Our Origins
Who were our ancestors?
The Turkish translation of the history continues after the English article.
Uncovering the origins of the people of Lurucina/Akincilar.
Where did our ancestors come from?
One of the most talked and debated issues of the people of Lurucina is, ”who were our ancestors”?
Even many other Cypriots not from Lurucina have made countless claims. Some insist that we were Christian Greeks who converted to save tax. Many believe our origins were Venetians who converted to save themselves from discrimination from both Greeks and Turks. Some insist we originated from Ottoman Turks. No historical evidence has ever been presented to back up any claim. Some arguments though sounding plausible are often based on wishful thinking, political ideology and sometimes even prejudice. In this day and age our ethnic origins should not cause any embarrassment or concern, after all we all know the world is increasingly becoming a melting pot of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. History and evidence however can, and should be discussed, if only so we can enhance our knowledge on a realistic basis.
The people of Lurucina in spite of identifying themselves as Turkish Cypriots by ethnicity did in fact speak fluent Greek, which earned them the name Linobambaki (cotton wooleys) this was often used in derogatory terms to imply that they identified as Muslims to save tax or Christians to avoid National service. Some historians made fleeting references to the Linobambaki. but even they often went on what the general belief was, rather than any effort to research each claim on its own merits. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots mocked and taunted the people of Lurucina in equal measure. It was these kinds of derogatory insinuations that cemented a bond and determination to prevail and succeed in keeping our unique diverse culture on a positive footing. The amazing thing is very few, if anyone, ever bothered to research our past beyond our family trees, therefore our history has been left to a few simple footnotes of passing phrases like ”The stronghold of the Linobambaki”.[1] and so on. With so many important centres of the island like Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagusta etc why would anyone bother with a mere village which was the target of ridicule from many sides of the ethnic makeup of Cyprus? Sadly some of our own villagers went as far as to accept the ridicule in the belief that our past ancestors switched according to their interest.
After a six year intensive research based on original archive documents a completely different picture seems to have emerged. The vast majority of the ethnic Turks of the village did in fact serve for years in the military, in fact when the 1831 and 1879 census documents are compared it’s clear that nicknames that were considered to reveal our past Latin or Greek origins and were very common in family identification seem to be much more recent than people believe. In the 1831 documents only one or 2 nicknames exist on record. One is ”Coban” (Shepherd) but we also know this to be a name. The same family has the nickname of ”Topal” (the lame).[2] The vast majority of nicknames seems to be among the last 4-5 generations. The further one goes back the less there are. Therefore using our Greek, Turkish or Latin sounding nicknames as proof of our past ethnicity is flimsy to say the least. After all we had people named Mussolini,
Kennedy, Grivas and even Cliff (after the British singer Cliff Richard) etc. No one can seriously claim a relationship to these past international figures. On close inspection there are some records of Muslim Turks marrying Christian women and converting to the Orthodox faith. Arif Mehmet Kavaz ‘Pasha’ from my paternal mother’s family being one. Born in 1856 he married Ayse Suleyman ‘Yasumullo, but after her death he married a Christian woman named Kakulla.[3] For some reason he named all his later children with Christian names and moved to Limassol. In spite of countless debates of conversions to Islam from the Christian faith, not a single person born between the period 1750 to the present have been found to have converted from Christianity to Islam. Considering there have been at least 8000 people recorded on the village family trees, that is an amazing rebuttal of the theory that the people of Lurucina converted to Islam.
Some argue that if there were conversions they took place immediately after the Ottoman conquest of 1571. But even this is hearsay and most important the details and evidence found to date have shown this theory to be flimsy. In the first Ottoman census of 1572 there were 27 Cizye (Christian households).[4] but by 1643 this increased to 41.[5] So the question is, if at a period of falling population count in Cyprus, how did a 50% increase in the population of Lurucina take place? Surely if they had converted to Islam the Christian population would have shown a decrease?
So let’s look at the documented evidence uncovered thus far. The 1879 census which covers the population from 1796-1879 reveals some interesting facts. Some were listed as being Bosnian’s, Albanian and Arabic. I hardly think the officials would have registered these people as such if they did not somehow have their origins in these ethnic groups. Nearly all the family trees researched strangely seem to start one or two generations more or less during the period that is around the 1750’s to early 1800’s. The Orthodox Christian population on the other hand is more consistent. They are recorded clearly as Christians in the 1572, 1643 and 1831 census records. The turmoil and economic devastation in the 1700’s did see a massive drop in the total population of the island, and the Christian population also decreased as a result. For some reason however the Muslim Turkish element is, as stated, much more recent. Though only 104 Muslim males (39 households) were recorded in 1831 (as opposed to 25 Christian males) an amazing discovery was also made. Some of the largest family trees of our village namely the Arabic‘Kırlangıc’ (Şiliono), İbrahım Mustafa ‘Garaoli’, and Hasan Hüseyin Topal (or Çoban ) turned out to be Sipahi.[6] Sipahi refers to all freeborn Ottoman Turkish mounted troops and tribal horsemen in the Ottoman army. The word was used almost synonymously with cavalry. The Sipahis formed two distinct types of cavalry: feudal-like, provincial timarli and the paid regular Kapikulu Sipahi.[7]
The Ottoman people had rights to the land but the Sipahi a unique kind of military aristocracy and cavalry portion of the military, also lived on the land with the farmers and collected tax revenues, usually in-kind, to subsidise the costs of training and equipping the small army, dedicated to serving the sultan. Was there a reason for all these Muslim families to have settled in Lurucina during the same period? It’s possible of course that certain elements, possibly the Christian or Latin members of the population joined in rebellion, and after being subdued the Sipahi families were rewarded with land for serving the Sultan faithfully? No doubt expert historians of Cyprus would know of these events in more detail, but that’s not to say they bothered with researching individual families like our roots in such detail. In order to understand the role of Sipahi a few independent sources would suffice to answer the role of these cavalry men during the Ottoman Empire.
The following is from the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
“Sipahi, occasionally spelled spahi, was a feudal cavalryman of the Ottoman Empire whose status resembled that of the mediaeval European knight. The sipahi (from Persian for “cavalryman”) was holder of a fief (timar; Turkish: tımar) granted directly by the Ottoman sultan and was entitled to all of the income from it in return for military service. The peasants on the land were subsequently attached to the land and became serfs. The sipahis provided the bulk of the Ottoman army until about the mid-16th century. From then on they were gradually supplanted by the Janissaries, an elite corps composed of infantrymen paid regular salaries by the sultanate. In part, this change resulted from the increased use of firearms, which made cavalry less important, and from the need to maintain a regular standing army. The sipahis were completely discredited during the War of Greek independence (1821–32), and the timar system was officially abolished in 1831 by Sultan Mahmud II as part of his program to create a modern Western-style army.”
The Military Architecture describes them as Sipahi were the Turkish equivalent of the European armoured knights. These troops were largely accustomed to fighting on horseback and their strength lay in their mobility as mounted archers. Their light weapons and armour were designed for hit-and-run tactics.
Since Kapikulu Sipahi were a cavalry regiment it was well known within the Ottoman military circles that they considered themselves a more superior stock of soldiers than Janissaries, who were sons of Christian peasants from the Balkans (Rumelia), and were basically slaves bound by various laws of the devşirme.
