Taşkent Martyrs Commemorated

The Taşkent Martyrs were commemorated with a ceremony held in memory of those who were detained and massacred after being taken from the villages of Taşkent, Terazi and Tatlısu in one of the most tragic episodes in the history of the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for existence.

Addressing the ceremony, President Tufan Erhürman emphasized that they would not remain silent in the face of the efforts to ignore the disregard while the suffering of the Turkish Cypriot people. “We will continue to explain and defend the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people on every platform”, he said.

A total of 83 Turkish Cypriots, including children, living in the villages of Taşkent, Tatlısu and Terazi were executed by firing squad at two separate locations.

The remains of the martyrs, who were listed as missing persons, were found in 2007—33 years after the tragedy. Following the completion of identification processes, the martyrs were laid to rest at the Taşkent Martyrs’ Cemetery in ceremonies held in 2014 and 2016.