fevzi Tanpınar, director of the “Lost Bus” documentary, also stated that the “Lost Bus” created a deep wound in everyone, and that families experienced this deep wound and suffering almost every day for 43 years.
Tanpınar noted that they had incredibly deep feelings when they prepared the documentary with his brother Raşit Pertev in 2007, and that the Lost Bus documentary created serious awareness.
Tanpınar, who said that one of his biggest expectations while preparing the documentary was that young people would support them and prepare many similar documentaries, said, “But unfortunately, we could not see this.”
Tanpınar stated that the Lost Bus documentary has been shown in many places abroad since 2007 and received awards, and that the audience was very impressed wherever it was shown.
Tanpınar said, “It is extremely important to tell these things and express ourselves. More importantly, we can create social memory together in a healthy way. “When we create social memory, we can show the reflex of looking at the same place as a society at any time, and with this reflex we can always walk to the right place,” he said.
Fevzi Tanpınar said that with the monument, they would have fulfilled a duty for the martyrs in the missing bus.
-Sadıkoğlu
Iskele Mayor Hasan Sadıkoğlu also stated that the Lost Bus, which came to light with the documentary written by Raşit Pertev and directed by Fevzi Tanpınar, left great pain in everyone’s hearts.
Sadıkoğlu said, “Today, we feel that pain; “It may not be possible, but we are taking an important step to provide some relief and to protect the cherished memories of our martyrs.” said.
Commemorating the names of the martyrs in the Lost Bus, Sadıkoğlu said that they would keep the memories of the martyrs alive by building the monument.
Sadıkoğlu stated that the events that took place between 1963-64, which included the darkest days of the history of Cyprus, and the inhumane treatment suffered by the Turkish Cypriots, which was impossible to accept during these events, left a deep wound and sadness that will never go away, and undoubtedly one of those painful events; He stated that it was the Lost Bus incident that took place in Larnaca in 1964.
Sadıkoğlu said that they aim to open the Lost Bus Monument on May 13, 2024, on the 60th anniversary of the massacre.
-Transparent
Göksel Saydam, Honorary President of the Larnaca People’s Association, stated that on May 13, 1964, working Turkish Cypriots left their homes early and set out to go to Dhekelia by bus in order to bring bread to their families, and that the Greeks detained 11 Turks halfway with the threat of a gun, took them to an unknown place and shot them and watered them. He said that the well threw away.
Saydam said that the bones of the missing martyrs were found in a well in the village of Oroklini, but no trace of the bus has been found yet, and added: “We are not dead! These martyrs are an example to humanity.” “The Lost Bus Monument Project, which we will lay the foundation of in order to immortalize them in this mortal world, has been prepared with the principle of ‘We were here yesterday, we are here today’.” said.
Saydam emphasized that it is a historical duty to keep the martyrs of the Lost Bus alive and to tell future generations about the determination of Turkish Cypriots to continue their lives despite all kinds of Greek oppression they were subjected to.
He stated that the transparent monument will shed light on the history of the Turkish Cypriot national struggle.
-Menteşoğlu
Zarifşen Menteşoğlu, President of the Association of Larnacans, said, “As the Association of Larnacans, we are proud to protect the cherished memories of our martyrs and transfer their fighting spirit to future generations with this monument project.” said.
Menteşoğlu thanked everyone who contributed to the realization of the monument, especially Zorlu Töre, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the time, who allocated the monument place to the association.
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