Dervis Ali Kavazoglou
Encyclopedia
Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu was a Turkish Cypriot member of the left wing AKEL party who was killed in 1965 by Turkish Cypriot paramilitary
group TMT
.
on 4 April 1924. He started primary school in his village, and lost his father in 5th year. He moved to his relatives’ and continued primary school in Kaimakli
. Because, he was poor he asked for financial aid from "Evkaf", it was denied. For that reason, he couldn’t continue his education and started working with a Greek-Cypriot carpenter as an apprentice. In there, he became a member of unions. Kavazoglou was reading Marxist literature, which would show the way to him in his struggle, while he was learning carpentry. His interest in books made him learn lot more than those who finished their education. When he learned carpentry he opened his own carpentry shop in Asmalti. But while some Turkish-Cypriots were burning shops belonging to Necati Ozkan, Kavazoglou’s shop was burned, too. He had to go back and work as an apprentice. He also had interest in acting and with the help of Turkish-Cypriot unions he presented some dramas. In 1954, he opened a new shop in Belig Pasha Street and worked there for a year. Kavazoglou moved to south Nicosia to continue his struggle, because of the killings happened in 1958. He was making counter-propagandas to the ones Denktash
made. He created some Turkish-Cypriot groups against division after the independence.
In 1964, he wrote in his article "Greeks and Turks to Shake Hands" that "Recently, the thousands of Turco-Cypriots who are imprisoned in concentration camps by the hordes of Denktash, were ready to rise against the terrorists...A large segment of the Turkish Cypriots are ready to return to their villages".
Greek Cypriots awarded Kavazoğlu by appointing him as the head of "Cyprus Turkish Patriots Union" which was founded by Greek Cypriot AKEL. He also became a member of the Central Committee of Greek Cypriot AKEL and head of the Trade Union.
Describing the leadership of Turkish community as terrorists and later appointment by Greek Cypriots to various honorory posts aroused hate among the Turkish Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community regarded him as traitor.
during the period of intercommunal violence
. Both were members of community party AKEL whilst Misiaolus was also a PEO trade union official. The two were shot to death on April 11, 1965 when they were ambushed on the Nicosia
– Larnaca
road, near the village of Goshi. Both are held as symbols of Greek-Turkish friendship and were commemorated in an event attended by Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias
in 2008.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group TMT
Turkish Resistance Organization
The Turkish Resistance Organisation was a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation formed by Rauf Denktaş and Turkish military officer Rıza Vuruşkan in 1958 as a defence organisation to counter the Greek Cypriot Fighter's Organisation EOKA....
.
Life
He was born in Peristerona, FamagustaPeristerona, Famagusta
Peristeronopigi is a small village located in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, 6 km south of Lefkoniko....
on 4 April 1924. He started primary school in his village, and lost his father in 5th year. He moved to his relatives’ and continued primary school in Kaimakli
Kaimakli
Kaimakli is a large North Eastern suburb located within the Municipality of Nicosia since 1968. The population of the area was 10864 inhabitants in 2001.-History:...
. Because, he was poor he asked for financial aid from "Evkaf", it was denied. For that reason, he couldn’t continue his education and started working with a Greek-Cypriot carpenter as an apprentice. In there, he became a member of unions. Kavazoglou was reading Marxist literature, which would show the way to him in his struggle, while he was learning carpentry. His interest in books made him learn lot more than those who finished their education. When he learned carpentry he opened his own carpentry shop in Asmalti. But while some Turkish-Cypriots were burning shops belonging to Necati Ozkan, Kavazoglou’s shop was burned, too. He had to go back and work as an apprentice. He also had interest in acting and with the help of Turkish-Cypriot unions he presented some dramas. In 1954, he opened a new shop in Belig Pasha Street and worked there for a year. Kavazoglou moved to south Nicosia to continue his struggle, because of the killings happened in 1958. He was making counter-propagandas to the ones Denktash
Rauf Denktas
Rauf Raif Denktaş is the founder and the first president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , a de facto state which is only recognized by Turkey...
made. He created some Turkish-Cypriot groups against division after the independence.
In 1964, he wrote in his article "Greeks and Turks to Shake Hands" that "Recently, the thousands of Turco-Cypriots who are imprisoned in concentration camps by the hordes of Denktash, were ready to rise against the terrorists...A large segment of the Turkish Cypriots are ready to return to their villages".
Greek Cypriots awarded Kavazoğlu by appointing him as the head of "Cyprus Turkish Patriots Union" which was founded by Greek Cypriot AKEL. He also became a member of the Central Committee of Greek Cypriot AKEL and head of the Trade Union.
Describing the leadership of Turkish community as terrorists and later appointment by Greek Cypriots to various honorory posts aroused hate among the Turkish Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community regarded him as traitor.
Assassination
Dervis Ali Kavazoglou and Kostas Misiaoulis were proponents of peace between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities on the island of CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
during the period of intercommunal violence
Cypriot intercommunal violence
Cypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of sectarian conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from 1963 to 1974.-Background:...
. Both were members of community party AKEL whilst Misiaolus was also a PEO trade union official. The two were shot to death on April 11, 1965 when they were ambushed on the Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
– Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
road, near the village of Goshi. Both are held as symbols of Greek-Turkish friendship and were commemorated in an event attended by Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias also Demetris is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth President of the Republic of Cyprus. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008...
in 2008.
See also
- TMTTurkish Resistance OrganizationThe Turkish Resistance Organisation was a Turkish Cypriot pro-taksim paramilitary organisation formed by Rauf Denktaş and Turkish military officer Rıza Vuruşkan in 1958 as a defence organisation to counter the Greek Cypriot Fighter's Organisation EOKA....
- Cypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of sectarian conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from 1963 to 1974.-Background:...
- Fazıl ÖnderFazıl ÖnderFazıl Önder was a Turkish Cypriot journalist who fought for peace between communities in Cyprus.-Biography:Önder was born in Omorphita in 1926. He finished primary school but was unable to attend secondary school for financial reasons. At a young age, he started working in a saddle shop as an...
- PEO
- ΑΚΕLProgressive Party of Working PeopleThe Progressive Party of Working People is a communist party in Cyprus. It supports an independent, demilitarized and non-aligned Cyprus, and a federal solution of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem. It places particular emphasis on rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriots. It supported...
External links
- A short documentary in Turkish and Greek covering the assassination of Kavazoglou and Misiaoulis
- Facebook fan page of Dervis Ali Kavazoglou