Whereas the Sipahi (both Tımarlı and Kapıkulu) were almost exclusively chosen amongst ethnic Turkic landowners, they made great strides of efforts to gain respect within the Ottoman Empire and their political reputation depended on the mistakes of the Janissary. That minor quarrels erupted between the two units is made evident with a Turkmen adage, still used today within Turkey, “Atlı er baş kaldırmaz”, which, referring to the unruly Janissaries, translates into “Horsemen don’t mutiny”.
The above information is without doubt powerful evidence that the main families in Lurucina were in fact from a strong ruling class of cavalry families stationed in Lurucina during a period of immense turmoil for the Ottomans, and most important that these families were from Turkic or Arabic Muslim background (the T.C Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri. Book TŞR.KB.d.00040. Pages 45 ve 46). In fact the 1833 land ownership (Başbakanlık Osmanlı arşivlerinin ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152 numaralı defterinin 49-52. Sayfaları. Luricina köyü. 1833 yılı. Prime ministerial Ottoman Archives Book number ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152. Pages 49-52.) also confirms that these wealthy families were large landowners. Many of these families each owned large tracts of land. Just 3 members of the Ibrahim ‘Garaoli’ owned 289 donums of land plus many olive trees and animals. 3 members of The Mehmet Kadri family owned 239 donums plus an enormous number of animals and trees. Their status as Sipahi and high military positions were not easily won. For a period of immense poverty on the island the 39 registered landowners collectively owned 2363 donums. (2.210 donums in Lurucina and the rest in other locations like Limya).[8] In addition they owned various heads of animals totalling 661. Hardly an amount to be scoffed at.
They were no doubt rewarded for their services to the empire. We already knew the Mehmet Katri family were of powerful military stock. They were in fact the largest land owners in Lurucina and the name ‘Kadri’ was not the real family name but was given to Mehmet Ismail ‘Kadri’ who seems to have belonged to the order of the Qadiriyyah. The name Katri originates from Qadiriyyah. The Qadiri Order is one of the oldest Sufi Orders. It derives its name from Abdul-Qadir Gilani (1077-1166), a native of the Iranian province of Mazandaran. The order is one of the most widespread of the Sufi orders in the Islamic world, and spread to Central Asia, Turkey, Cyprus, Balkans and much of East and West Africa. The Qadiriyyah have not developed any distinctive doctrines or teachings outside of mainstream Islam. They believe in the fundamental principles of Islam, but interpreted through mystical experience. This name was normally given to certain individuals who followed the order of the Qadiriyyah. [9] What this implies for our ancestor Mehmet Katri/Kadri is not clear. What is clear however is that during the Ottoman period it was normal to use the name of the order one belonged to.
The myth that the Muslims of Lurucina originally converted to reduce their tax burden seems to be completely discredited. The other myth that they switched to Christianity when their national service came up seems to be as flimsy as the story that Lurucina was founded by the fabled Venetian beauty Lorenzia. They all make good stories, but these do not equate to historic evidence or facts. The Ottoman records for the period 1786 to 1879 show an enormous number of men who completed their national service. [10] In addition most of the lakabs/Nicknames seem to belong to the generations born from the mid 1800’s to the period just before 1974. Hardly proof that Latin or Greek sounding names date to the period after the Ottoman conquest of 1572.
Many will of course point out the fact that the people of Lurucina almost spoke exclusively in the Greek language as proof of their origins, but The Siliono’s, Garaoli’s, Topal Hasan’s and Kadri families as their status proves belonged to the Muslim sect as recent as 1831. On closer inspection the marriages of the men and women between these families is further evidence that they inter-married due to their high class status. The marriage of Ayse Yusuf ‘Siliono’ with Mehmet Kavaz. (from the Kadri family), Serife Ibrahim ‘Garaoli’ with Hasan Yusuf ‘Arap’ are just two examples that families married because of their status and large ownership of land. The Arabi’s came from a family that had a Sipahi (Namely Mustafa Yusuf born in 1791) as their elder, while the Kadri’s/Kavaz had a unique place in Lurucina. Yet we all know that our grandparents born in the late 1800’s to these family groups could hardly speak Turkish. So why did they forget their original language and switch to Greek? Perhaps we can use some examples to explain this phenomenon which is much more common than people think.
Many of the Cypriots who settled in the UK in the 1950’s and 60’s were 1st generation, and yet we all know for a fact that only fifty years later many youngsters speak the language of the majority English people. In fact my own grandchildren being only 2nd generation cannot speak any Turkish. I doubt there is a single family in the Diaspora who do not have some members of their youth who are not in the same position. I often meet Greek, Italian and Turkish youngsters who cannot speak the language of their parents. We can easily assume that another fifty years or so will be even more common. After all, if many 2nd generation people cannot speak their so-called mother tongue what chance do they have of teaching their children, much less their future grandchildren. Many will of course argue that we live in a foreign country while the people of Lurucina lived in Cyprus.
Nearly all the villages in the area however were Greek speaking, the conditions of mass ignorance, isolation and nonexistent communications in the period of 1830 to 1930 are hardly a secret. Compare this to the present day massive technology, mass internet communication and easy travel across the globe. It does not take rocket science to see the difference in circumstances between the 1800’s and the 21st century. The collapse of the Sipahi during the 19th century and abandonment of Ottoman rule inevitably led these once proud warriors and rich landowners to the total collapse of their privileges. Their survival forced much more integration with the local people who were predominantly Greek speaking. Sadly some turned to theft and some level of brigandage to survive. Proof of this are the many people listed in the documents as either missing or serving prison sentences, but most remained honest and proud of their past heritage.
Many today question how reliable are the records of people like Ibrahim Tahsildar and Huseyin Geleo who recorded the past origins of our ancestors. For example they recorded that the ‘Garaoli’s came from Kofunye/Kofinou. The Arabic Siliono’s from Pirga, The Sari Mehmet Hurrem bey from Antalya, Mehmet Mustafa Said from Silifke, The Porto and Alikkos from Dali, The Kara-Ismail from Karpaz and Suleyman Yusuf ‘Zabuni’ from Kalopsidia. I think I can answer this with ease. My own maternal great grandfather Ismail Ali ‘Gicco’s’ family is said to have come from Turkey.[11] He was born in 1892, I was born in 1956 and often explain to my grandchildren born in 2006 that he was born in Lurucina. Are we to seriously assume that Ibrahim and Huseyin were not aware, and did not know the birthplace of their great grandfathers born in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. In fact Ibrahim Tahsildar was himself born in 1893 while Huseyin Suleyman Geleo was born in 1882. Ibrahim (as his nickname Tahsildar confirms was a tax collector) kept records of all the family trees. Are we to assume that they did not know the origins of the families when they were growing up. After all, their grandparents were still alive when they were young. Ibrahim Tahsildar gives precise details of his great grandfather Suleyman Yusuf marrying in 1798.[12] To add credibility to his claim I discovered in the 1831 census that the oldest children of Suleyman were born in 1801 (Yusuf) & 1806 (Ibrahim).[13] Conclusive proof that Ibrahim was a reliable source of information on our roots. Not really such a long time in the scheme of things. It’s sad that much of our past history and roots is clouded by hearsay, personal views and even prejudice due to modern day political differences which have no bearing on the people or circumstances prevailing in the past. That’s why I prefer to back up my views and writings based on original documented evidence, which have been located not only in The Milli Arsiv of Kyrenia (National Archives of Kyrenia) but also at the Turkish Republic Prime Ministerial Ottoman Archives of Istanbul.
