President Ersin Tatar participated in the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated Museum of Barbarism in Lefkoşa where three young Turkish children and their mother were massacred.

The house, where the museum is located, witnessed one of the bloodiest massacres committed by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA terrorists, who staged the attack in December, 1963, in what was then the Turkish quarter of Lefkoşa.   They stormed the house of Turkish military doctor Nihat İlhan, where in the bathroom they massacred not only his wife, Mürevet, but also the three sons, Murat, Kutsi and Hakan.

The attack, known as “Bloody Christmas”, was the start of an island-wide campaign that lasted for 11 years up to 1974 by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces, in order to ethnically cleanse the island from its Turkish Cypriot population.

The declaration by the Greek Junta, who staged a coup d’etat on July 15, 1974, of a “Hellenic Republic of Cyprus” and ongoing attacks obliged Guarantor power Türkiye to undertake the Peace Operation which saved Turkish Cypriots from extermination.

The museum showcases what was lived in Cyprus between 1963 to 1974 and the mass atrocities committed against the Turkish Cypriot People. 

The inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by high level officials and members of the public, as well as bereaved members of the İlhan family, commenced with a minute’s silence and was followed by the National Anthem.  


President Tatar signed the Monument Book stating:

“The Museum of Barbarism, which has been restored and opened to the public today, is not just a house and a museum. This house and museum is a  symbol of the massacres suffered by the Turkish Cypriot people in their struggle for freedom, independence and preservation of their Turkish identity.  

This museum is a testament of the suffering, death and brutality committed against our people. It is never possible for us to forget the wife and  Murat, Kutsi and Hakan, the 3 children of retired Brigadier General Nihat İlhan, and all our martyrs, who were murdered by Greek-Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA terrorists.

They will forever live in the hearts of the Turkish Cypriot people and will be our source of inspiration and strength. Our beloved martyrs, sleep in eternal peace, your holy relics will never be trampled upon. The country is grateful to you. . .”


President Tatar: "We feel great pain and sorrow"

Delivering an emotional speech at the ceremony, President Tatar stated that the “eastern Mediterranean has been reshaped” after the “Turkish army and mujahideen (Turkish Cypriot freedom fighters) embraced one another in 1974 when the Turkish-Greek balance in the Mediterranean was also re-established”.

The President underlined that the Turkish Cypriot people had waged a legendary struggle and resistance against the island-wide attacks between 1963 to 1974 and had “paid a great price”, adding that “our babies, children, women and elderly civilians were massacred. . .we will never forget, nor will we allow these atrocities to be forgotten,” he said.

Expressing that Elaziğ in Türkiye was the first place he wanted to visit following his election to office,   President Tatar said that he carried the sadness of the İlhan family's experiences in his heart from an early age.  “I feel the deep pain and sorrow of what was lived here and the atrocity that was committed, deep in my heart on behalf of myself and the Turkish Cypriot people,” the President said. “When Major İlhan received information about the horrifying incident that took place here, his response was ‘May our Homeland Be Safe’. . .these are invaluable words coming from a person who has just found out that he lost  his wife and three children”.  


He said Major İlhan and his family will “always live in our hearts”, adding that “the TRNC, which is a symbol of Turkish Cypriot sovereignty, has been formed on all of these sufferings”.

President Tatar added: “Due to the changing conjuncture and developments in the eastern Mediterranean, everybody should appreciate that our State is really a very important Turkish State, which we can attribute to the sacrifices of our martyrs and veterans”.    Underlining his happiness that the ships accompanying the Abdülhamid Han drill ship were given the names of Murat İlhan, Kutsi İlhan and Hakan İlhan, the President continued: “There can be no greater honour and no greater loyalty than this. . .I wish to express my gratitude to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and everyone who contributed to the realisation of this project that has renovated this very important museum.”      

President Tatar stated that “in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Blue Homeland, in the waters of that sea, those names represent us. Those names represent the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot people. Those names glorify us before the world. Because this is a national cause of the great Turkish State. On the morning of July 20, 1974, a new era started with the landing of the Turkish army on the island. The borders of what was to become the TRNC were determined and we opened a brand new era of peace”.


"These massacres were committed in front of the eyes of the world" 

Noting that according to the information they received, it was known that former Greek Cypriot leader Tasos Papadopoulos and the EOKA mercenaries under his command, were at the time responsible for the murder of Major İlhan's wife and children, President Tatar stated that these massacres were carried out whilst the world watched.

President Tatar condemned the Greek Cypriot Side for “failing to bring to justice the perpetrators who committed these horrifying acts”.

President Tatar, turning to members of the İlhan family, said: “I share your pain deep in my heart. This pain will prevail for as long as we live. The İlhan family is also my family. It is important to teach younger generations what was lived here.  I am very happy to see the İlhan family here with us today. The TRNC is as much your homeland as it is ours. May our martyrs rest in eternal peace,” he said.

In addition to President Ersin Tatar, the ceremony was attended by; Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başceri, Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces Commander Major General Sezai Öztürk, Security Forces (GKK) Commander Major General Zorlu Topaloğlu, Deputy Prime Minister,  Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, as well as ministers, military dignitaries and members of the İlhan family.