Turkish actor confesses to killing ten Greek Cypriots during 1974 invasion

[Tigran of Sasoun]

http://www.thecypriot.com/pages/temp...=1438&cat=news

Turkish actor Attila Olgac confessed yesterday the killing of ten Greek Cypriots during the 1974 Turkish invasion to Cyprus, which resulted in the occupation of the island's northern third.

''I killed ten people,'' Olgac said in a shocking revelation to Turkish channel Star TV.

[Arto]

What the was he doing there?

I've never killed a Greek in my life. I've never killed someone.

[Tigran of Sasoun]

What the was he doing there?

I've never killed a Greek in my life. I've never killed someone.

Olgac, who served in the Turkish army during the invasion, added that the first person he killed ''was a 19-year old prisoner of war' Greek Cypriot national guardsman who was tied with hands behind his back.

"As I went to him he spat on my face and I shot him in the head" he said.

[Arto]

Olgac, who served in the Turkish army during the invasion, added that the first person he killed ''was a 19-year old prisoner of war' Greek Cypriot national guardsman who was tied with hands behind his back.

Not really a kill in my opinion. Killing POWs should only be done when there trying to escape.

"As I went to him he spat on my face and I shot him in the head" he said.

[Garrigan]

Errr...maybe serving as a soldier? Ya know, just a guess....

[Arto]

Errr...maybe serving as a soldier? Ya know, just a guess....

Or maybe he was playing in a snuff film?

[MathiasOfAthens]

This was less then half a century after Greece and Turkey last major war. Tensions were still high and Turks and Greeks would have done the same thing, they saw each other as pigs and hatred was strong on both sides. Germans did the same to Russians and the Russians repeated the cruelty to the Germans.

Tensions are not so high anymore as they once were.
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[Chaigidel]

still, I think its plain that the entirety of humanity deserves nothing less than total extinction and that will be its reward for all it is , and all it has wrought.

[Garrigan]

Not really a kill in my opinion. Killing POWs should only be done when there trying to escape.

Erm...I'll just presume you're being sarcy...

[Arto]

Erm...I'll just presume you're being sarcy...

Good find.

[Gigahertz]

I could understand if the Greek was shooting at him but thats execution he should be ashamed about it.

[saglam2000]

ugh this is old, i also read later that he LIED about this just so he can bring some light to crimes that Turkey has committed....now since i will be torn apart by some people here without a source, i'm going to go find my source...again

edit:
ok here it is he lied...
http://www2.onthisisland.com/turkish...me/2009/01/24/

oh he just wanted to see peoples reactions

[jankren]

How does it feel to live after killing people? It feels good or what?

[Crimson Scythe]

To add to saglam2000's post: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/d...c/10853117.asp

Actor says killings ’scenario’
ISTANBUL - A Turkish actor has retracted his confessions about killing 10 Greek Cypriots, including a prisoner of war, during Turkey's 1974 military operation in Cyprus. After fierce reactions, he said he made the whole thing up to attract attention to the brutality of war.

"I did not anticipate the issue becoming such a big deal and I apologize," Atilla Olgaç told daily Hürriyet yesterday, after strong reactions from Greek Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

"This story has been in my head for 30 years. I wanted to make a movie like ’Saving Private Ryan’ and I have been working on this scenario for a long time. I told this imagined scenario on television as if it was real," he said. Explaining that he wondered how people would react, Olgaç said his aim was to shock people. He also said he did not engage in any armed conflict on the island.

Olgaç earlier told a Turkish television program that while serving in the Turkish army during the 1974 operation he shot at least one prisoner dead on orders from a superior. "The first person that I killed was a 19-year-old soldier who was taken prisoner. When I aimed my gun at his face, he spat on my face. I shot him in the forehead. He died. Later on, I killed nine more people during clashes," Olgaç said.
Although Olgaç retracted his statements, they created public outrage in Greece and Greek Cyprus. Speaking to Greek Cypriot newspapers and television channels he repeated his retraction. Appearing on Sigma television Olgaç swore on the Koran that what he said was not the truth. The Greek Cypriot press, however, said Olgaç had been "silenced" because of the public reaction and his retraction was "out of fear."

Greece and Greek Cyprus are urging Turkey to investigate the issue. Greek Cypriot Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou on Friday described the interview as "shocking" and said it was the first time anyone had made such an admission. He said Olgac's remarks underscored Turkey's obligation to abide by the European Court of Human Rights rulings and cooperate in uncovering circumstances of disappeared persons.

