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The Whole Truth About the Turkish Cypriots
When Lala Mustafa invaded from the coast of Larnaca in the summer of 1570, leading the Ottoman fleet with 180,000 soldiers, there were no Turks to welcome him at the dock.
He disembarked, advanced, and slaughtered anyone who did not fall to their knees to worship him. He easily reached the outskirts of Nicosia and camped at Nicosia village and the surrounding areas to organize his final attack.
The Venetians, who ruled Cyprus at that time, had been expecting the invasion—it was their worst nightmare. They demolished churches, old buildings, and shacks and rapidly, within three years, built the walls of Nicosia. However, they only managed to complete the first ring of fortifications by the time the Ottomans attacked. They had planned to construct a second ring but never had the chance.
The fortifications were designed by Paolo Sarvorano, the chief architect of Venetian defensive works in their Mediterranean possessions—the same man who designed the fortifications of Heraklion, Crete, among others.
Diversion of the Pedieos River and a Water-filled Moat
The Venetians diverted the course of the Pedieos River and tried to fill the moat with water to make it even harder for invaders. They had little time: the Ottoman horde thirsted for new conquests and blood.
The battle was relentless. The fanatic Islamic warriors’ repeated charges were repelled by Venetian cannons, and the defenders manned the ramparts for over a month.
At the Bayraktar bastion—where a mosque now stands—the defensive line was breached. The Ottoman standard-bearer managed to climb the walls and plant his banner. Seeing this, the Anatolian forces surged into the city, flanking the heroic Venetian fighters.
Although the standard-bearer was killed, the damage was done: bloodthirsty Ottoman invaders stormed Nicosia, looting, raping, and massacring.
The Venetians ran out of gunpowder, and the end came for all aristocratic—and not only—families of the city. Ottoman swords worked relentlessly, decapitating anyone they encountered.
An English Traveler’s Description
An English traveler trapped in the city who survived the massacre described:
“…The lady’s maid was running down the street with her mistress, trying to hide, when a Turkish scimitar sliced through the air, severing the mistress’s head, which spun through the air like a ball. The maid picked up the severed head in her apron and ran. She only managed a few steps before she too was decapitated by Ottoman wrath. No maids, no noblewomen, no youths, no elderly, no Venetian children were spared. The order was ‘Kill them all.’”
Many local Greek Cypriots, who served the Venetian lords, were also executed.
However, most of the Greek population survived, along with some Venetians who escaped to the hills and central Cyprus. Foreign sources insist the city’s streets ran red with blood.
In terms of population proportion, the massacre is considered even greater than the Fall of Constantinople.
Things got even worse in Famagusta, where Marcantonio Bragadino and the entire Venetian aristocracy were executed despite agreements for safe passage with their galleys.
How the Turkish Cypriots Came to Be
The Ottomans conquered Cyprus in 1571, and it’s clear that there was no Turkish element on the island at the time.
After establishing their rule and eliminating the Venetians, they divided the territory into pashaliks and left small, minimal garrisons to guard them.
The fleet and the main Ottoman force departed for other campaigns.
This raises the question: where did today’s Turkish Cypriots come from, and how did they become part of the Cyprus problem?
There are many theories based on scattered historical sources:
- Many Turkish Cypriots descended from Greek and Maronite Cypriots who converted to Islam to escape heavy taxation and to gain the privileges of the ruling class.
- These individuals adapted according to the political times.
Panagiotis Chatzidemetriou writes that a significant proportion of the so-called “Linobambaki” make up much of today’s Turkish Cypriot community.
He notes that these Cypriots share the same roots as the Greek Cypriots. Evidence lies in the many Turkish Cypriot villages named after Christian saints.
Dr. Faidon Papadopoulos, a theologian and religious studies expert, has analyzed the Linobambaki—crypto-Christians—who outwardly declared themselves Muslim under Ottoman rule due to unbearable taxes and pressures.
When Cyprus passed to British colonial rule, many of these Linobambaki began reintegrating into the Christian Orthodox community.
However, political factors, disputes within the Church of Cyprus, and British colonial policies hindered full reintegration.
Common Roots
The British era conditions prevented all crypto-Christians (Linobambaki) from rejoining the Christian community.
Dr. Faidon Papadopoulos, in two of his books, documents the composition of the Cypriot population.
During British rule, entire communities that had identified as Muslims in one census reappeared as Christians in the next.
Thousands of Cypriots declared Islam as their religion but Greek as their mother tongue.
Examples of mass reversion to Christianity include villages in Limassol district like Akrounta, Ayios Tychonas, Mathikoloni, Monagroulli, Palodia, Fasoula, Foinikaria, Pyrgos, Pano Kyvides, and Limnitis; in Nicosia district: Varisia, Lythrodontas, and Evrychou; in Larnaca district: Livadia and Choirokoitia; in Paphos: Mamonia and Kritou Marottou; and in Famagusta district: Liopetri.
The Linobambaki
The name “Linobambakos” comes from a dual-sided fabric—linen on one side, cotton on the other.
The cotton side represented their outward Muslim identity, and the linen side their hidden Christian faith.
Dr. Papadopoulos published two books with important documentation on the Linobambaki:
- “Turks, Muslims, or Crypto-Christians (Linobambaki)? Understanding the Co-residing Element”
- “The Territorial and Population Aspect of the Cyprus Problem: Maps and Percentages in the Light of History”
In them, he presents censuses where whole villages switched religious identity between records.
A notable document is a letter dated January 6, 1882, from residents of Ampelia and Pyrgos villages in Tillyria district, to the British colonial governor, asking to be registered as Christians.
Document
The letter reads:
“Most Honorable Governor of Nicosia, Mr. Inglis,
We, the undersigned Linobambaki of the villages of Ampelia and Pyrgos of Tillyria district, humbly present this petition to inform Your Excellency that, until now, though we have remained Orthodox Christians in secret out of fear of the Turkish rulers of Cyprus, we have been forced to present ourselves openly as Muslims.
Now, under the free and tolerant government of the great English nation, we are encouraged to profess our true faith openly, and we wish to practice the Christian Orthodox religion publicly.
We hope, Your Excellency, that our request will be heard and that you will issue the necessary orders.
Your humble servants,
Ampelia, January 6, 1882.”
The End of Reintegration
According to Dr. Papadopoulos, the years 1878–1914 saw the most intense efforts for the Linobambaki to rejoin the Christian community.
Many communities formally returned to Christianity, while others remained Muslim.
The return movement was so strong that a full reintegration seemed inevitable—but it was interrupted due to several factors:
- Lack of sufficient support from Orthodox Church members and leadership, allowing Muslims to retain the Linobambaki in Islam.
- Political maneuvering by the British colonial authorities, who discouraged reintegration.
- Many Linobambaki, due to military service, mixed marriages, and long Muslim cultural immersion, eventually fully converted to Islam.
- Political uncertainty about Cyprus’s future and rumors of Ottoman return made many hesitant to openly revert to Christianity.
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