The demographic character of the Cypriot territory which is
under the control of Turkish troops since ths summer of 1974
has undergone a radical change through the importation of
thousands of Anatolian settlers.
Occupation, colonization and the eradication of the indigenous
Greek population are all part and parcel of Turkey's
long-standing policy to assimilate and annex the occupied
terriroty of Cyprus. The multitude of settlers who flooded
occupied Cyprus have also created an intorelable situation
for the Turkish Cypriots, a considerable number of whom,
have been forced to emigrate.
"...The 'colonization' policy of Ankara, which brings
mainland Turkish nationals to Cyprus, has been an open
secret for many months -and, in fact, was confirmed to
me in a recent exchange of correspondence with the
foreign minister of Turkey. According to some reports
more than 40,000 Turkish nationals have moved to Cyprus
so far...the colonization policy continues - as does
the expulsion of Cypriot Greeks from their homes and
lands in the occupied area."
U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in
' "Tilt" toward Turkey continues',
"Hellenic Chronicle", (U.S.A.), 9.9.1976
"...These settlers ... will be used ... in the long
term changes in the demographic composition of the
island against Greek Cypriots. [...] This tendency for
settlement belies the pretext that the 1974
"peace-operation" had as its aim the interests of the
Turkish Cypriot community"
"Berliner Extra Dienst", 8.5.1977
"...The settlers from Anatolia took most of the houses left behind by the Greeks, as well as fields and machinery. This caused resentment on the part of the Turks who came from the south [Turkish Cypriots] and who felt they had been wronged in the sharing of Greek loot..." "Der Spiegel", 7.17.1978
"In spite of past hatreds, many Turkish Cypriots say they regret the exodus of the Greeks and even that they feel more affinity with these fellow Cypriots than they do with the mainland Turks, especially the Anatolians. We call them A.A. for 'Anatolian Apes' said one local sophisticate. The mainlanders are accused of boorishness, arrogance, looting and not going away.." "The Spectator", 9.16.1978
"The Turkish fascists are increasing their implantation
in Cyprus. A front organization called "Turk Ocagi
Dernegi" has been set up with support mainly culled from
the 50,000 mainland Turks imported into Cyprus since
1974. One Turkish Cypriot magazine has published maps
purporting to show the locations of training camps in
Turkish occupied Cyprus for units of Grey Wolves, the
National Action Party's killer squads. Turkish Cypriot
journalists I met were worried that the murderous violence
from mainland Turkey -800 deaths so far in 1978- will
soon arrive in Cyprus.
Denis Macshane in "New Statesman", 12. 22-29.1978
"...Turkish Cypriots ...believe that more than 100,000
mainland Turks have already moved into previously
Greek-Cypriot houses..."
'Trick conceals flood of Turks to Cyprus' in "NRC-Handelsblad"
(Netherlands), 7.4.1979
"They invaded in two separate waves. They camped along
the Attila Line, holding 36 per cent of Cyprus. They
have not budged since. Worse, they have relentlessly
filled northern Cyprus with mainland immigrants,
squeezing all but a handfull of Greeks from their
territory.
...Who can woder...that the Greeks fear not merely
permanent division along the Attila Line but, at some
suitable future moment with some suitable future excuse,
a further Turkish push to swallow all of Cyprus?
Will world opinion be any more help then that it is now?..."
'Words won't shift Turkey' in "The Guardian", 8.30.1979
"...These settlers were given land and properties
belonging to Greek Cypriots, chased away in the south...
In a few days they [settlers] were allocated Cypriot
nationality [sic] so that they could vote during the
elections in favour of Denktash's administration and
their behavious, rapes, thefts, and dealing with drugs
were overlooked.
...The colonization by the continental Turks, is
denounced by the Turkish Cypriots themselves who suffer
from its consequences."
"La Croix", 7.11.1980
"From the 200,000 refugees -nearly one-third of the
total population- around 18,500 remained enclaved in
the Turkish region and were under sustained pressure
to abandon their homes. Thus in their place 50,000
Turkish settlers from Anatolia have been accommodated,
who altered the demographic character of the occupied
territories, and obtained title of "permanent" ownership
of these properties..."
Nati Gutierrez, 'A slow agony scourges the "Island of Love" '
in "Noticiero Universal", 1.17.85