Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu

Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu
Born	April 4, 1924 Peristeronopigi, Famagusta, Cyprus
Died	April 11, 1965(1965-04-11) (aged 41) Goshi, Larnaca, Cyprus
Nationality	Turkish Cypriot

Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu (died April 11, 1965), was a Turkish Cypriot member of the left wing AKEL party who was killed in 1965 by Turkish Cypriot paramilitary group TMT.

Life

He was born in Peristerona, Famagusta on 4 April 1924. He started primary school in his village, and lost his father in 5th year. He moved to his relatives’ and continued primary school in Kaimakli. Because, he was poor he asked for financial aid from "Evkaf", it was denied. For that reason, he couldn’t continue his education and started working with a Greek-Cypriot carpenter as an apprentice. In there, he became a member of unions. Kavazoglou was reading Marxist literature, which would show the way to him in his struggle, while he was learning carpentry. His interest in books made him learn lot more than those who finished their education. When he learned carpentry he opened his own carpentry shop in Asmalti. But while some Turkish-Cypriots were burning shops belonging to Necati Ozkan, Kavazoglou’s shop was burned, too. He had to go back and work as an apprentice. He also had interest in acting and with the help of Turkish-Cypriot unions he presented some dramas. In 1954, he opened a new shop in Belig Pasha Street and worked there for a year. Kavazoglou moved to south Nicosia to continue his struggle, because of the killings happened in 1958. He was making counter-propagandas to the ones Denktash made. He created some Turkish-Cypriot groups against division after the independence.

In 1964, he wrote in his article "Greeks and Turks to Shake Hands" that "Recently, the thousands of Turco-Cypriots who are imprisoned in concentration camps by the hordes of Denktash, were ready to rise against the terrorists...A large segment of the Turkish Cypriots are ready to return to their villages". ^[1]

Greek Cypriots awarded Kavazoğlu by appointing him as the head of "Cyprus Turkish Patriots Union" which was founded by Greek Cypriot AKEL. He also became a member of the Central Committee of Greek Cypriot AKEL and head of the Trade Union.

Describing the leadership of Turkish community as terrorists and later appointment by Greek Cypriots to various honorory posts aroused hate among the Turkish Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community regarded him as traitor.

Assassination

Dervis Ali Kavazoglou and Kostas Misiaoulis were proponents of peace between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities on the island of Cyprus during the period of intercommunal violence. Both were members of community party AKEL whilst Misiaolus was also a PEO trade union official. The two were shot to death on April 11, 1965 when they were ambushed on the Nicosia – Larnaca road, near the village of Goshi.^[2] Both are held as symbols of Greek-Turkish friendship and were commemorated in an event attended by Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias in 2008.^[3]

See also

• TMT
• Cypriot intercommunal violence
• Fazıl Önder
• PEO
• ΑΚΕL

External links

• A short documentary in Turkish and Greek covering the assassination of Kavazoglou and Misiaoulis
• Facebook fan page of Dervis Ali Kavazoglou

References

1. ^ United Nations S/5914 Click English, and then look page 4
2. ^ http://www.famagusta-gazette.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=69&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=2557&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2350&hn=famagusta-gazette&he=.com Famagusta Gazette
3. ^ http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=38710&cat_id=1 Cyprus Mail

Persondata
Name	Kavazoglou, Dervis Ali
Alternative names	Kavazoğlu, Derviş Ali
Short description	Turkish Cypriot member of the AKEL party
Date of birth	April 4, 1924
Place of birth	Peristeronopigi, Famagusta, Cyprus
Date of death	April 11, 1965
Place of death	Goshi, Larnaca, Cyprus