United for Cyprus
Concentration Camps
The confinement of more than 2,000 Greek Cypriots in concentration camps, from small babies to old people. Complete lists of detainees and the fate of these 2,000 Greek Cypriots remain unknown.
Many male Greek Cypriots were temporarily sent as prisoners-of-war to places like Saray Prison and Pavlides Garage in the Turkish part of Nicosia, later being transported to Turkey and detained in prisons in Adana, Amasia and Atiama. It is notable that the great majority of those shipped to Turkey were civilians of all ages between 17 and 70. Some had been photographed after their surrender or on Turkish ships on their way to Turkey. Others had been heard over Turkish radio, broadcasting messages to their families.
Torture and Inhuman Treatment
Hundreds of persons, including children, women and elderly people, were the victims of systematic torture, savage and humiliating treatment during their detention by the Turkish Army.
Mass Rapes
Turkish troops were responsible for wholesale and repeated rapes of 800 Greek Cypriot women of all ages from 12 to 71. During July and August 1974 such were the rapes of Greek Cypriot women that the Government of Cyprus had to ask for medical help from the British hospitals on British Bases. The British law had to be modified so that the doctors could operate and carry out terminations without being sued.
Discrimination
Most of Turkey's violations were directed against members of one community only, namely the Greek Cypriot community, because of their ethnic origin, race and religion. Turkey's aim was to eliminate all traces of Greek civilisation and to set up a demographically homogeneous ethnically Turkish and Muslim state in the occupied area. In another context this would be condemned as apartheid or cultural genocide.
Turkey ruthlessly murdered well over 5,000 Greek Cypriots in the process, mostly unarmed civilians, women, men, children and old people.