No Man's Land on Cyprus | VPRO Documentary

Bram Vermeulen travels to the divided island of Cyprus. Since the island was divided into a northern and southern part in 1974, with a UN buffer zone in between, hundreds of thousands of Turkish and Greek Cypriots on both sides have felt displaced.
Last October, Turkish authorities opened part of the seaside town of Varosha, which had been closed since 1974.
Tourists have recently been able to visit two streets of this ghost town to take photo's of themselves near the dusty, looted and half-collapsed houses.
This is to the great chagrin of the former residents, who have an insatiable desire to return to the district, but are still not allowed to enter their homes.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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[@guyon2wheels808]

A nice piece, but disappointing only the Greek story was told. Why the sorrow of the Greeks is palpable the story, as told, leaves the impression only Greeks suffered lose. Failing to accurately tell the full story of the 1950s and 1960s leading up to the military action leaves the impression only the Turks were at fault. There is no mention of the Greek assaults on Turkish communities resulting in the murder of Turkish civilians by the hands of their Greek neighbors. Left out are realities of that time, with Greece and the Greek Cypriots drifting toward military dictatorship and embracing Soviet theology. Ignored is the American encouragement for division of the island to ensure it never be used as a Soviet base against American and British regional interests. In its isolation, this piece presents yet another greek tragedy with a modern european twist.

[@Pyrrhic537]

About 7.20

[@heracles89]

It’s about time Europe woke up to this - the Turks did as they pleased and the whole world watched on - the hope is for a reunified island for all Cypriots (Greek and Turkish) and all illegal Turkish settlers and Turkish army to leave

[@brucedanton3669]

Thank you for this of course so too-it is most interesting as well too.

[@erikg3732]

Ik heb het voor jaren altijd al gezegd dat Nederlandse omroepen/programmas met nieuwswaarde veel meer mensen kunnen bereiken door het te uploaden emt een Engelse vertaling. Toen ik in Nederland woonde keek ik vaak dit soor programmas om te leren wat er gaande is op de wereld of zelfs in Nederland, goede kwaliteit altijd. Toevallig hier beland nadat ik informatie aan het opzoeken was voor mn vakantie naar Cyprus in juni.

[@mentesIV]

Yes, "quality", only one POV, even calling this journalism is against news ethics!

[@johnporter847]

In 1974 the USA government supply the turkish cypriots with weapons and ammunition. It is a well known fact. But they don’t care or talk about it. Actually they did oppose on what they should be doing. It is consistent,

[@cookie522]

Den xsexno 1974😢😢😢

[@humor1095]

Bravoooo 👏 👏 👏

[@nemo6686]

Strange "refugees" that travel from Africa and Bangladesh to Turkey then fly to northern Cyprus and get driven to the EU entry-point. Wouldn't 'migrants' be a more accurate description?

[@DanneBrogen3]

I do not agree with the generalization that people in Europe do not know about the situation in Cyprus!

[@semihkorayozkan]

5:12 I am sorry for Mayor for 2 things. First, Distance caused by his Nation in 1974 for his today's Job and second, I have to let him know the truth that His Grandfathers Mom was actuary living in Ottoman's Lands at that time.

[@acaru4925]

How come a documentary about Cyprus, can ignore the mass graves and concentration camps were turkish cypriots massacred for tens of years? This is why there is a buffer zone, to keep our lives in safety...

[@Pyrrhic537]

Turkish Cypriots didn't live in concentration camp's. EOKA suspects and entire GC male villages did and many were tortured by TC policemen working for the British. The EOKA was targeting all British police on the island , GC, TC and British. After the TCs murdered 8 Greek Cypriots in the Geunyeli massacre then GC attacks on innocent TCs started. The worse were in Tochni and Famagusta District in August 1974 after the first Turkish invasion. TC lived in Ghettos because their nationalists and Turkey encouraged them ( during intercommunal violence) to leave their villages and live in fortified area's which became overcrowded.

[@eliassolomou980]

Turks hate the truth and with lies try to justify their crimes. It's Turkish nature for in the very beginning your ancestors were liers, thieves, rapers and scum. Turks do not belong where they are today. They belong I'm Mongolia where they came from. And what massacre?? From 1st April 1955 till 19th July 1974 less than a thousand Turks died in fights they started yet three times more Greeks were killed. But you regard it as a massacre but murdering 1.5 million armenians you deny its a genocide. A typical two faced filthy Turk. There a Turks living in greece but where are the Greeks of Turkey?? You mongrels murder anyone who isn't a Turk in turkey. It's your vile nature.

