Newsroom
Convoys of small buses began crossing from the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus into Kokkina early Thursday morning for an annual commemoration marking the anniversary of the 1964 bombing of Tylliria by the Turkish air force.
According to Andreas Karos, head of the committee advocating for the opening of the Tylliria roadblocks, the first buses rolled through the Limnitis checkpoint shortly after 7 a.m. The event draws attendees from the north each year to honor those killed in the bombing, which took place during intercommunal fighting on the island.
Karos said around 50 buses carrying an estimated 900 to 1,000 people are expected to make the trip in stages, escorted by vehicles from the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Two media vehicles from the north also joined the procession.
The crossing, which began with smaller buses and media crews, was expected to wrap up shortly after 9 a.m.
Today marks 61 years since the deadly bombing of Tillyria, a coastal region that endured three days of airstrikes by the Turkish Air Force in August 1964, leaving dozens dead and entire communities in ruins.
From Aug. 7 to 9, 1964, Turkish warplanes pounded the area with napalm bombs, killing civilians and National Guard soldiers alike. Survivors say the attacks marked the beginning of decades of hardship for the isolated community.
“This is a day of remembrance for the heroes who defended Tillyria and for all who resisted to keep this land free,” said Nikos Cleanthous, head of the Kato Pyrgos Community Council. “It is also a day that revives the pain, the destruction that began then and continues to haunt us to this day.”
Cleanthous described the bombing as the starting point of Tillyria’s decline, saying the region has remained “at the mercy of decay and time” ever since. Cut off from much of Cyprus, with the main road between Paphos and Nicosia still closed due to the Kokkina enclave, residents face daily hardships.
“We fight alone to survive here,” he said. “The wounds remain open, and we cling to the land of our ancestors with everything we have.”
While Greek Cypriots in Tillyria held memorial events, the Turkish Cypriot side marked the date with its own ceremony in Kokkina, attended by occupation leader Ersin Tatar, who arrived by military helicopter. The program included wreath-laying, speeches from Turkish Cypriot officials, and a tour of the area.
