Famagusta Initiative says Turkey keeps fenced Varosha and the future of Famagusta’s inhabitants as hostage since 1974
Under the title “It is like we sleep with a dead’”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (20.08.13) reports that Serdar Atai, spokesman of the “Initiative for Famagusta”, has said that the inhabitants of occupied Famagusta, are forced to sleep for 39 years embraced with the fenced city of Varosha, which he described as a “corpse”. In statements to Kibris, Atai argued that they have to think who is responsible for “systematically playing with our mental health and sanity for years.”

Atai noted that the politicians who say that “Varosha is part of the comprehensive solution” in Cyprus and those who allege that Varosha is Evkaf religious foundation’s property, “have absolutely no relation with the realities of the city of Famagusta”. He said that these politicians do not represent the view of the people of Famagusta. Atai expressed the view that these politicians give wrong messages to both the internal public and the world and added that the above-mentioned politicians and associations see Varosha as “a cow to be milked” and pursue unilateral gains. He noted that these persons and associations are deprived of the universal thinking having people as its centre and inter-communal peace and reconciliation as its axis.

Atai said that soon they will share with the public the results of a survey they have conducted among the inhabitants of occupied Famagusta and clearly shows the expectations of these people.

Addressing the MPs from Azerbaijan, who are invited to the occupied area of Cyprus, Atai urged them to look at Varosha and not believe what they are told by the representatives of the occupation regime. He argued: “You will witness that Varosha shares the same fate with Agdam, which Armenia has turned into ghost city in Nagorno Karabah the past 20 years. Because there is absolutely no difference between Varosha, which Turkey keeps as hostage and Agdam which Armenia keeps as hostage”.

Atai said that another unacceptable practice in the occupied area of Cyprus after 1974 is the change of the names of the places that existed for thousands of years. He pointed out that by changing these names at once the regime tried to extinguish the traces of the cultural identities which exist there.

The paper writes that during their interview, Atai was wearing a t-shirt having on it the picture of a bird with a broken wing and the number 39. He said that the bird symbolized Famagusta which is divided. He added that because one of its wings is broken, that is because Varosha is closed, the bird cannot fly for 39 years. “39 symbolizes the ongoing since 1974 suffering of the city of Famagusta, the future of which is kept hostage because of Varosha”, he explained.
CNA