No doubt the search for more documents on our roots and history will continue. Research is never ending and only a fool will submit that everything has been found. If there are some missing documents, or others present new evidence that may help to alter at least some of what I have found and shared, I would be the first to welcome them. In the absence of such claims however I have to admit that original documentation found to date is sufficient evidence to dispel the myths of Lorenzia, and our so called genetic link to the Venetians, or any other fanciful romanticism that seems to be a preferred option to that of documents recorded no more than 200 years ago.
I REST MY CASE
[1] Rupert Gunnis. Historic Cyprus. Pages 329-330.
[2] Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, family number 45 and 46 in the book number TŞR.KB.d.00040. No’s 80-89.
[3] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar The Mehmet Katri family pages 38-69.
[4] Ahmet Gazioğlu Turks in Cyprus page 181. & table II page 21 of Halil İnalcık’s, Ottoman policy and administration in Cyprus after the conquest.
[5] History Studies, International Journal of History. 2012. Page 136.
[6] Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives,
[7] Osprey military, men-at-arms series. Edition 140. 1983 & Armies of the Ottoman empire 1775-1820 edition 314 by David Nicolle PhD & Angus McBride.
[8] Prime Ministerial Ottoman archives (PM) notebook number ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152, pages 49-52. Lurucina village. Year 1833.
[9] Wikipedia & Encyclopaedia Britannica.
[10] Ottoman census 1879 Doc No’s 287-1 to 334-1. National Archives and Research Institute of Kyrenia.
[11] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar pages 1-211
[12] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar page 4.
[13] Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives, page 45-46 of the book numbered TŞR.KB.d.00040. persons No’s; 90 & 95
Efforts to Uncover the Past of Lurucina / Akıncılar Villagers
Among the most talked about and debated issues regarding the people of Lurucina is the issue of “who were our ancestors?” Even non-Lurucina Cypriots have put forward many claims on this subject. Some insist on the claim that we are Christian Greeks and that we changed our religion to avoid paying taxes. Many believe that our origins are Venetian and that we changed our religion to escape both Greek and Turkish discrimination. Some claim that our origins are based on the Ottoman Turks. No historical evidence has been presented to confirm these claims. No matter how realistic some claims seem, they cannot go beyond idealized ideas, political ideologies and sometimes even prejudiced views. Our ethnic origin should not be a source of shame or concern in our time. Today, our world has increasingly become a cauldron where people of very different ethnic and religious origins live together. However, in order to increase our knowledge realistically, the data on the history of our origins needs to be discussed.
Although the people of Lurucina defined themselves as Turkish Cypriots, they were given the nickname “Linobambaki” because they spoke perfect Greek. This word, which means cotton/wool, was used in a derogatory sense for the Lurucina people, implying that they defined themselves as Muslims to avoid paying taxes and Christians to avoid military service. Although some historians mentioned the “Linobambaki”, they preferred to accept the beliefs of the people without questioning, instead of doing research to prove the truth/falsity of the claims. Both the Greek and the Turkish people had equally mocking attitudes towards the Lurucina people. It is against these negative attitudes that unbreakable, permanent bonds have been formed between us as Lurucina people and our determination to ensure the positive continuation of our unique culture has increased. The incredible thing is that no one, or very few people, have attempted to research our past outside of our family trees. That is why our history has not gone beyond the terms found in footnotes such as “the castle of the Linobambaki” [1] (the places where they live most densely). While there are important settlements such as Lefkoşa, Kyrenia and Mağusa on the island, it is incomprehensible that many communities that make up the ethnic structure of Cyprus target the people of this tiny village and adopt derogatory attitudes towards them. The sad thing is that even some of our villagers accept these attitudes with the belief that they have changed sides in line with the interests of our ancestors.
After six years of intensive research based on the original archives, a completely different situation seems to have emerged. Most of the ethnic Turkish population of our village had served as soldiers for many years. When we look at the 1831 and 1879 Census documents, it is seen that some nicknames that are considered proof of our Latin or Greek identity were used as nicknames to define family identities in a more recent period than is thought. There are only one or two nicknames in the 1831 documents. One is “Çoban”. We know that it was also used as a name. The same family is also known by the nickname “Topal” [2]. The vast majority of nicknames go back 4 or 5 generations. As we go further into the past, the number of nicknames decreases. Therefore, it is very insufficient to define our ethnic identity by looking at nicknames that are considered Greek, Turkish or Latin. Moreover, there are people among us known by nicknames such as Mussolini, Kennedy, Grivas, even Cliff (a nickname given to the English singer Cliff Richard), etc.! No one can seriously claim kinship with these past historical identities. When examined closely, there are some data on some Muslim Turkish men marrying Christian women and converting to Orthodoxy. One of them, Arif Mehmet Kavaz (Pasha), is among my relatives from my grandmother’s side. Arif Mehmet Kavaz (Pasha), who was born in 1856, married Ayşe Süleyman (Yasumullo). However, after her death, he married a Christian woman named Kakullo. [3] For some reason, he gave Christian names to all his children and moved to Limassol. Although there are many discussions about people who converted from Christianity to Islam, not a single person has been seen to convert from Christianity to Islam since 1750. Considering that there are 8000 people registered in family trees, this is a great situation that refutes the theories that the Lurucina people converted to Islam later.
Some claim that if there was any conversion, it happened right after the conquest of the island by the Ottomans in 1571. However, these claims are only estimates and are very inadequate in light of the data available to date. The 27 Cizye (Christian household population) recorded in the 1572 Ottoman Census[4] had increased to 41 Cizye in the 1643 Census.[5] The question here is, how could there be a 50% population increase in the population of Lurucina at a time when the population of Cyprus was decreasing in general? Wouldn’t there have been a decrease in the Christian population if they had converted to Islam?
Let’s take a look at the documented data that has been uncovered so far. The 1879 Census, which covers the period between 1796 and 1879, contains some interesting facts. The identity of some of the population is defined as Bosniak, Albanian, Arab. It is not possible to think that the authorities registered these people with false identities. Almost all of the family trees investigated coincide with the period between the 1750s and the beginning of the 1800s, with a strange difference of more or less one or two generations. The Orthodox Christian population is more consistent. They are clearly defined as ‘Christian’ in the 1572, 1643 and 1831 Census records. The economic collapse on the island in the 1700s caused a great decrease in the entire population of the island. This included the Christian population. For some of the reasons we have stated, the Muslim Turkish population is a more recent phenomenon. In the 1831 census, only 104 Muslim males are stated as opposed to 25 Christian males (39 households). However, something else surprising emerged during this period. It was seen that some of the largest family trees in our village were ‘Sipahi’. Some of them are: Swallow (Siliono) of Arab origin, Ibrahim Mustafa (Garaoli), and Hasan Huseyin Topal (or Shepherd). [6] Sipahi was the name given to the cavalry units (horse units) serving in the Ottoman army. Sipahis formed two different types of cavalry units. Feudal, temporary Timarli units and paid, permanent Kapikulu Sipahis. [7] The Ottomans had the right to own land. Sipahis, who were members of the military aristocracy, lived on the same lands as the farmers. They collected taxes from the people and used them to train soldiers and equip small armies in the service of the Sultan. Was there a reason for all these Muslim families to settle in Lurucina at that time? It is possible that some elements, especially Christian and Latin individuals, participated in the rebellion and that when the rebellion was suppressed, the Sipahi families were rewarded for their loyal service to the Sultan by granting them land. Expert historians interested in Cyprus have the opportunity to know this information in detail. Unfortunately, however, none of them have attempted to conduct detailed research on the origins of our families. It is sufficient to look at independent sources to understand the role of the Sipahis in the Ottoman Empire.
