Newsroom
A wave of provocative social media posts from Turkish accounts has drawn attention in recent days, following the circulation of a video depicting the 1996 killing of Cypriot hero Solomos Solomou. The incident, which occurred on 14 August 1996, the same day as the funeral of Tasos Isaak, another victim of violence, remains a deeply sensitive episode in Cyprus’s recent history.
The video, shared by a Turkish parody account named GENCO on X.com, shows the moment Solomou was fatally shot while attempting to remove a Turkish flag. The post’s caption included a reference to Abdullah Öcalan sending a funeral wreath and implied a mocking tone toward the tragic event.
The post received thousands of reactions from Turkish users, with hundreds of comments expressing support for the mockery. Some comments praised the killing, ridiculed Solomou, or speculated on whether the shooter was recognized for their actions. Others suggested that Turkey knows the “right moments” to act and could repeat similar attacks.
The resurfacing of this video has once again highlighted lingering tensions over the events of 1996, which remain a painful memory for many Cypriots and a source of international attention regarding historical conflicts on the island.
Yıl 1996 !!
— GENCO (@genco_19233) December 10, 2025
Türk Bayrağını indirmeye çalışan Solomos’un Türk Askerleri tarafından ağzındaki sigaradan vurulması !!
Abdullah Öcalan cenazeye çelenk göndermiş. !!
Yorumu size bırakıyorum.. pic.twitter.com/ojX1h2jHB1
