The Guardian 8 November, 2006
The tenacious exiles:
The struggle of the people of Morphou
Steven Katsineris
"We live and breathe with one hope and one dream: to return to Morphou. Even the young people who never saw Morphou live with this dream. The town of Morphou exists for our children because we have told them about it. My daughter knows everything about it through the pictures, videos and stories of her grandparents. She knows all about the orchards we had in Morphou."
Charalambos Pittas Mayor of the Turkish-occupied town of Morphou, Cyprus,
Morphou is located in the north-western part of Cyprus, 30 miles from the capital Nicosia. The Plain of Morphou is one of the richest and most fertile areas of Cyprus and Morphou soon grew into a significant market town. Due to the abundance of underground water, irrigation agriculture developed quickly in the area, with a variety of crops grown including apples, vegetables, legumes, grains, taro, sesame, melons and citrus.
Over time there was a large increase in the cultivation of citrus. Morphou became the main centre of citrus growing in Cyprus and famous for its orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards. In 1974 Morphou and the surrounding villages produced 51 percent of the citrus fruit grown in Cyprus. The inhabitants of Morphou founded the Cooperative Organization Disposal Citrus Morphou (SODEM) to promote Cypriot citrus abroad. The cooperative also built a plant that canned juices.
The name Morphou (meaning beautiful place) dates back to ancient times and is associated with the Goddess Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty). The Lacones or Spartans originally settled Morphou and they brought with them the worship of Aphrodite and named the town after her beauty. Near Morphou lie the ruins of the ancient city of Soloi, one of the ten ancient kingdoms of Cyprus. Numerous archaeological discoveries have been made around Morphou reinforcing the connection to the cult of Aphrodite, including the statue named the Aphrodite of Soloi.
Under British rule, in 1896, Morphou was established as a municipality. On August 16, 1974 Morphou and the adjacent area were occupied by Turkish troops and its people were forcibly expelled or fled from the town. Before the Turkish invasion, Morphou had a mainly Greek Cypriot population of about 9000 people. Since then the displaced Greek Cypriot residents have been forbidden to return to their homes and orchards.
The Morphou Town Council has since been based in Limmasol on the south coast. The Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus in the summer of 1974 left 200,000 refugees, thousands dead and hundreds missing. Of the 1,618 missing persons 140 of them came from the Morphou region.
Turkish-Occupied Morphou
"My country, the small island of Cyprus has been under occupation since August 1974, when Turkey invaded and forcefully occupied 38 percent of our land. Part of this occupied land is my town, the town of Morphou, of which I am currently the mayor in exile."
Charalambos Pittas, Mayor of Morphou
Due to the Turkish army’s military onslaught the Greek Cypriots inhabitants of Morphou were forced to abandon their homes and properties. After the Turkish forces captured Morphou the empty houses were allocated to Turkish Cypriot refugees and later arriving settlers from Turkey. Morphou’s name was changed to Guzelyurt (in Turkish meaning beautiful country). At present the population of Morphou is about 12,000 of which about 500 are its original Turkish Cypriot inhabitants, some Turkish Cypriots from the government controlled south of Cyprus and thousands of Turkish settlers.
The once lovely town is now fairly bleak and dilapidated, with most houses in poor condition or rundown decaying ruins. Since 1974 the majority of Morphou’s inhabitants have not bothered to paint or repair the houses because the Turkish authorities have not encouraged the town as a feasible long-term settlement. Morphou has always been viewed as a region to be traded or conceded in the event of a partial settlement or some sort of resolution to the Cyprus problem. While the people now living in Morphou have felt transitory they have been afraid to construct new dwellings or properly maintain the homes they live in. Many of the older houses are built of mud brick, which is suited to the hot Cypriot climate, but over time without good maintenance water seeps in and the bricks turn to sludge and the houses begin to fall apart.
Many of the people are also unemployed, poor and unable to afford repairs. The families of the region even bury their dead in cemeteries in Nicosia rather than in the Morphou area. There is an atmosphere of doubt, depression and hopelessness among the residents.
Strong desire for settlement
"We need to get a solution. We need to do something about this … we just want peace. We are literally prisoners — our only crime is to be Turkish Cypriots. Our occupiers are turning against us. Now they want to occupy us forever."
Doganci village farmer (Morphou region) Etem Tabak, from the Doganci Peace Movement
Many of the Turkish Cypriot residents of Morphou and nearby Zodia village have been actively involved in demonstrations in support of a Cyprus settlement.
