Kofinou
Encyclopedia
Kofinou is a village located in the Larnaca District
of Cyprus
.
A small village where the roads from Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol trisected, prior to the by-pass built in the 1990s.
abandoned their Greek Cypriot dominated village in the aftermath of December 1963 events.
The village became infamous on the 15th of November, 1967, when some thousands of National Guards troops overran the TMT (a Turkish-Cypriot armed group) fighters located at the village, including the neighbouring mixed village of Agios Theodoros. Turkish-Cypriot TMT members stationed at the area were controlling the area and blocking the main road from Nicosia to Limassol, making it impossible for Greek-Cypriots civilians to pass through the area without UN escort. On the 15th of November, 1967, the National Guard troops patrolling the area came under fire by the TMT fighters. The fighting escalated and some 24 TMT fighters, including unarmed civilians lost their lives in the over-night events; Turkey's ultimatum the following day resulted in the withdrawal of the National Guard from the two villages.
After the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the original Turkish Cypriot population of Kophinou were allocated the village of Lefkoniko
- the new Geçitkale - in the north by the Cypriot Turkish administration, to this day where many of them reside, whereas the original Turkish Cypriot population of Lefkara
are now residing in Agios Theodoros in the north of the island.
Larnaca District
Larnaca District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Larnaca. A small part of the district was occupied by the Turkish army in 1974....
of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
A small village where the roads from Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol trisected, prior to the by-pass built in the 1990s.
History
Pre-1974, the village was inhabited by Turkish Cypriots only, the few original Cypriot Greek inhabitants having abandoned the village in the late 1950s. The population of the village also increased substantially after 1964, as some 60 Turkish Cypriot families from LefkaraLefkara
Lefkara is a village on the island of Cyprus famous for its lace, known as lefkaritika in and silver handicrafts. The village takes its name from the white of its silica and limestone: Lefkara is derived from a combination of the Greek words "lefka" and "ori" .It is located on the southern...
abandoned their Greek Cypriot dominated village in the aftermath of December 1963 events.
The village became infamous on the 15th of November, 1967, when some thousands of National Guards troops overran the TMT (a Turkish-Cypriot armed group) fighters located at the village, including the neighbouring mixed village of Agios Theodoros. Turkish-Cypriot TMT members stationed at the area were controlling the area and blocking the main road from Nicosia to Limassol, making it impossible for Greek-Cypriots civilians to pass through the area without UN escort. On the 15th of November, 1967, the National Guard troops patrolling the area came under fire by the TMT fighters. The fighting escalated and some 24 TMT fighters, including unarmed civilians lost their lives in the over-night events; Turkey's ultimatum the following day resulted in the withdrawal of the National Guard from the two villages.
After the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the original Turkish Cypriot population of Kophinou were allocated the village of Lefkoniko
Lefkoniko
Lefkoniko is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus. It lies in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , in the northern third of the island.-History:...
- the new Geçitkale - in the north by the Cypriot Turkish administration, to this day where many of them reside, whereas the original Turkish Cypriot population of Lefkara
Lefkara
Lefkara is a village on the island of Cyprus famous for its lace, known as lefkaritika in and silver handicrafts. The village takes its name from the white of its silica and limestone: Lefkara is derived from a combination of the Greek words "lefka" and "ori" .It is located on the southern...
are now residing in Agios Theodoros in the north of the island.