[@NaciMahmut-rf5xf]

Are you really surprised, it’s a Dutch program & they don’t like Muslim people because they fear them. Just look at who they just elected. I wouldn’t worry about what a bunch of kiddy fiddlers think mate, these people are depraved. Drugs & whores are normal there so of course the people are going to be degenerates. Of course they’re going to resent people who are purer & not corrupted. They only like foreigners when it benefits them, just ask Virgil van dyke.

[@margaretsofocleous1999]

That was the high school not the town hall. My husband went there

[@nosnibor800]

Thanks for the information. I am hoping to visit this summer folowing the pandemic, to the greek side where most of the Brits go. Dank u well meneer.

[@huscukur1958]

His got more chance of being the mayor of London 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@cookie522]

Peace

[@65billh]

Who destroyed this once beautiful island paradise in the 1970's, just like who destroyed and brought to ruin Beirut, Lebanon in the 1970's. Three guesses, and the first two don't count.

[@alexsorov1958]

Why you diddnt talk with any Turkish Cypriot? 😉

[@mikep5609]

Good point. The story is about people not who they area, about stolen property . Simple

[@wietzzzz4]

The mayor is not a turkish cypriot???

[@KRY83]

​@@mikep5609you mean stolen property since 1963. Good point. They forgot to mention

[@mfbj1]

Because there is hardly any freedom of press there. Too risky

[@alexsorov1958]

@@mfbj1 actually there is a lot of freedom even the Greeks come and pass border freely on daily basis and start to rent apartments because on south site of Cyprus everyrhing is expensive .

[@shenosman2897]

Observations: 1. He didn't mention why Türkiye intervened 2. nor why there was a population exchange. 3. nor that the population exchange was by a signed agreement under the auspices of the UN and was a permanant one. 4. Where did he get the information that the Turkish Army was 'briefed only to take the Turkish Areas of Mağusa' ? 5. Only Turkish Cypriot to speak was İsmail Arter the Mayor of Mağusa, most probably the only reason he was given permission to film there !

[@mikep5609]

U miss the point. It was about people wanting to go home, not about deals,dine by others. Would u like to go home? Wouk do you like to be pushed put if your home, have it stolen? An army from across the sea came and thus us the result , it’s nit about the colour of your hair or language or accident of birth to be white or not. It’s very simple. Sorry to read your text. Maybe you can’t relate to,others, you should, it’s a rule in Islam it’s a core of humanity.

[@benkibris7803]

@@mikep5609 Every actions has results.

[@Ksn641]

@@mikep5609 Yes I’m sure the Turks expelled from their houses, villages and the government in Xmas 1963 would have liked to have returned to their homes and through no fault of their own were not able as The Akritas plan was being carried out. Our compatriots did this to us in our native Cyprus simply for being Turkish. From 1963 until 1974 Turkish people were forced to live in enclaves distant from everything that would be classed as a normal living. Sorry the truth may be harsh to hear but the displaced G Cypriot people were a victim to their church indoctrination and their politicians so Turkey was simply carrying out their obligations under the 1960 guarantee system.

[@mikep5609]

@@Ksn641 sorry u missed the point People want to go home It’s not about religion or other baggage Any other argument is what it is An excuse Appeasement It’s cruel It’s but eye for eye Most natives on the island were not even born Why would any person say it’s their fault Their fault for the baggage they inherited ? Time to move forward Troops leave People go home The Swiss have a word for it Smart to chose your baggage than be burden by it That’s why the Swiss are richest people on earth without any resources !! No religion No hang ups No foreign troops Maybe they are just smarter than others ..... like I guess some others

[@Ksn641]

@@mikep5609 I’m afraid no points missed but we can agree to disagree my friend. We can live side by side in our respective sides of the island. You visit North and we visit South and meet in the middle.:))

[@gigelchiazna1573]

Bram should have got those 2 cameroons with him in Netherlands at his apartment. Maybe he could say they are his children ...

[@yassinmahammed4376]

Western objective journalism at its best. I suggest VPRO to do same reporting on Palestinian Nakba.

[@acaru4925]

Not asking the other part of the story? Is this the good journalism? Not any member of turkish cypriot community was contacted, why???

[@mikewillis6033]

@@acaru4925 irony here

[@2012cem]

One side of the coin.????????????

[@gregorious6298]

🤜💥🐸💥🤛 BOOM. GOOD VIDEO

[@odissey6286]

What about the suffering of Turkish Cypriots, what about Bloody Christmas of 1963 and what about so called "Enosis" and Greek nationalists their atrocities

[@bizmyurt8582]

time to free all Kibris. creeks to creekland!

