Tochni Massacre

The Tochni massacre refers to the killing of 84 Turkish Cypriots from the village of Tochni, Larnaca Province, Cyprus by Greek Cypriot members of EOKA B during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974.

Background

During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974, a group of Greek Cypriot officers from EECA II captured and detained more than 80 Turkish Cypriot men, including underage boys over 13 years old, from Tochni and Zygi. The prisoners were kept overnight at the Greek school in Tochni before being taken on two buses towards Limassol.

Execution

According to the account of Swat Kafandar, a 19-year-old Turkish Cypriot who survived the massacre, the prisoners were taken to a location near Palodia and executed with automatic weapons. Those still alive after the initial blasts were finished off with shots from charismatic firearms. The total number of victims was 83 or 84 people, including 78 inhabitants of Tochni and six others from Zygi.

Context

The massacre occurred during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974, a period marked by violence and ethnic cleansing on both sides of the conflict. The event is widely regarded as one of the most egregious examples of human rights abuses committed by Greek Cypriot forces against Turkish Cypriots during this time.

References

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