The following information is taken from ‘Encyclopedia Britannica’:
“Sometimes written as spahi, sipahi was a name given to feudal knights during the Ottoman Empire. Their status was similar to that of medieval European knights. The word sipahi originated in Iran and was used to mean cavalry. Sipahis were given a piece of land called a ‘timar’ directly by the Sultan. The income from this land in return for military service went to the sipahi. Peasants working the land would eventually become attached to this land and become ‘serfs’. This title gave them certain rights over the land. Sipahis formed a large part of the Ottoman army until the mid-16th century. After that period, they were gradually replaced by an elite infantry corps called ‘Janissaries’ who were paid regular salaries by the Sultan. One reason for this change was the increasing use of firearms. This reduced the importance of cavalry. Sipahis lost their prestige during the Greek War of Independence between 1821 and 1832. They had lost. The timar system was abolished in 1831 by Sultan Mahmud II within the framework of a program to establish a modern Western-style army.”
Known in military parlance as Sipahi, they were the Turkish version of European armed knights. Accustomed to fighting on horseback, their strongest feature was their mobility as mounted archers. Their light weapons and equipment were well suited to the hit/run method of warfare.
The Kapıkulu sipahis were cavalrymen who were quite famous in Ottoman military circles and considered themselves superior to the ‘Janissaries’, who were the sons of Christian families coming from the Balkans and were basically considered ‘slaves’ according to different devshirme laws.
Almost all of the Timarli and Kapikulu sipahis were chosen from ethnic Turkic landowners. They were highly respected within the Ottoman Empire. Their political reputation was increasing due to the mistakes made by the Janissaries. From time to time, arguments and fights broke out between the two units. In today’s Turkey, there is a Turkmen idiom to show the difference between the two units: “The mounted men do not rebel.” This is a reference to the rebelliousness of the Janissaries.
The above information undoubtedly provides strong evidence that the main families of Lurucina were the ruling cavalry families who settled in the village during a very turbulent period for the Ottomans. Most importantly, these families were of Turkic or Arab Muslim origin. Land ownership records recorded in 1833 (Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives. Book TŞR.KB.d.00040. Pages 45 and 46. Also, the 1833 land ownership (Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152. Pages 49-52) prove that these wealthy families were large landowners. Many of these families had lands spread over very large areas. Only 3 members of the Ibrahim (Garaoli) family owned 289 acres of land and in addition they owned many animals and trees. Their status as a sipahi and high rank in the military were not easily gained. At a time when extreme poverty prevailed on the island, 39 registered landowners owned 2363 acres of land (2210 acres in Lurucina and the rest in other places such as Limya). [8] In addition, they owned up to 661 animals. A considerable amount of wealth.
These families were undoubtedly rewarded for their services to the Ottoman Empire. We knew that the Mehmet Katri family had a strong military background. The name of this family, which had the largest land area in Luricina, ‘Kadri’, was not the real name of the family, but was given to Mehmet Ismail (Kadri), who was known to be affiliated with the ‘Qadiriyyah’ order. The name Katri originates from the Qadiri order, one of the oldest Sufi orders. The order takes its name from Abdul-Qadir Gilani, who lived between 1077-1166. This person was a native of the Mazandaran province of Iran. The order is one of the most widespread Sufi orders in the Islamic world and has spread to Central Asia, Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkan countries and many countries in East and West Africa. The Qadiriyyah order has not developed any other doctrine or teaching outside of mainstream Islam. They define the basic principles of Islam through mystical experiences. The name Katri was a name given to certain followers of the Qaddiriyah order.[9] It is not clear what this meant for our ancestor Mehmet Katri / Kadri. What is clear is that during the Ottoman period it was normal for people to use the name of the order they were affiliated with.
It has been clearly shown that the Muslim population of Lurucina converted to Christianity to avoid paying taxes. It is clear that the belief that they converted to Christianity to avoid military service is as far from the truth as the legend that Lurucina was founded by the Venetian beauty Lorenzia. These provide interesting stories, but they do not correspond with historical data and facts. Ottoman records between 1786 and 1879 show that many men completed their military service. [10] Moreover, many of the nicknames belong to generations born between the mid-1800s and just before 1974. This refutes the belief that these names, thought to be of Latin or Greek origin, date back to the period after the Ottoman conquest of 1571.
Many, of course, point out that the people of Lurucina spoke almost entirely Greek, and take this as proof of their origin. However, it has been proven that the Siliono, Garaoli, Topal Hasan and Kadri families were of Muslim origin as recently as 1831. A closer examination will show that the men and women of these families formed marriage ties with each other as a requirement of their high-class status. The marriage between Ayşe Yusuf (Siliono) and Mehmet Kavaz (of the Kadri family), and Şerife İbrahim (Garaoli) and Hasan Yusuf (Arab) are two examples of these families marrying as a requirement of their status and, to a large extent, their land holdings. Among the elders of the Arabi family was a Sipahi named Mustafa Yusuf, born in 1791. The Kadri/Kavaz family, on the other hand, has a unique position in Lurucina. Despite this, we know that our ancestors who were born towards the end of the 1800s and belonged to these family groups spoke almost no Turkish. Why did they forget their original language and adopt the Greek language? Perhaps we can explain this phenomenon, which is more common and normal than we think, with some examples.
Many Cypriots who settled in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s were first generation. Yet, just 50 years later, many younger generations speak the language of the English people who make up the majority in the country. For example, my second generation grandchildren do not speak the Turkish language. I doubt that there is a family in our diaspora who is not in the same situation. I often come across young Greeks, Italians or Turks who cannot speak the language of their parents. We can easily assume that this situation will become even more common in 50 years. What chance do many second generation people have of teaching their children and grandchildren this language when they cannot speak their own so-called mother tongue? Many may point to the fact that we live in a foreign country here, while the Lurucina people live in Cyprus. However, almost all the villages in the Lurucina region were made up of Greek-speaking communities. We know the social ignorance, isolation and lack of communication between societies in the period between 1830 and 1930. Compare this situation with the technological developments of our time, the intense internet communication and the opportunity to travel to every corner of our world easily. We can easily see the differences between the 21st century and the 1800s. With the end of the Sipahis sultanate and the Ottoman period in the 19th century, the privileges of these once proud warriors and rich landowners also completely collapsed. In order to survive, they had to integrate much more with the local people. Most of them were Greek-speaking peoples. Sadly, many resorted to methods such as theft and banditry to survive. As evidence of this, it can be seen in the documents that many people are not registered or are in prison. However, many managed to live honest lives and remember their past with pride.
