On 5^th July, a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Cypriot Community Centre grand hall was filled with first, second, third and fourth generation Rizokarpassides ranging in age from 2 to 92 to celebrate their Rizokarpasso roots and enjoy a delicious traditional Cypriot summer buffet with family and friends. Some danced to the music of Sotiris Shangoli and all enjoyed the company of friends and relatives in what was a truly, family and friends orientated, joyful community atmosphere.  We recalled and were proud of our ethnic roots but also remembered the sacrifice that our enclaved compatriots in Rizokarpasso have made since 1974 and their heroic decision to remain in their ancestral homes. Although a very small number of compatriots have returned to Rizokarpasso recently, as the years pass, the original enclaved people are growing older and their numbers are decreasing, whilst there were about 4,000 Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpasso before the Turkish invasion of 1974, there are now 258 of which 52 are school children.   

The President of the National Federation of Cypriots UK Christos Karaolis, whose maternal grandmother was from Rizokarpasso, attended the event as did the Executive Secretary of the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood Andreas Karaolis. The President of the Association of Rizokarpasso Mary Karaolis welcomed and thanked those present for their commitment and continuous support and Maria Demetriou Vice President of the Association was MC. Everyone agreed that it was great to have the opportunity to have lunch together and catch up with family and friends.  There was a special welcome for Costas Hadjiyiannis (Zardis) and family who had travelled 194 miles from Leeds to attend the event and have lunch with family and friends and also to Androulla and Sotiris Constantinou who celebrated their 50^th Anniversary. Everyone was delighted to be enjoying their meal at tables, that were not numbered but instead were allocated Rizokarpasso place names e.g. Afendrika, Agios Philon, Asprokolympos, Agios Synesios, Agios Therissos, Agia Triada, Apostolos Andreas, Bashiammos, Helones, Korakas, Leko, Livae,  The older people present explained to the second and subsequent generations where these places were in Rizokarpasso, where their illegally occupied properties were located and what a beautiful and historically significant place Rizokarpasso is.

Members of the Rizokarpasso Association once again demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy on November 15 2018, on the anniversary of the illegal Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the occupying regime in northern Cyprus

Members of the Association of Rizokarpasso in Britain enjoyed a day trip to Brighton on a very sunny and hot day. The group gathered and boarded their coach near the Cypriot Community Centre, Wood Green. On arrival in Brighton the group attended the service at the Greek Orthodox Church of Ayia Triadas where they were met by Church Committee Treasurer,  Zacharias Koullas, whose family roots are from Rizokarpasso; at the end of the service they had refreshments in the sunshine outside the church.  Lunchtime the group enjoyed the traditional seaside lunch Fish & Chips at The Regency Restaurant. The service for our large group of 50 was quick and the food was delicious.  

After lunch everyone enjoyed the sunshine and fresh sea air either relaxing or walking along the seafront.  The coach journeys were made more enjoyable with members singing many well known Greek songs such as “Yerakina”, “Bera Stou Bera Kambou”, “O Mikros O Kinigos”, “ Loulla Mou Maroulla Mou”, “To Yelekaki”, “Yialo, Yialo”,  “Samiotissa”.  The singing was led by Keti, Kyriakou, Anna and Andreas and everyone joined in. As always the traditional Shinnopittes prepared by 92 year old Katina, for the outing, were enthusiastically received by all as were the sweets, nuts etc that various members had brought to share. Anastasis, who at 96 is our oldest Association member has a wealth of knowledge about our unforgettable Rizokarpasso and its families. Members were delighted to see 86 year old Michalis Lidas on the trip.  Michalis had served continuously on the Rizokarpasso Association Committee since it was formed in 1975, retiring last year due to poor health. 

Members took the opportunity to exchange family information, recount memories of Rizokarpasso and express their desire to return to their homes and properties in Rizokarpasso. They remembered the sacrifice of the remaining 228 enclaved Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpasso, whose numbers have declined over the years from over 3,000 Rizokarpassides prior to 1974. All said they wanted to send the NFC letter to their Members of Parliament  to remind them of the 44 years of Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and to ask for their MPs support for justice for Cyprus.  Many will attend the NFC annual Parliament event on Tuesday 10th July.

The Association’s next opportunity for family and friends to meet will be at the Association’s Dinner and Dance at the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood on Saturday 24^th November.

The Association of Rizokarpasso in Britain on November 25^thheld its annual Charity Dinner and Dance at the Grand Palace Banqueting Suite. All age groups were represented, proud of their roots and not prepared to forget that Rizokarpasso belongs to them.  The music had people from all age groups on the dance floor from the toddlers to pensioners, in what was a joyful community atmosphere where people ate a delicious meal, danced and enjoyed the company of friends and relatives.

