Dialogos

Claims of 1963 Massacre of 80 Greek Cypriots Surface, Based on Testimony from Deceased Witness

Published December 31, 2025, 14:02
Claims of 1963 Massacre of 80 Greek Cypriots Surface, Based on Testimony from Deceased Witness

Yusuf Kisa, owner of the Yeni Bakis newspaper, claims to have received testimony from an individual who died 10 years ago regarding the murder of approximately 80 Greek Cypriots around 1963. According to the testimony, the victims were “decapitated and thrown into a well,” with the witness’s uncle allegedly involved in the killings. Kisa stated that the individual, who settled in London after the incident, requested that the information be made public only after his death, which Kisa is now doing, fulfilling the man’s “legacy.” The Greek Cypriot representative to the CMP, Leonidas Pantelidis, stated that there are 44-45 Greek Cypriot missing persons from the 1963-64 period, of which 20 have already been identified. Of these, 16 were found in Hamit Mandres and 4 in the Tekke area in occupied Nicosia. The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) will investigate the information provided by Kisa, attempting to contact him for further details, particularly regarding the possible location of the alleged mass grave in a well. Mr. Pantelidis noted that burials in wells were not common practice during the 1963-64 period, adding an element of doubt to the credibility of the testimony. However, the CMP will proceed with an investigation to determine if there is any truth to Kisa’s claims.