Today, many question the reliability of the records of people such as İbrahim Tahsildar and Hüseyin Galeo who recorded the origin of our ancestors. For example, they recorded that the Garaoli family came from Köfünye/Kofinou, the Siliono family of Arab origin came from Pirga, Sarı Mehmet Hürrem Bey from Antalya, Mehmet Mustafa Said from Silifke, the Porto and Alşkkos from Dali, the Kara İsmails from Karpaz, and Süleyman Yusuf (Zabuni) from Kalopsidia. [11] I can easily explain this situation. It is said that my maternal great-grandfather İsmail Ali (Gicco) came from Türkiye. He was born in 1892. I was born in 1956 and I tell my grandson who was born in 2006 that he was born in Luricina. We cannot say that İbrahim Tahsildar and Hüseyin Süleyman Galeo did not know the birthplace of their great-grandfathers who were born in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Hüseyin Tahsildar was born in 1893, and Hüseyin Süleyman Galeo was born in 1882. As Ibrahim’s nickname suggests, he was a tax collector. He recorded the family tree details of his entire family. Wouldn’t it be strange to think that they didn’t know the origins of their families when they were growing up? Moreover, their grandfathers were still alive when they were still children. Ibrahim Tahsildar gives precise details about the marriage of his great-grandfather Süleyman Yusuf in 1798.[12] In the 1831 Census records, I learned that Süleyman’s eldest child Yusuf was born in 1801, and İbrahim in 1806.[13] This information proves that İbrahim is a reliable source of information about our origins. It is sad that not so much time has passed since then and our past and origins are still being discussed in jokes, personal and even prejudiced views. The underlying reason for this is political differences, which have nothing to do with the people living in the past and the prevailing conditions in the past. That is why I try to prove my personal views and writings in the light of the evidence provided by original documents. The documents I have access to are not only in the Kyrenia National Archives, but also in the Ottoman Archives of the Prime Ministry of the Republic of Turkey in Istanbul.
Undoubtedly, efforts to obtain more documents on our past and origins will continue. There is no end to research. Only those who do not use their minds can claim that all the necessary information has been obtained. I will be the happiest if new evidence is brought to light that will require at least some of the information presented in the documents I have found and shared during my research to be changed. In the absence of new information, we will have to accept that the information presented so far is sufficient to prove that the Lorenzia legend, the alleged genetic ties between us and the Venetians, and other imaginary romantic beliefs that have gained popularity among the public despite the documents recorded only for 200 years are not true.
[1] Rupert Gunnis. Historic Cyprus. Pages 329-330
[2] Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, family number 45 and 46 in the book number TŞR.KB.d.00040. No’s 80-89
[3] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar The Mehmet Katri family pages 38-69
[4] Ahmet Gazioğlu Turks in Cyprus page 181. & table II page 21 of Halil İnalcık’s, Ottoman policy and administration in Cyprus after the conquest.
[5] History Studies, International Journal of History. 2012. Page 136.
[6] Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives, book number TŞR.KB.d.00040, pages 45 and 46
[7] Osprey military, men-at-arms series. Edition 140. 1983 & Armies of the Ottoman empire 1775-1820 edition 314 by David Nicolle PhD & Angus McBride.
[8] Prime Ministerial Ottoman archives (PM) notebook number ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152, pages 49-52. Luricina village. Year 1833.
[9] Wikipedia & Encyclopedia Britannica
[10] Ottoman census 1879 Doc No’s 287-1 to 334-1. National Archives and Research Institute of Kyrenia
[11] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar pages 1-211
[12] records of İbrahım Tahsildar page 4.
[13] .C Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, (Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives) TŞR.KB.d.00040 numbered book, pages 45-46. persons No’s; 90 & 95
Lurucina / Akıncılar Köylülerinin Geçmişlerini Ortaya Çıkarma Çalışmaları
Lurucina halkı üzerine en çok konuşulan, tartışılan konular arasında “atalarımız kimlerdi?” konusu bulunmaktadır. Bu konuda Lurucina’lı olmayan Kıbrıslılar bile birçok iddialar ortaya atmış bulunmaktadırlar. Bazıları bizim Hristiyan Rum olduğumuz ve vergi ödeme yükümlülüğünden kaçınmak için din değiştirdiğimiz iddiası üzerinde ısrarla durmaktadırlar. Birçokları kökenimizin Venedikli olduğunu ve gerek Rum, gerekse Türk ayırımcılığından kurtulmak için din değiştirdiğimize inanmaktadırlar. Bazıları ise kökenimizin Osmanlı Türklerine dayandığını iddia etmektedirler. Bu iddiaları doğrulayıcı hiçbir tarihsel kanıt sunulmamıştır. Bazı iddialar ne kadar gerçekçi görülse de ideal edilen düşünceler, politik ideolojiler ve hatta bazen önyargılı görüşler ötesine gidememektedirler. İçinde bulunduğumuz zamanda etnik kökenimiz utanç veya endişe kaynağı olmamalıdır. Bugün dünyamız giderek çok çeşitli etnik ve din kökenli insanların birlikte yaşadığı bir kazan haline gelmiştir. Ancak bilgimizin gerçekçi bir şekilde artırılması açısından kökenimizin tarihi üzerindeki verilerin tartışılması gerekmektedir.
Lurucina halkı kendilerini Kıbrıslı Türk olarak tanımlasalar da çok mükemmel Rumca konuştukları için kendilerine “Linobambaki” lakabı verilmiştir. Anlamı pamuk/yün olan bu kelime Lurucinalılar için aşağılayıcı bir anlamda kullanılmaktaydı, ve vergi vermekten kaçınmak için kendilerini Müslüman, askerlik yükümlülüğünden kaçınmak için ise kendilerini Hristiyan olarak tanımladıklarını ima etmekteydi. Bazı tarihçiler ‘Linobambaki’lere değinse de iddiaların doğruluğunu/ yanlışlığını kanıtlayıcı araştırma yapma yerine halk arasındaki inançları sorgusuz kabullenmeyi yeğlemişlerdir. Lurucina halkına karşı hem Rum, hem de Türk halkı eşit derecede alaycı tavırlar takınmışlardır. Bu olumsuz tavırlara karşıdır ki Lurucinalılar olarak aramızda yıkılmaz, kalıcı bağlar oluşmuş ve benzersiz kültürümüzün olumlu bir şekilde devamını sağlama yolunda kararlılığımız artmıştır. İnanılmaz olan şey, kimsenin, veya çok az kişinin aile soy ağaçlarımız dışında geçmişimizi araştırma girişiminde bulunmamasıdır. Bu yüzden tarihimiz dipnotlarda rastlanan “Linobambakilerin kalesi” [1] (en yoğun yaşadıkları yerler) gibi terimlerden öteye gidememiştir. Ada üzerinde Lefkoşa, Girne, Mağusa gibi önemli yerleşim merkezleri dururken Kıbrıs’ın etnik yapısını oluşturan birçok toplumların bu küçücük köy halkını hedef alıp onlara karşı aşağılayıcı tavırlar takınmaları anlaşılır gibi değil. Üzücü olan şey köylülerimizin bazılarının dahi atalarımızın çıkarları doğrultusunda taraf değiştirdiği inancı ile bu tavırları kabullenmeleridir.
