Cypriots Face Turkish Barbarism in Washington DC

REPORT FROM THE CANA 4 WHO FACED TURKISH BARBARISM IN WASHINGTON DC

Community activists are drawn to work for a cause for a host of reasons. On Sunday, July 19, 2009, at 7 pm a core group of CANA activists gathered outside the Turkish ambassadors residence in Sheridan Park, Washington DC. We all traveled long journeys to this destination. Ioannis remembered the suffering of an eighteen year old cousin who endured an agonizing death as a result of Turkeys napalm bombing of Massoura village in 1974. Georgia was there for a grandmother, Gregoria Georgiou, killed execution style by the invading Turkish military on August 31, 1974 in Aheritou, Cyprus. Theo looked to the vigil and demonstration to gain insight as to whether his faith could truly allow him to forgive but never forget Turkish aggression and lead him closer to a decision on whether to join the priesthood of the Greek Orthodox Church. Foti came because he is drawn to the Hellenic culture and the bloody history of Turkish barbarism to the Armenian, Assyrian, Greek and Chinese communities. This group was aided intermittently by local DC activists but they largely stood alone against the Turkish embassy and diplomatic community for the entire vigil and demonstration.

The CANA activists set up a candle lit memorial to the victims of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus. Candles were lit to memorialize the missing and the murdered Cypriots, for time lost to the political ineptitude and personal agendas of the Greek and Cypriot establishment and lobby groups, for unfulfilled dreams and stolen land torn from the grasp of Greek Cypriots by the British and American geopolitical elite.


CANA activists used a banner, placards, the Cypriot, Greek and Byzantine flags to greet DC commuters driving past the Turkish ambassadors residence on Monday morning.. They wanted it known that July 20, 2009, marked the 35th anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus.. The only acceptable goal was for Turkey to Get Out of Cyprus.

Read more at:
http://cyprusactionnetwork.org/