[@joshlatimer2313]

It should be one whole country not Greek/Turkish the people both sides want both govts gone so they can be one again funny how that worksout, their supposed to be there FOR the people not against the people we need take back our power from not just those govts but one world govt in particular there's reason we have different countries not everyone agrees so at least we can agree to disagree and stay to what u like and if they like something else well they supposed to be able choose what laws they like to live under. One unifying global system doesn't mean more democratic system which is what they portray on us...

[@mikewillis6033]

they were given chance to reunite back in 2004 i guess, do some research on annan plan, greeks voted no , turks voted yes.

[@spitfirered]

👍💯👏❤🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️

[@shenosman2897]

flawed 'information' 1. The Greek Cypriots of Varoşa left before the Turkish Army came . They were not 'driven out ' 2. I havn't seen signs of a 'conflict flaring up' ! 3. It's not the whole of Mağusa which has been off limits, its only the closed area of Maraş. People from the south have been able to visit Mağusa since free movement has been allowed as of 23rd April 2003 4. The divided island map has Greek and Turkish flags whereas it should have been ROC and TRNC flags. 5. The Buffer Zone has been around in some form way before 1974. 6. Lefkosa has been divided since way before 1974. 7. What he calls a ' civil war ' was in fact the Greek Cypriots attacks on Turkish Cypriots with the aim of killing all Turkish Cypriots.

[@costaskarseras7876]

I believe that the vast majority of my countrymen, Greek, and Turkish Cypriots are peace-loving people and support a just solution. The Cypriot people have a remarkable history of peaceful coexistence with mutual respect for their religious and language differences. Who caused the Istanbul pogrom started on the evening of Sept. 6, 1955, when mobs took to the streets of Istanbul and raided the Greek, Armenian, and Jewish districts, destroying and looting the non-Muslim places of worship, homes, businesses, cemeteries, and schools? Not the Greek Cypriots or the Turkish Cypriots. The Cypriots are the victims of an international conspiracy. The British Army Major Martin Packard OBE wrote "... It came from the way secret operations ( meaning NATO's false flag operations "Gladio") were conducted in the area, and I will talk a little more about that later, especially through the stay-behind organizations, which meant that extremists in both communities were armed through NATO and had special training in assassination and misinformation. "

[@shenosman2897]

@@costaskarseras7876 A lot of what your saying i don't disagree with, we need to ask how can we learn from the pass, a federal solution will never work, why you may ask, because it will only take a few fanatics from what ever side to bring us back to the 1960's of bloodshed, the only way forward is keep the two state but both to be internationally recognized with equity for all Cypriots, if this happens we can share and help each others state, i see lots of Greek Cypriots that still live in the Karpaz, it makes me smile because they are happy living their.

[@costaskarseras7876]

@@shenosman2897 Once again I refer to Mr. Espen Barth Eide, the former UN General Secretary representative on Cyprus. "That if it was only up to the Cypriots the Cyprus problem would have been solved a long time ago." This is why he reached the above conclusion. Only last year, President Erdogan and Devlet Bahceli leader of MHP the Turkish far-right party, and the "Grey Wolves" ruthlessly attacked the then Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Akinci, "It is clear that Mustafa Akıncı is not worthy of the position he occupies. For this reason, it is inevitable and vital for him to immediately resign from the Presidency and submit to the will of the Turkish Cypriots. Akıncı and his followers should not forget that Cyprus is Turkish was, is, and it will remain Turkish. Under no circumstances will the blood of the martyrs spilled in the Pentadaktylos Mountains be wiped off". People are aware of Denktash's admission that Turkish Cypriots placed bombs in order to blame the Greek Cypriots. The Turkish Gen. Sabri Yirmibesoglu also admitted that Turks burned mosques to increase animosity toward Greeks in Cyprus. I am an ardent supporter of peace and friendship between the Greek and Turkish people. Back in the 1950s as a young trade unionist, I took part in strikes and demonstrations against the innocent killing of Greek and Turkish Cypriots by both EOKA and TMT.