Orijinal arşivlere dayanan altı yıllık yoğun bir araştırma sonucu tamamen farklı bir durum ortaya çıkmış gibi görünüyor. Köyümüzün etnik Türk kökenli nüfusunun çoğu yıllarca asker olarak görev yapmışlardı. 1831 ve 1879 Nüfus Sayım belgelerine bakıldığında Latin veya Rum kimliğimizi kanıtlar görülen bazı lakapların sanıldığından daha yakın bir dönemde aile kimliklerini tanımlayan lakaplar olarak kullanıldığı görülür. 1831 dökümanlarında sadece bir veya iki lakab bulunmaktadır. Biri “Çoban”dır. Bunun aynı zamanda bir isim olarak kullanıldığını biliyoruz. Aynı aile “Topal” [2] lakabı ile de biliniyor. Lakapların büyük çoğunluğu 4, 5 nesile dayanmaktadır. Geçmişe gittikçe lakablar azalmaktadır. Bu yüzden Rum, Türk veya Latin olarak kabul edilen lakablarımıza bakarak etnik kimliğimizi tanımlamak çok yetersiz kalmaktadır. Üstelik aramızda Mussolini, Kennedy, Grivas, hatta Cliff (İngiliz şarkıcı Cliff Richard’a özenerek verilen lakab), v.s. gibi lakaplarıyla bilinen kişiler bulunmaktadır! Kimse bu geçmiş tarihi kimlikler ile ciddi bir akrabalık iddiasında bulunamaz. Yakından incelendiğinde Müslüman bazı Türk erkeklerin Hristiyan kadınlarla evlenip Ortodoks dinine geçtiği üzerine bazı veriler bulunmaktadır. Bunlardan Arif Mehmet Kavaz (Paşa), babaannem tarafından akrabalarım arasındadır. 1856 yılında doğan Arif Mehmet Kavaz (Paşa) Ayşe Süleyman’a (Yasumullo) evlenmişti. Ancak onun ölümünden sonra Kakullo isimli bir Hristiyan kadınla evlendi. [3] Bazı nedenlerle ondan olan tüm çocuklarına Hristiyan ismi verdi ve Limasol’a taşındı. Hristiyan dininden Müslümanlığa geçen kişilerle ilgili çok sayıda tartışma konu olsa da 1750 yılından günümüze kadar olan süreçte tek kişinin bile Hristiyanlıktan Müslümanlığa geçtiği görülmemiştir. Aile soy ağaçlarında 8000 kişinin kayıtlı olduğu gözönünde bulundurulursa, bu Lurucina halkının sonradan Müslümanlığa geçtiği teorilerini çürütücü müthiş bir durumdur.
Bazıları herhangi bir din değiştirmesi olmuşsa bunun adanın Osmanlılar tarafından fethi olan 1571 yılının hemen sonrasında gerçekleştiğini iddia etmektedirler. Fakat bu iddiaların da sadece bir tahmin olduğu ve günümüze kadar bulunan veriler ışığında çok yetersiz oldukları ortaya çıkmıştır. 1572 Osmanlı Nüfus Sayım kayıtlarında rastlanan 27 Cizye (Hristiyan ev nüfusu) .[4] 1643 Sayımında 41 Cizyeye çıkmıştı.[5] Buradaki soru, Kıbrıs genelinde azalan bir nüfusun olduğu bir dönemde Lurucina nüfusunda nasıl olur ki yüzde 50 bir nüfus artışı görülebilir? İslam dinine geçmiş olsalar Hristiyan nüfusda bir düşüş görülmeyecek miydi?
Şimdiye kadar ortaya çıkarılan belge verilerine bir göz atalım. 1796-1879 yılları arasındaki dönemi kapsayan 1879 Nüfus Sayımı ilginç bazı gerçekler içerir. Bir kısım nüfusun kimliği Boşnak, Arnavut, Arab olarak tanımlanır. Yetkililer bu kişileri yanlış kimliklerle kayıt ettikleri düşünülemez. Araştırılan aile soy ağaçlarının hemen hemen hepsi garip bir şekilde az, çok bir veya iki nesil fark ile 1750li yıllar ile 1800 yıllarının başlangıç dönemine rast gelmektedir. Ortodoks Hristiyan nüfus sayısı ise daha tutarlıdır. 1572, 1643 ve 1831 Nüfus Sayım kayıtlarında bariz şekilde ‘Hristiyan’ olarak tanımlanırlar. 1700 lü yıllarda adada görülen ekonomik çöküntü tüm ada nüfusunda büyük bir azalmaya sebep olmuştu. Buna Hristiyan nüfus da dahildi. Belirttiğimiz bazı nedenlerle Müslüman Türk nüfus daha yeni bir olgudur. 1831 yılı sayımında 25 Hristiyan erkek nüfusa karşın sadece 104 Müslüman erkek nüfus belirtiliyor (39 ev halk nüfusu). Ancak bu dönemde şaşırtıcı bir şey daha ortaya çıktı. Köyümüzün en büyük aile soy ağaçlarına mensup bazı kişilerin ‘Sipahi’ olduğu görüldü. Bunlardan bazıları şunlardır: Arab kökenli Kırlangıç (Siliono), İbrahim Mustafa (Garaoli), ve Hasan Hüseyin Topal (veya Çoban). [6] Sipahi, Osmanlı ordusunda görev yapan süvari birliklere (atlı birlikler) verilen isimdi. Sipahiler iki ayrı tip süvari birliği oluşturmaktaydı. Feodal, geçici Tımarlı birlik ve ödenekli, kadrolu Kapıkulu Sipahileri.[7] Osmanlıların toprak edinme hakkı vardı. Askeri aristokrasi sınıfına mensup sipahiler de çiftçilerle aynı topraklarda yaşamaktaydılar. Halktan vergi toplamakta ve bunları Sultana hizmet yolunda asker yetiştirmek ve küçük orduları donatmak amacıyla kullanmaktaydılar. Tüm bu Müslüman ailelerin o dönemde Lurucina’ya yerleşmelerinde bir neden var mıydı? Bazı unsurların, özellikle Hristiyan ve Latin fertlerin isyan eylemlerine katıldıkları ve isyanın bastırılmasıyla Sipahi ailelerin Sultana sağladıkları sadık hizmet yüzünden kendilerine toprak verilerek mükafatlandırıldıkları mümkün olabilir. Kıbrıs İle ilgilenen uzman tarihçilerin bu bilgileri detaylı olarak bilme olanağı bulunmaktadır. Ancak ne yazık ki aralarından hiç kimse ailelerimizin kökeni hakkında detaylı araştırma yapma girişiminde bulunmadılar. Sipahilerin Osmanlı İmparatorluğundaki rollerini anlamak için bağımsız kaynaklara bakmak yeterlidir.
Aşağıdaki bilgiler ‘Encyclopedia Britannica’dan alınmıştır:
“Bazen spahi olarak yazılan sipahi, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu döneminde feodal şövalyelere verilen bir isimdi. Statüleri Ortaçağ dönemindeki Avrupa şövalyelerine benzemektedir. Sipahi sözünün kökeni İran’dan gelmekte ve süvari anlamında kullanılmaktaydı. Sipahilere direkt olarak Sultan tarafından ‘tımar’ denilen bir toprak parçası verilmekteydi. Askeri hizmet karşılığı bu topraktan sağlanılan gelir sipahiye kalırdı. Toprakda çalışan köylüler zamanla bu topraklara bağlanıp ‘serf’ olmaktaydılar. Bu sıfat onlara toprak üzerinde bazı haklar vermekteydi. Sipahiler 16ıncı yılın ortalarına kadar Osmanlı ordusunun büyük bir bölümünü teşkil etmekteydiler. O dönemden sonra yerlerini yavaş yavaş ‘Yeniçeri’ denilen ve kendilerine Sultan tarafından düzenli maaş verilen seçkin, piyade kolorduya bıraktılar. Bu değişimin bir nedeni ateşli silahların giderek daha fazla kullanmasından kaynaklanmıştı. Bu da süvariliğin önemini azaltmaktaydı. Sipahiler 1821-1832 yeralan Yunan Bağımsızlık Savaşı sırasında saygınlıklarını yitirmişlerdi. Tımar sistemi 1831 yılında Sultan İkinci Mahmut tarafından Batı stili modern bir ordu kurma programı çerçevesinde kaldırılmıştı”.