Present amongst the guests were the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in the UK, Evripides Evriviades, The Rt. Revd. Bishop Athanasios of Tropaeou, the Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate, Bambos Charalambous and the President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Christos Karaolis.   Cousins Katina Chrysostomou and Katina Michanicou, both aged 91 and very active members of the Association, were presented with bouquets to celebrate their Names Day festival of Ayia Katerina. Both have continuously supported the Cyprus cause and attended the July Rally for Cyprus and November Picket outside the Turkish Embassy. Their advancing years have not prevented them from participating in Association events or dampened their desire to see a free united Cyprus and the return of their properties in Rizokarpasso.

Maria Karaolis, the President of the Association of Rizokarpasso thanked those present at the Charity Dinner and Dance and said: “You being here this evening together with the advertisers in our brochure and donors of raffle prizes has enabled us once again to send each enclaved school child in Rizokarpasso a €50 Christmas present in a personalised Christmas card.  We have sent a Christmas present to the Rizokarpasso school children every year since 2005 when there were 61 school children.  Year by year their numbers fell and by 2011 there were 35 school children.  Since then they have been increasing, last year there were 41 and this year there are 45 school children.  We are grateful to the Cyprus High Commission in London for arranging the delivery of the Christmas presents to the children in Rizokarpasso.  Many of the students who finish the Rizokarpasso Gymnasion go on to university in Cyprus and abroad.  In 2005 Demetris Kotsiekkas was in his first year in Gymnasion, in 2015 whilst studying Law at the University of Cyprus he gained the European Union ERASMUS internship and came to London at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.  He has graduated and is now at the University of Cyprus undertaking research.  We are proud of the enclaved Rizokarpassides and the successes of their children.  However, we also remember the hardship and sacrifices of our enclaved friends, relatives and compatriots in Rizokarpasso, who for the last 43 years, since the 1974 Turkish invasion and continued occupation of the northern part of Cyprus, have guarded our rights to our properties whilst they, on a daily basis are denied the basic human rights and freedom that all other European citizens enjoy. They have suffered violence and intimidation, which has seen the Greek Cypriot population of Rizokarpasso reduced from around 4,000 people in 1974 to less than 250 of whom 45 are schoolchildren.  Since October this year the UN Humanitarian Aid taken to the enclaved in Rizokarpasso has been subject to customs duties by the regime in occupied Cyprus and so the UN no longer takes provisions and only takes medicines to the enclaved.  Furthermore, 5 teachers were refused permission to teach in the Rizokarpasso schools and had to be replaced and 8 textbooks were prohibited.”

She continued: “Turkey is considered by our Government and other Western nations to be an important NATO ally that holds the key to Western security and the control of migration.  Turkey wants to join the EU yet muzzles democracy, imprisons Government critics, since July 2016 Turkey has closed down more than 180 media outlets and imprisoned 281 of its journalists. It also fails to abide by Agreements, ignores the Geneva Convention, ignores UN Resolutions, mistreats its religious and ethnic minorities; the Kurdish minority community is 25% of Turkey’s population.  Turkey does not share our Western interests or European values of democracy, respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, equality and the rule of law. Turkey says that it wants the negotiations on Cyprus to be successful yet it violates the Republic of Cyprus airspace and Exclusive Economic Zone. Turkey insists on keeping its anachronistic Guarantor Power for Cyprus.  The Republic of Cyprus is an independent country and a member of the UN, the EU, the Commonwealth and is a valued, stable, reliable, democratic, ally in a very volatile region; it doesn’t need Guarantors. Let us hope that the talks will resume in a manner that can lead to a just and viable solution that will reunify the island, terminate Turkey’s illegal actions, which are a violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus and against international law, and allow all of the Cypriots to live together throughout the island in a peaceful and safe Republic of Cyprus.  Our Association was formed immediately after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and has all these years campaigned tirelessly for the rights of the enclaved, for an end to the illegal occupation of Cyprus, the withdrawal of Turkish troops and illegal settlers and for the return of all refugees to their homes and properties.”

Maria Karaolis concluded by thanking all the Presidents, Officers and Committee Members of the Association over the last 43 years for their dedication and hard work.  She also thanked all members, friends, advertisers, providers of raffle prizes and those who had made donations who had supported and sustained the Association since its formation in 1975.  She wished everyone a Happy Christmas and a New Year, 2018, full of happiness, prosperity and good health; a New Year that brings Freedom, Joy and Justice throughout Cyprus.

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