Greek news site slammed for using TC woman’s photo for ‘invasion’ story
A GREEK news website has been slammed after using an awardwinning photo of a grieving Turkish Cypriot woman alongside a story about the forthcoming anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 military intervention in Cyprus.
Sydney-based English language online news outlet Greek City Times used the iconic image of Nevichan Oluşum to illustrate an article headlined “Turkey’s invasion and occupation of Cyprus — July 20, 1974”.
The photo was taken by British war photographer Sir Don McCullin, not in 1974, but on March 20, 1964, in the Turkish Cypriot village of Gaziveren.
It captures the moment
Oluşum had just learned that her husband had been killed by Greek Cypriot gunmen. The photo won Sir Don the World Press Photo of the Year award.
Greek City Times faced a barrage of criticism on social media for its use of the photo, which it later removed from its online story, although it did not issue an apology.
UK-based Turkish Cypriot human rights activist Sonya Karafistan accused Greek City Times of “misappropriation” and “disgusting behaviour”.
She added: “The Greek propaganda machine in Australia is aggressive and relentless. They have reinvented the truth. We have to do our best [to] correct the hateful misinformation in circulation. The public pressure has forced this publication to remove the image.”
Another Turkish Cypriot based in Britain, Suzanne NuriNixon, tweeted: “This photo shows a grieving Turkish Cypriot woman on hearing her husband has been murdered. Don’t fall for propaganda from Greek Cypriots that it is anything else.”
Ceylan Okan tweeted in response to the Greek City Times: “I won’t even bother commenting on the content of this atrociously written article.
“But to use the award-winning 1964 photo of Nevcihan Oluşum — a Turkish Cypriot woman mourning the news of her husband’s death at the hand of Greek Cypriot fascists . . . inhumane and just inexcusable.”
Ramsey Öztürk wrote: “Do your research! The woman pictured is a Turkish Cypriot. Stop peddling misinformation re Turkey’s peace operation 1974. We remember!”
Another response said: “Thank you for showing the real misery caused by Greek Eoka fighters. Nevcihan hanım had just found out her husband had been killed. This is why Turkey came to the rescue in 1974.”
It is not the first time that Greek and Greek Cypriot publications and social media users have been caught misusing Sir Don’s photo of Nevichan Oluşum, who died in 2018.
In July last year the UK’s Times newspaper, along with Cyprus Today, reported on how the image was being “misused for propaganda”.