National Struggle and Turkish Cypriots Exhibition opens tomorrow at Nicosia Bedesten
The “National Struggle and the Turkish Cypriots Exhibition”, which covers the period of national struggle that started in 1914 and lasted until the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, opens in Nicosia Bedesten tomorrow.
According to the information given by the Turkish Cypriot Foundations Administration, the exhibition to be opened at 15.00 will feature the War of Independence and the Turkish Cypriots who took part in it, the Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, the support of the Turkish Cypriots to the Turkish soldiers sent to Cyprus and the stories of those who witnessed all these events. .
Making statements about the exhibition, Cyprus Foundations Administration General Director Prof. Dr. İbrahim Benter stated that the Turkish Cypriots went to Anatolia with boats and ships and supported the national struggle; Noting that Turkish Cypriots studying in Turkey went to the front and fought, he noted that many Turkish Cypriots were martyred during the National Struggle in the War of Independence.
Stating that Turkish Cypriot women who support the national struggle also send the income they earn by selling their most valuable belongings to Anatolia, Benter said, "Moreover, many rich Turkish Cypriots contributed to the struggle and by collecting money in all mosques, they stood by the National Struggle." used the phrases.
Pointing out that besides the struggle in Anatolia, important initiatives were made to support the national struggle in Cyprus, Benter said, “Some of those who were captured in Anatolia during the British period were sent to the island of Cyprus. The prisoners were placed in today's Military Camp Gülseren area. They were subjected to a lot of torture,” he said.
Benter continued:
“The Turkish Cypriots tried very hard to help the captives. Although it was forbidden and risky, the people used to deliver food to the captives. One of them is Mehmet Guselli from Balaban Village. He himself was a baker. He would secretly open the oven at midnight and make bread, olives and halloumi for the prisoners every night and secretly send them to the camp.”
In addition to all these, Benter stated that the Turkish Cypriots supported the National Struggle by putting all their financial possibilities into consideration and said, “Populated and wealthy people have never been idle. What about me? They didn't. They showed their means and their lives to support the struggle. However, as a result of the plan that fell into the hands of the British, all of them were suddenly taken from their homes and imprisoned in Kyrenia Castle under severe conditions.
It was stated that many important works, documents and information will meet with the public for the first time in the exhibition that will last for 6 months.