While some Turkish Cypriots and Turkish settlers are concerned about the impact of any territorial adjustments or of living in mixed communities again, others are eager about the prospects of a unified Cyprus and of welcoming back Greek Cypriots to the Morphou district. For instance, the 1500 Turkish Cypriot residents of Doganci village have been very active, organising many peace rallies, street marches and other protests.
Despite police arrests of organisers and speakers the villagers have continued to remain defiant. The village coffee shop is the vocal point for political debate and planning demonstrations. The villagers also gather to hear local bands playing. The most popular song in the village is, "Cyprus is our prison and we are the prisoners. The Line is the prison bar and Denktash is the guard." (The Green Line is the armed border between occupied and non-occupied Cyprus.)
In the last Turkish Cypriot elections in December 2003, over 54 percent of the population of the area voted for pro-settlement parties, like the Peace and Democracy Movement, the Republican Turkish Party and the Settlement and EU Party, knowing that they would be the most affected by any settlement, since the region would be given back to the Cyprus government if the Annan Plan was accepted. Mustafa Akinci, leader of the Peace and Democracy Movement said, "I believe the first input the Cypriot Turk would receive from a settlement would be to eliminate uncertainty…We just mentioned Guzelyurt…They were neglecting the maintenance of their houses because there was uncertainty. On every map, discussion of their area was included in the territory to be handed over to the Cypriot Greeks."
While territorial adjustments would allow most of Morphou’s Greek Cypriot residents to return, the vast majority of Cypriots, Greek and Turkish alike want a viable, comprehensible and lasting settlement to the division of Cyprus that will let them live together in a united Cyprus. Territorial changes in the Turkish-occupied north that hand over the Morphou region to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus are not a real and durable solution to the Cyprus problem.
Refugees fight to return and reunite Cyprus
"We want to make it clear to all directions that the people of Morphou and residents of the wider Morphou area will not, under no circumstances, accept the fait accompli of the invasion…their vision is to be able to live in a free island without any dividing lines or occupation troops and enjoy the advantages of the EU together with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots…"
Resolution by the Morphou Municipality on the anniversary of the occupation of the town, August 2003
Since the occupation of Morphou, its people have become an active part of the Cypriot opposition to Turkish occupation and a vital focus of international attention to the Cyprus struggle for justice through their organising of various actions including, protest marches, press statements, resolutions, Friends of Morphou groups and the Annual Morphou Rally in October each year. These efforts stress their continued determination to seek peace, a just and viable settlement and the reunification of Cyprus.
On the 29th anniversary of the occupation of the town Morphou refugees in a resolution reiterated their call for a united Cyprus and a solution that safeguards the three fundamental freedoms of movement, property and settlement, establish the fate of all the missing persons and implements the third Vienna agreement concerning the rights of the enclaved Greek Cypriots living in occupied Cyprus.
Morphou Mayor Charalambos Pittas who was accompanied by the town’s municipality and three MPs handed the resolution to Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and the embassies of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Pittas told the Cyprus News Agency (in 2003) that in the resolution "we express our position that 29 years of Turkish invasion and occupation are unacceptable, just as the current situation in Cyprus is unacceptable too."
The resolution asked the governments of the five permanent members of the Security Council "to exert pressure on Turkey and to work towards a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem which should guarantee a single sovereignty, territorial unity and the integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, the withdrawal of all Turkish troops and settlers and the return of all refugees to their homes and properties."
The Morphou Rally
"I found one thing particularly touching. After the Morphou rally I went to the UN open day at the Ledra Palace Hotel and while I was there I met two people from Morphou who I had seen at the rally. They were friends. At this bi-communal event I also met two Turkish Cypriots who were living in their houses in Morphou. The process is obviously painful, but they were able to discuss the matter in a sensible way and to recognize the realities of both sides. One of the Turkish Cypriots was herself a refugee from Limassol. She would like to return to her home, should a settlement permit that."
Andrew Dismore, Labour MP
Each year hundreds of Morphou refugees, joined by Cypriot, Greek, British, Euro MP’s, leaders of The Friends of Morphou and Friends of Cyprus and other political and religious delegates from around the world hold an annual rally at the Green Line in early October to show solidarity with the people of Morphou, to protest the continuing Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and demand a solution to the division of Cyprus. Many politicians attend the rally to express their support for Morphou, including Andrew Dismore, Labour MP, Theresa Villiers, Conservative MEP, Eric Clarke, Labour MP, the Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Joan, and Barnet Cllr Victor Lyon among others. The Barnett Council of London became a twin town to Morphou in 1995 to further goodwill between the communities and show support for those Greek Cypriots who have been forced to live in exile.