[@shenosman2897]

@@costaskarseras7876 sorry I don't agree you blame Turkey and the TRNC politicians for all the falut of the Cyprus, the UN are the biggest hippocrites so I would not believe anything they say, your facts are biased and hearsay

[@costaskarseras7876]

@@shenosman2897 Those who lost their loved ones in the massacres of Tochni, Galatya, Maratha-Sandallaris-Aloa and Palekythre and in the killings in Kythrea and Trikomo, Masari, Pileri and Omorphita show the way to peace... Those who lost their mothers and fathers, their brothers and sisters, who lost their loved ones like Sevilay-Mustafa Berk, Maria Georgiadou Petros Souppouris and Huseyin Rustem Akansoy, Leyla Hüseyin Kıralp and Christina Pavlou Solomi Patsiai, Μιχαλης Γιαγκου and Yusuf Çaylar İsmailoğlu and Panagiotis Efsthatiou are together calling for peace and reconciliation in Cyprus... It is their voices and wisdom we should listen to, not the voices of those who breed suspicion, uncertainty and bias against the other community… Below is one of my previous comments. "I would also like to pay tribute to the honorable and humanitarian action of the Turkish army officer Hakki Boratas who save a number of innocent Greek Cypriot lives by stopping and warning Turgut Yenagali. Yenegali on tv. stated "Hakki Boratas told me that if I walked outside, he would shoot me" the name and action of this officer have almost gone unnoticed. I hope that one day a united Cyprus will honor this Turkish Officer and any other person who under bestial conditions acted in a humanitarian way." I hope that the above clarifies my attitude towards the democratic people of Turkey.

[@roddychristodoulou9111]

The current war in Ukraine should be learning curve for both communities , Greek and Turkish Cypriots must stop this nonsense . Unification , cooperation and peace is the only way forward .

[@costaskarseras7876]

Mr. Espen Barth Eide, the former UN General Secretary representative on Cyprus after years of being directly involved in the negotiation concluded "That if it was only up to the Cypriots the Cyprus problem would have been solved a long time ago." According to Dr. William Mallinson, former Member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service "The moment that Britain began thinking of transferring its Middle East headquarters to Cyprus in early 1952, the die for dividing Cyprus was cast. ‘All’s fair in love and war’, as some say, whether cynically or simply realistically. Britain and the US could not afford to countenance a truly independent Cyprus, given their fear of the Soviet Union. It is the same today, just as in the Ukraine, where agents provocateurs abound. One day, there, too, the truth will come out." BBC Radio 4's Documentary "UK's murky role in Cyprus crisis".By Jolyon Jenkins Producer, BBC Radio 4's Document "Evidence has emerged that British undercover forces were involved in fomenting the conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots ten years before the 1974 partition of Cyprus."

[@roddychristodoulou9111]

Yes my friend your reply is spot on , I was fully aware of all the points you made , I lived in London for 47 years now I'm retired I live on Larnaca Cyprus . Watching the news reports from Ukraine just shows me that war is not the answer , regardless of our history the Greek and Turkish Cypriots must unite and move forward , even if it means freeing ourselves from our mother countries . War today is nothing but rich people sending poor people out onto the field to kill each other .

[@lovingman41]

anothe one sided lying documentary, it was the Greeks that caused all the trouble in Cyprus, the Greek military invaded in 1964 and set about killing British soldiers and there families (370) in total, then moved onto the Turkish Cypriots, forcing them north to small encalves with no food or water,then in 1974 they ousted Makorios and slayed 3000 of there own people before carrying out acts of genocide on the Turkish, witch led to mainland Turkey to launch a military intervention to stop all the slaughter, yet all programes made about Cyprus only show the poor suffering of the Greeks as if they are the victims in all this, try doing a programme fron the Turkish Cypriot side, and get the real truth not the false Greek propaganda....

[@jonchrys]

Genocide against who? Oh you mean the Turkish Cypriots who pretty much all of them including the pseudo TC president ( who does not recognise the south) have Republic of Cyprus Passports and ID cards and can thus move south or even visit health facilities and obtain free medical care the list is endless... It's time to realise and accept from both sides the bad things that happened and go forward. It's obvious from my interactions that both sides want to unify the Island. It's also obvious they can live side by side and have many things in common including their identity as CYPRIOTS not just Greek or Turkish.

[@freebie808]

Fuked up bro

[@jazzypoo7960]

Comment.

[@maximme]

THE SAME SITUATION as Ukraine !!

[@KRY83]

Not at all. Conditions different

[@benkibris7803]

Poor Greek Cypriots they only cry.if you loved your town Famagusta so much why you didn't stay and fight!! They all run away before the Turkish army came.the guy said all the police, army and people run away before Turkish soldiers came!! And now they cry.keep crying!! The guy says Famagusta slowly becoming Turkish.. showing school and houses . in Famagusta Turkish Cypriots lives! Which most had to leave their houses in South because of eoka and move to North !! Somehow Greek Cypriots things all Cyprus belongs to them and Turkish Cypriot s doesn't exists!! In North %80 of people are Turkish Cypriots! And those houses and schools you showed in Famagusta we Turkish Cypriots live and study there!