In Greece, Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos said Olgac's account was "a stunning testimony and confession" and he urged Turkey to take action. "Turkey must cooperate to ensure that all the disappearances that took place during the Turkish invasion are fully investigated," Koumoutsakos was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

Olgaç was also widely criticized by the Turkish media for his remarks. "Tactless wolf," the daily Hürriyet headline said on Saturday, referencing a popular local television series, "Valley of the Wolves," in which Olgaç starred. Turkey launched a military operation on Cyprus in 1974 using its rights under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee in response to an Athens-backed coup aiming at union with Greece. Around 1,500 Greek Cypriots and 500 Turkish Cypriots vanished during the communal clashes in the early 1960s and 1970s. A United Nations-sponsored exhumation and identification program has so far unearthed the remains of 466 people from 230 burial sites on both sides of the divide.

And perhaps more to the crux of the matter: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/d...c/10892586.asp

Army probes military service record of Turkish actor
The Turkish Army launched an investigation into the recent remarks of an actor who claimed in a recent interview to have killed a Greek Cypriot prisoner of war and nine others during the 1974 military operation on Cyprus, spokesman told on Friday.

A probe was launched by a prosecutor’s office and the army was also investigating the issue thoroughly, Brig. Gen. Metin Gurak told at a weekly press conference, the Anatolian Agency reported.

The Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul's Bakirkoy district opened an investigation into the remarks made by Turkish actor, Atilla Olgac, in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War.

If found guilty, the Justice Ministry will send Olgac’s case to the war crimes court in Geneva, which would make the actor the first Turkish citizen to be tried in this court.

Olgac said last week that while serving in the Turkish army during the 1974 military operation, he shot dead 10 Greek Cypriots, including a prisoner of war. Although he later retracted his statement saying he made it up, the actor was widely criticized in the Turkish media.

Greek Cypriots said Tuesday they will go to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the Turkish actor's remarks. Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said a case would be filed at the ECHR against Turkey to clarify the fate of citizens that went missing during the 1974 military operation.

Turkey launched a military operation on Cyprus in 1974 using its rights under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee in response to an Athens-backed coup aiming at union with Greece. Hundreds of Greek and Turkish Cypriots vanished during the clashes in the early 1960s and ‘70s.

[Tigran of Sasoun]

To add to saglam2000's post: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/d...c/10853117.asp

And perhaps more to the crux of the matter: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/d...c/10892586.asp

Or he is lying now to escape prosecution for war crimes that Turkish media, Human Rights Organizations and Greece, Cyprus and its organizations were pressuring the Turkish government to do.

[Garrigan]

ugh this is old, i also read later that he LIED about this just so he can bring some light to crimes that Turkey has committed....now since i will be torn apart by some people here without a source, i'm going to go find my source...again

And this somehow stops him from being a dickhead?

Saying you murdered PoWs as some perverted "test" is not justifiable, imo. Actions have concequences, and saying you murdered Prisoners of War should have serious concequences.

[Crimson Scythe]

And this somehow stops him from being a dickhead?

Saying you murdered PoWs as some perverted "test" is not justifiable, imo. Actions have concequences, and saying you murdered Prisoners of War should have serious concequences.

I agree. But he is now being investigated by the Turkish military to see if there's any truth to his 'confession'. I'd call that consequence enough.

@Tigran: His military record is being investigated as we speak. Though, I have my doubts as to whether the results of that investigation will be accepted by Greeks or Greek Cypriots if it shows that his 'confession' was indeed a fabrication.

[Haramzadeh]

Hey Greeks, its not 331 BC anymore. You haven't been important for a long time.

[Garrigan]

I agree. But he is now being investigated by the Turkish military to see if there's any truth to his 'confession'. I'd call that consequence enough.

Is it possible to ban him from acting for a fixed amount of time? It might be difficult seeing as he doesnt have a regular employer per se. But still, I think there should be a fine, or something. You cant say things that stupid whilst in the public eye, and brush it off with such a pathetic excuse.

[MathiasOfAthens]

After I read the article about his retraction speech a thought crossed my mind. Did someone pay him to retract his speech? How dumb do you have to be to lie about committing a ing war crime. Did he even think he would be let off the hook for this like nothing happen.

Besides today Greeks had people from FYROM more than they hate Turks.

Amazing that a transfer of people more than half a century ago between Turkey and Greece ended a century of hostilities.
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