In Cyprus’ shocking year of 1974, “Ioanna”, a 15-year-old girl, told her story for the first time, “I was repeatedly raped, I became pregnant, I dropped my child, I survived but it didn’t end, I was always excluded, I was not even accepted into church.”
After 48 years of the war in Cyprus, Politis newspaper carried the allegations of another victim in its headline.
The woman, who was only 15 years old during the Cyprus Operation, described her pain, pregnancy and miscarriages. “Ioanna”, whose real name is different, said that thanks to a Turkish Cypriot soldier, she and her friend escaped, she was saved, but the rape in her soul never stopped.
“I […] I am one of about 700 women who were raped by Turkish soldiers,” said “Ioanna,” who is now 63 years old, then only 15.
“There was an expiration date in our lives,” she said, noting that she had lost that feeling after the war.
The 63-year-old woman, who agreed to tell her story at Politis’ invitation, said she lived in a village in Lefkoşa and that she and her neighbor “Maria” had been repeatedly raped by soldiers who came to her house.
“Our grandmother was killed, we were locked in a room, what we went through was a nightmare,” the woman said, adding that they were saved with the help of a Turkish Cypriot soldier named “Ahmet”.
“Ioanna”, who stated that she became pregnant after the rapes, aborted the child, but that her pain did not subside after she was saved, said that the Greek Cypriots excluded her and even the village priest did not accept her to the church.
“Our soldiers also raped Turkish women.” “Ioanna” also claimed that she was one of 700 women who were raped at the time. “Before the war, we did not have a problem with the Turkish Cypriots,” Ioanna said, adding that she still has no resentment today.