[@planetpositive6203]

Why all Turkish towns have GREEK NAMES?

[@ipsiz1929]

Siz yalnız değilsiniz tüm dünya birleşip gelsede kandaşlarımızın yanındayız

[@KRY83]

​@@planetpositive6203for example? But many Greeks have Turkish surnames like 'ouglu'

[@neobluenose24]

Your brothers from your motherland hate you@@ipsiz1929. Open your eyes

[@Cyprus_Is_Greek]

We dont support Federal Cyprus. We support the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish citizens of the Republic of Cyprus must come back and become again part of our state, we will give them all their human and political rights. We want 1 man = 1 vote. We want peace, Turks of Cyprus, come and fight Turkey's imperialism with us. We want the occupation of our country by Turkey to end. We want Turkey's army out of Cyprus and the illegal settlers Turkey brought here after 1974 to leave too. I am a Greek Cypriot nationalist and i have nothing against any Turk who accepts the Republic of Cyprus and accepts Democracy (1 man = 1 vote). Don't believe Turkish propaganda. We never harmed you and we never wanted to destroy you. YOU stopped recognising your own state in 1963 and you started fighting us from 1955 with the english and in 1964 following Nihat Erim's plan to destroy Cyprus through a bizonal and bicommunal federation. Then you fought as again in 74' when no one was ever hurting you. Some idiots killed 150 of you without command between the 2 Attilas but that was only because you fought with Ottomans against us first! Federal Cyprus its Turkey's imperialist and racist plan to devide Cyprus according to nationality and religion to controll all Cyprus through "political equality". Turks, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus wake up, chose Democracy, Freedom, and our Hellenic Cyprus over the evil Ottomans. Stop being Turkey's pawns. Lets build this great european country together.

[@sakincee6607]

l am turkish cypriot and l am also a turkish nationalist. Cyprus is turkish and will remain turkish. Turkey is our homeland. Not greece. You are really insincere people. FOREVER TÜRKİYE

[@shenosman2897]

You call Turkey Occupation, but Greece has been the Occupation since 1963, when Greece and Greek settlers leave then you have no argument.

[@acaru4925]

Concentration camps and mass graves for turkish cypriots, nobody talks about these facts!

[@mikem8211]

​@sakincee6607 you're the one's who suffer my friend TRNC will never ever be a country even in a thousand years. Think of the next generation United Cyprus is the only way or it stays as it is and tbh Greeks don't care if it stays as it we are thriving in the Republic of Cyprus much more than mainland Greece or Turkey who both have incompetent governments. I would hate for a Greek in Athens to decide the fate of Cyprus

[@hakanakbas535]

the northern cyprus turkish republic and the southern cyprus republic should live in peace. They can be very good neighbors. Protests harm peace as in the middle east

[@drawvk3]

WTF are you talking about? Guess you are an agent of some sort. Let me fill you in ...Cyprus was invaded by Turkey with the help of the British and the CIA .Thousands of people were killed by the Turks and thousands more are stil missing. We are heading straight to a world war for Ukraine and at the same time the UN and NATO are turning their heads on Cyprus. No the Greek and the Cyprian people have nothing to negotiate with the turks. War is comming in the Aegean only this time things will be different.

[@mikep5609]

Good idea if you stolen the land on either side. It’s about honesty, humanity not theft. From either side. Two stares awards the criminals. Are you one of them?

[@hakanakbas535]

@@mikep5609 my idea is to sell it peacefully if there is a long truce

[@mikep5609]

And the 30000 plus foreign troops stay ? There is no such thing as a republic of Turkey territory It’s a trick by Ankara A trick they used to cause farm and exploit many Why allow the poor people in the north suffer any more Don’t they deserve human rights dignity and freedom ? Don’t they deserve no more bully and terror ? Don’t they deserve to be part of the modern world?

[@hakanakbas535]

@@mikep5609 I find your comments biased. however, countries make concessions in return for the aid they receive. We see that the military aid provided by Turkey's government at that time prevented the genocide. I am a Turk of Kurdish origin living in Turkey. And if Cyprus is recognized by all NATO and other countries, its legal and military security can be ensured. Then there is no need for Turkey.

[@yShneyu]

Such a single sided, superficial, pretexted and biased video. With all due respect to suffering of Greek Cypriot side, there is also grief and tragic of Turkish Cypriot side as well. By creating such a single sided view you’re not only doing harm to people of Cyprus but also causing a great deal of disinformation for the outer world. Such a disappointment to see videos like this.