Askeri dilde Sipahi olarak bilinenler Avrupalı silahlı şövalyelerin Türk versiyonu idiler. At üzerinde savaşmaya alışkın bu askerlerin en güçlü özelliği atlı okçular olarak hareketlilikleriydi. Hafif silah ve techizatları vur/kaç savaş yöntemi için oldukça uygundu.
Kapıkulu sipahileri Osmanlı askeri çevrelerde oldukça ün salmış süvariler olup kendilerini Balkanlardan gelen Hristiyan ailelerin oğulları olan ve temelde değişik devşirme kanunlarına göre ‘köle’ olarak görülen ‘Yeniçeri’lerden daha üstün görmekteydiler.
Tımarlı ve Kapıkulu sipahilerinin hemen hemen tümü etnik Türki toprak sahipleri arasından seçilmekteydiler. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu içerisinde büyük bir saygınlıkları vardı. Politik ünleri Yeniçerilerin yaptıkları hatalar yüzünden artmaktaydı. Zaman zaman iki birlik arasında tartışmalar, kavgalar başgöstermekteydi. Bugünün Türkiye’sinde iki birlik arasındaki farkı göstermeye yönelik Türkmen kökenli bir deyim bulunmaktadır: “Atlı er başkaldırmaz”. Bu Yeniçerilerin asiliğine işaret eden bir göndermedir.
Yukarıdaki bilgiler şüphesiz Lurucina’nın başlıca ailelerinin Osmanlılar için oldukça kargaşalı bir döneminde köye yerleşen egemen süvari ailelerinden oluştuğu hakkında güçlü kanıtlar sunmaktadır. En önemlisi bu ailelerin Türki veya Arab Müslüman kökenlerinden gelmiş olmalarıdır. 1833 yılında kayıtlara geçirilen toprak sahipliği kayıtları, (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri. Kitap TŞR.KB.d.00040.Sayfa 45 ve 46. Ayrıca 1833 toprak sahipliği (Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivlerinin ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152. Sayfa 49-52) bu varlıklı ailelerin büyük toprak sahibi olduklarını kanıtlar. Bu ailelerin birçoklarının çok geniş alanlara yayılan arazileri vardı. İbrahim (Garaoli) ailesinin sadece 3 ferdi 289 dönüm araziye sahip olup ek olarak çok sayıda hayvan ve ağaç sahibi idiler. Sipahi statüleri ve askeriyedeki yüksek rütbeleri kolay kazanılmamıştı. Adada aşırı bir sefaletin hüküm olduğu bir zamanda 39 kayıtlı toprak sahibi 2363 dönüm araziye sahipti (2210 dönüm Lurucina’da, geri kalan alan ise Limya gibi diğer yerlerde). [8] Ek olarak sayıları 661e varan hayvanları bulunmaktaydı. Küçümsenemeyecek kadar yüksek varlık.
Şüphesiz bu aileler Osmanlı İmparatorluğuna sağladıkları hizmetler için ödüllendirilmişlerdi. Mehmet Katri ailesinin güçlü bir askeri geçmişi olduğunu biliyorduk. Luricina’nın en büyük toprak alanına sahip bu ailenin ismi olan ‘Kadri’ ailenin gerçek ismi olmayıp, bu isim ‘Qadiriyyah’ tarikatına bağlı olduğu bilinen Mehmet İsmail’e (Kadri) verilmişti. Katri ismi en eski Sufi tarikatlarından olan Qadiri tarikatından kaynaklanmaktadır. Tarikat ismini 1077-1166 yılları arasında yaşayan Abdul-Qadir Gilani’den almaktadır. Bu şahıs, İran’ın Mazandaran vilayetinin yerlilerindendi. Tarikat İslam dünyasının en yaygın Sufi tarikatlarından olup Orta Asya, Türkiye, Kıbrıs, Balkan ülkeleri ve Doğu ve Batı Afrika’nın birçok ülkelerine yayılmış bulunmaktaydı. Qadiriyyah tarikatı ana İslam dışında farklı bir doktrin, öğreti geliştirmemiştir. İslamın temel prensiplerini mistik deneyimlerle tanımlarlar. Katri ismi Qaddiriyah tarikatının belirli müritlerine verilen bir isimdi.[9] Bunun atamız olan Mehmet Katri / Kadri için ne anlam taşıdığı açık değildir. Açık olan, Osmanlı döneminde kişilerin bağlı bulunduğu tarikatın ismini kullanmasının normal olduğudur.
Lurucina’nın Müslüman nüfusunun vergi yükümlülüğünden kurtulmak için din değiştirdiklerinin yanlış bilgi olduğu açıkça ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Askerlik yükümlülüğünden kurtulmak için Hristiyanlığa geçtikleri inancının, Lurucina’nın Venedikli güzel Lorenzia tarafından kurulduğu efsanesi kadar gerçeklerden uzak olduğu da açıktır. Bunlar ilginç hikayeler sunmakta, fakat tarihsel veri ve gerçeklerle bağdaşmamaktadır. 1786 ile 1879 yılları arasındaki Osmanlı kayıtları askerlik görevini tamamlayan çok sayıda erkeğin olduğunu göstermektedir. [10] Üstelik lakabların birçoğu 1800 yıllarının ortaları ile 1974 yılının hemen öncesinde doğan nesillere aittir. Bu Latin veya Rumca kökenli olduğu sanılan isimlerin 1571 Osmanlı fethinden sonraki döneme ait olduğu inancını çürütücü niteliktedir.
Birçokları tabi ki Lurucina halkının hemen hemen tamamen Rumca konuştuğuna işaret ederek bunu kökenlerinin ispatı olarak kabul ederler. Halbuki Siliono, Garaoli, Topal Hasan ve Kadri ailelerinin 1831 yılı gibi yakın bir geçmişte statülerinin Müslüman kökenli olduğu isbat edilmiştir. Yakın bir inceleme yapıldığında görülecektir ki bu ailelerin kadın ve erkeklerinin yüksek sınıf statülerinin gereği birbirleriyle evlilik bağları oluşturdukları görülecektir. Ayşe Yusuf (Siliono) ile Mehmet Kavaz (Kadri ailesinden), Şerife İbrahim (Garaoli) ile Hasan Yusuf (Arap) arasındaki evlilik bu ailelerin statüleri ve büyük ölçüde toprak varlıkları gereği evlendiklerini gösteren iki örnektir. Arabi ailesinin büyükleri arasında 1791 yılında doğan Mustafa Yusuf isimli bir Sipahi bulunmaktaydı. Kadri / Kavaz ailesinin ise Lurucina’da benzersiz bir konumu bulunmaktadır. Buna rağmen biliyoruz ki 1800 yıllarının sonlarına doğru dünyaya gelen ve bu aile gruplarına mensup olan atalarımız hemen hemen hiç Türkçe konuşamıyorlardı. Niye orijinal dillerini unutup Rumca dilini sahiplendiler? Belki bazı örneklerle düşündüğümüzden daha olağan, normal olan bu fenomeni açıklayabiliriz.
