By Panayiotis Papademetris
Greek Cypriot prisoners of war captured during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus faced systematic beatings, humiliation, and severe deprivation inside Turkish prisons, according to published testimonies from former detainees.
Hundreds of captured men—ranging from young conscripts to elderly civilians—were transported to facilities in Adana, Amasya, and Adiyaman. Detainees endured daily physical abuse with clubs, rifle butts, and boots, along with filthy drinking water and insect-infested food, while attempting to survive and return to Cyprus.
Among those captured were three brothers from Kyrenia: Constantinos, Giannakis, and Apollon Koumidi. Arrested together on July 26, 1974, after surrendering to UN peacekeepers following a retreat, the brothers were moved to Adana and later Amasya before their release in October 1974.
In another account recorded in the 2015 book Aichmalosias Viomata (Experiences of Captivity) by Senior Lieutenant Panagiotis Panagiotou, Kyriakos Kyriakou from Tymbou described how his brother Antonis protected him during their detainment. After surviving a cancelled execution in Tziaos, both men were moved to the Pavlides Garage in Nicosia and transported by ship to Mersin. Antonis repeatedly shielded Kyriakos from physical attacks by guards, receiving beatings intended for his brother during their transport and stay at Adana prison.
In a separate account, Andreas Constanti from Lysi was imprisoned alongside three of his sons—Panais, Kostakis, and Antonis—after being captured on August 18, 1974, while returning to their village to tend to livestock. A fourth 16-year-old son, Kyriakos, escaped transport to Turkey after a Turkish Cypriot man intervened on his behalf at Pavlides Garage.
While in Turkish custody, Andreas Constanti hid £450 inside his socks, using the money to purchase cigarettes from street vendors for fellow prisoners whose funds had been stolen by guards.
In personal testimony, Kyriakos Constanti detailed the extent of the physical violence he suffered, including broken teeth, facial trauma, and permanent hearing damage from daily beatings inflicted by guards along transport corridors.