Speaking at the rally, Theresa Villiers, Conservative MEP for London, said, "It is always a great pleasure to visit Cyprus and meet the Cypriot people, I am always especially pleased to be invited to go to the Morphou Rally…It is an honor to have been asked by the displaced residents of Morphou…It is unacceptable that these people were driven from their homes and still cannot return after thirty years. Morphou’s twinning with Barnett — part of my own European constituency — gives me special concern on this issue. I will continue to campaign for a just solution to the Cyprus problem, creating a free and united Cyprus. I will also campaign for the residents of Morphou to be able to return to their homes."
Addressing politicians and hundreds of Morphou refugees at the Green Line, Councillor Lyon said, "It is a moving experience to be so close to the border and see the line dividing a nation. We must hope that the way is now clear for an end to the problem for the benefit of all the people of Cyprus."
A reunified Cyprus
"The Cypriot struggle, the struggle conducted by the people of Morphou, is a struggle for the rights of all nations around the world for safeguarding the principles of international law and human rights which are so severely violated in my country by the Turkish army and Turkish leadership…Through all I have said I wish to underline my love for the land I was born in, our love for our occupied town of Morphou and our determination to continue our fight."
Charalambos Pittas, Mayor of Morphou, speech at the Mayors for Peace Forum, January 16, 2003
Despite the obstacles, strenuous efforts are continuing to find a solution to the division of Cyprus and progress is being made. The 2003 opening of barriers on the Green Line has led to increased cracks in the wall of division and greater trust between the two communities and raised hopes of a settlement of the conflict. Morphou refugees felt excited and overjoyed about the prospect of going home after 30 years of exile if the Turkish-occupied town was returned to the Republic of Cyprus’ administration as proposed in the various UN peace plans, including the Annan Plan. But they also expressed their disapproval of any plan that ignored the right of all the refugees to return to their homes and reunification of the island.
Expressing the popular sentiment of most Cypriots Morphou Mayor Charalambos Pittas said he firmly believed that all the refugees must be allowed to return to their homes, regardless of which side ultimately controlled each town. Like most of Morphou’s refugees, Pittas is enthusiastic to return to the families’ house they left in 1974, but he doesn’t want to visit his birthplace as a tourist. He wants to return to his home for good and is prepared to wait a little longer to achieve that aim. While the talks go on among the leaders, the bi-communal contacts between the two communities continue to develop.
When relatives of Charalambos Pittas visited his home, they were given an old photo album and other personal items that the Turkish Cypriot occupants of his property had saved for his family. There have been many similar examples of acts of genuine goodwill and friendliness between the ordinary people from both communities.
While Mayor Pittas has never met or spoken to retired Turkish Cypriot geography teacher Aktan Imamzade, he says that he feels no anger towards him. "I’m sure the same as when I was moved from my house… He has told my relatives that he is looking after the house. He does not regard himself as the owner. I have a good feeling about him. And he has given my relatives the opportunity to go inside the house and take photos."
"We have to put behind us the past that separates us and look into the future that unites us. The people of Cyprus, Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, must live together in a state that respects and secures all human rights and basic freedoms. Freedom of movement, freedom of residence and property need to occur… "Our children have the right and we have the obligation to offer our children a reunited and prosperous Cyprus. Our strong belief is that the communities in Cyprus, Greek Cypriots… Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins should live in condition of security, prosperity, respect and mutual understanding in a reunited Cyprus… We seek a state of law for all Cypriot people irrespective of language, religion, colour or nationality."
Charalambos Pittas
One day the displaced people of Morphou will return home permanently, to live once again in the midst of the fragrant orange blossom atmosphere of Morphou. Things will never be the same, but in time a new generation will rebuild the broken lives, communities and buildings that conflict and division shattered. And may we always remember the dead-end disaster that extremist nationalism and partition brought to the people and island, as we continue to strive for a common future in a renewed, reunified and free Cyprus.
So that the Cypriot people can live together in peace and create a place of harmony and trust between the communities, in the idyllic paradise that Cyprus ought to be. In time, this dream will become an inevitable reality.
*I dedicate this article to the refugees of Morphou, living and departed, who have hoped, struggled and dreamt of the day of return.