1950li, 60lı yıllarda Birleşik Krallığa yerleşen birçok Kıbrıslılar birinci kuşakları oluşturmaktaydılar. Böyle olmasına rağmen sadece 50 yıl sonra birçok genç kuşaklar ülkede çoğunluğu oluşturan İngiliz halkının dilini konuşmaktadırlar. Kendimden örnek verecek olursam benim ikinci kuşak olan torunlarım Türk dilini konuşamıyorlar. Diyasporadaki ailelerimizin aile fertleri arasında aynı durumda olmayan bir aile olduğu konusunda şüpheliyim. Çoğu zaman anne, babalarının dilini konuşamayan Rum, İtalyan veya Türk gençlerine rastlarım. Kolaylıkla tahmin edebiliriz ki 50 yıl sonra bu durum daha da yaygınlaşacaktır. Birçok ikinci kuşak mensubu kişiler dahi kendi sözde ana dilini konuşamadıktan sonra çocuklarına, torunlarına bu dili öğretmede ne şansları olabilir? Birçokları bizim burada yabancı bir ülkede yaşadığımızı, Lurucina’lıların ise Kıbrıs’ta yaşadığı gerçeğine işaret edebilir. Ancak Lurucina bölgesindeki köylerin hemen tamamı Rumca konuşan toplumlardan oluşmaktaydı. 1830, 1930 yılları arasındaki dönemdeki toplumsal cehaleti, toplumlar arasındaki izolasyonu ve iletişim eksikliğini biliyoruz. Bu durumu zamanımızın teknolojik gelişmeleri, yoğun İnternet iletişimi ve dünyamızın her köşesine kolaylıkla seyahat edebilme imkanlarımız ile kıyaslayınız. 21inci yüzyıl ve 1800 lü yıllar arasındaki farklılıkları kolaylıkla görebiliriz. 19uncu yüzyılda Sipahilerin saltanatlarının ve Osmanlı döneminin sona ermesiyle bir zamanların bu mağrur savaşçılarının ve zengin toprak sahiplerinin ayrıcalıkları da tamamen çöküntüye uğradı. Hayatta kalabilmeleri için yerel halklara çok daha fazla entegre olmak zorunda kaldılar. Bunların çoğu Rumca konuşan halklardı. Üzücüdür ki yaşamlarını idame ettirmek için birçokları hırsızlık, eşkiyalık gibi yöntemlere başvurdu. Buna isbat olarak belgelerde birçok kişinin kaydının bulunmadığı veya hapiste olduğu görülebilir. Fakat birçokları da dürüst bir hayat sürdürmeyi ve geçmişlerini gururla hatırlamayı becerebildi.
Bugün birçokları atalarımızın orijinini kayıt eden İbrahim Tahsildar, Hüseyin Galeo gibi kişilerin kayıtlarının güvenilirliğini sorgulamaktadır. Örneğin Garaoli ailesinin Köfünye / Kofinou, Arab asıllı Siliono ailesinin Pirga, Sarı Mehmet Hürrem Bey’in Antalya, Mehmet Mustafa Said’in Silifke, Porto ve Alşkko’ların Dali, Kara İsmail’lerin Karpaz, ve Süleyman Yusuf’un (Zabuni) Kalopsidia’dan geldiklerini kayıt etmişlerdi. [11] Bu durumun açıklamasını kolaylıkla yapabilirim. Anne tarafından büyük dedem İsmail Ali’nin (Gicco)Türkiye’den geldiği söylenir. 1892 yılında doğmuştu. Ben 1956 yılında doğdum ve 2006 yılında doğan torunuma onun Luricina’da doğduğunu söylerim. Herhalde İbrahim Tahsildar ve Hüseyin Süleyman Galeo’nun 1700lü yılların sonunda, 1800lü yılların başlangıcında doğan büyük dedelerinin doğum yerlerini bilmediklerini söyleyemeyiz. Hüseyin Tahsildar kendisi 1893, Hüseyin Süleyman Galeo ise 1882 yılında doğmuşlardı.İbrahim’in lakabından anlaşılacağı gibi (Tahsildar) vergi toplama memuru idi. Tüm ailesinin soy ağacı detaylarını kayıt etmişti. Büyümek üzereyken ailelerinin kökenini bilmediklerini düşünmek garip olmaz mı? Kaldı ki henüz çocukken dedeleri hala hayattaydı. İbrahim Tahsildar büyük dedesi Süleyman Yusuf’un 1798 yılında yaptığı evlilik hakkında kesin detaylar vermektedir.[12] 1831 Nüfus Sayım kayıtlarında Süleyman’ın büyük çocukları Yusuf’un 1801, İbrahim’in ise 1806 yıllarında doğduğunu öğrendim. [13] Bu bilgiler, İbrahim’in kökenlerimiz üzerine güvenilir bilgi kaynağı olduğunu ispat eder. Aradan o kadar çok uzun zaman geçmediği halde geçmişimizin ve kökenlerimizin şakalar, kişisel ve hatta önyargılı görüşler çerçevesinde tartışılması üzücüdür. Bunun altında yatan neden siyasi görüş ayrılıklarıdır ki bunların geçmişte yaşayan insanlar ve geçmişteki hakim koşullar üzerinde hiçbir ilgisi yoktur. Bu yüzdendir ki kişisel görüşlerimi ve yazdıklarımı orijinal dökümanların sunduğu deliller ışığında kanıtlamaya özen göstermekteyim. Ulaşabildiğim dökümanlar sadece Girne Milli Arşivinde değil, aynı zamanda İstanbul’da, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivlerinde bulunmaktadır.
Şüphesiz geçmişimiz ve kökenlerimiz üzerinde daha fazla belgelere ulaşma çabaları devam edecektir.Araştırmanın hiçbir zaman sonu yoktur. Gerekli tüm bilgilere ulaşıldığı ancak aklını kullanmayanlar tarafından iddia edebilir. Benim araştırmalarım esnasında bulduğum ve paylaştığım belgelerin sunduğu bilgilerin en azından bazılarının değiştirilmesini gerektirecek yeni deliller gün ışığına çıkarılırsa bundan en fazla ben memnun olacağım. Yeni bilgilerin eksikliğinde şimdiye kadar sunulan bilgilerin Lorenzia efsanesinin, Venediklilerle aramızdaki sözde genetik bağların, sadece 200 yıl süre içinde kayıt edilen belgelere rağmen halk arasında rağbet gören diğer hayali romantik inançların doğru olmadığını ispat etmeye yeterli olduğunu kabul etmemiz gerekecek.
1] Rupert Gunnis. Historic Cyprus. Pages 329-330
[2] T.C Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri, TŞR.KB.d.00040 numaralı defterin 45 ve 46 numaralı aile. No’s 80-89
[3] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar The Mehmet Katri family pages 38-69
[4] Ahmet Gazioğlu Turks in Cyprus page 181. & table II page 21 of Halil İnalcık’s, Ottoman policy and administration in Cyprus after the conquest.
[5] History Studies, International Journal of History. 2012. Page 136.
[6] T.C Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri, (Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives) TŞR.KB.d.00040 numaralı defterin 45 ve 46
[7] Osprey military, men-at-arms series. Edition 140. 1983 & Armies of the Ottoman empire 1775-1820 edition 314 by David Nicolle PhD & Angus McBride.
[8] Başbakanlık Osmanlı arşivlerinin (Prime Ministerial Ottoman archives) ML.VRD.TMT.d.16152 numaralı defterinin 49-52. Sayfaları. Luricina köyü. 1833 yılı.
[9] Wikipedia & Encyclopedia Britannica
[10] Ottoman census 1879 Doc No’s 287-1 to 334-1. National Archives and Research Institute of Kyrenia
[11] Records of İbrahım Tahsildar pages 1-211
[12] records of İbrahım Tahsildar page 4.
[13] .C Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri, (Republic of Turkey Prime Ministerial Archives) TŞR.KB.d.00040 numaralı defterin 45-46. sayfalarında. persons No’s; 90 & 95
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