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EMU’s Commemorial Program for Martyrs Continues at the Museum of Barbarism

A visit was made to the Barbarism Museum on Tuesday, 24 December 2019 in scope of a panel and a commemoration ceremony titled “In Memory of Major Nihat İlhan and His Martyred Family: Turkish Cypriots’ Struggle for Existence and Kumsal Raid”. Hosted by the Eastern Mediterranean University, the said panel is organised in collaboration with the Turkish Republic Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, Atatürk Research Center and EMU Atatürk Research and Application Center (EMU ATAUM).  

Present at the commemoration ceremony which took place at the Museum of Barbarism at 10:30 a.m. were Turkish Republic Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri, TRNC Deputy Parliamentary Spokesperson Zorlu Töre, Commander of Security Forces Altan Er, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam, T.R Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History, Atatürk Research Center Chair Prof. Dr. Adnan Sofuoğlu, EMU ATAUM Chair Assist. Prof. Dr. Turgay Bülent Göktürk, children and family of Major Nihat İlhan, whose children and spouse were martyred in Kumsal raid, Elazığ İzzet Paşa Foundation and Elazığ Municipality and Bizim Külliye Magazine representatives, representatives of combat associations, organisations and schools and military officials. At the ceremony during which a moment of silence, national anthem and volley salute were performed, wreaths were laid on the monument.

During the ceremony Şehit Ertuğrul Primary School student Belgin Çelikesmer read a poem and Cyprus Turkish Forces Infantry Commander Raif Akgün, the Association of Martyrs’ Families and Disabled Veterans, Culture Branch Chair Kadir Okyar and Nihat İlhan’s son Prof. Dr. Mustafa Necmi İlhan delivered speeches.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Necmi İlhan said “We, as a family, suffered four casualties, while the Turkish Cypriots lost hundreds. Long live our homeland”. Prof. Dr. İlhan added that they will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots in their struggle for existence. Following the speeches, Turkish Republic Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri and EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Osam laid flowers on the monument and visited the museum.

A Visit to T.R. Ambassador to Nicosia

Following the ceremony, the aforesaid representatives paid a visit to the Republic of Turkey’s Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri. During the visit, Ambassador Başçeri congratulated the representatives of the institutions that orgqanised such a successful event and underlined the essence of conducting such activities more frequently. Rector Prof. Osam stressed that they are always ready to host activities as such. The program came to a close after the visits of the guests from Turkey to the war cemeteries in Boğaz, Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar Şehitlikleri.