Galateia lies in the Karpasia region of the occupied Famagusta district, near Leonarisso and Eptakomi. Before 1974 it was an entirely Turkish-Cypriot village; the 1973 census recorded 1,184 inhabitants. Following the 1963 intercommunal clashes, it became one of several Turkish-Cypriot enclaves. After 1974, the village was renamed Mehmetçik (“little Mehmet”, a term for Turkish soldiers).
Alleged killings and a suspected burial ground
During the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion, Greek-Cypriot civilians from surrounding villages were reportedly taken to Galateia and killed. Witnesses believe they were hastily buried in a seasonal lake west of the village, a swamp that fills in the rainy months but was dry in the summer of 1974.
According to testimony gathered over the years, Galateia functioned as a war camp at the time, with Turkish soldiers and Turkish-Cypriot armed men transferring male residents from nearby communities, who were then violently killed. The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) has information that eight people from the wider area-specifically Yialousa, Komi and Eptakomi-went missing; some are thought to be buried in or near the lake. Two Turkish Cypriots, reportedly executed by the Turkish-Cypriot paramilitary group TMT, are also believed to be missing in the area, though they are not on the CMP’s official list.
What the record shows
The lake spans 58.50395 hectares and has seen multiple excavations. Mass-grave digs in 2006 and 2015 recovered and identified the remains of 18 Greek Cypriots. Since then, at least five additional excavations have taken place without locating further remains.
The current search
A CMP team is now searching for a missing man from Yialousa, declared missing on 3 October 1974. A Turkish-Cypriot informant suggested he might be buried in the lake, though the CMP cautions his remains could be elsewhere. A second CMP team is working in Eptakomi, where archaeologists hope to find the remains of another missing person believed to be buried in a well.
During a recent visit by the Cyprus News Agency, CMP archaeologists Ali Güllüoğlu, Cınar Ilaral, Güliz Buruncuk, Thekla Kalli and Demetris Minasides, along with excavator operator Ergin Tarancı, outlined their approach; they were accompanied by archaeologist Charalambos Siafkou, who has worked with the CMP since 2009.
“The remains of 18 people were identified in the 2006 and 2015 mass burials,” Siafkou said, adding that information indicates up to eight more missing persons in the area. “All those we’re looking for here were civilians. We know they were abducted from their villages and this could be the burial site. In summer 1974 the lake was dry. A Turkish-Cypriot informant told us the perpetrators brought a machine and carried out the burial.”
He noted that the terrain’s lack of development since 1974 is helpful-no large works have disturbed the stratigraphy-but the lake’s size and seasonal flooding mean targeted digs are essential and limited to dry months.
“Even the smallest piece of information is important,” Siafkou said. “We work from testimony, maps and the tools we have, but any new detail matters.”
Güllüoğlu, who has also worked with the CMP since 2009, said an initial trench near a small 1974-era house-used as a reference point-was negative; a second location is now being opened.
“We’re trying to complete the excavation of the entire area so nothing is left behind,” he said. “We know there are more missing people, and we’re pushing to do as much as possible before the rains.”
He added that the team uses satellite positioning and other survey tools, and made a public appeal:
“We ask Cypriots to share what they know. If you heard something, don’t be afraid-call us or come to our offices. Any information can help us find the rest of our missing.”
The CMP, established by agreement between the leaders of both communities, is mandated to exhume, identify and return to families the remains of 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots who went missing during the 1963-64 intercommunal violence and in 1974.
CNA
