Anglisides is a village situated in the Larnaca district, twenty kilometers southwest of Larnaca and two kilometers northeast of Menoyia/Ötüken.. Throughout most of its history this village was inhabited by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Many think that the name of the village derives from the Greek word Anglia for “England.” Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Aksu in 1958, literally meaning “white water” or “clean water.” The name of the village was recorded as “Ihlisdes” in the 1831 Ottoman census.
Historical Population
As can be seen in the above chart, the village was mixed from the Ottoman period. The demographic ratio of the village was almost 50:50 in 1831. However, throughout the British period, while the Greek Cypriot population of the village increased significantly, the Turkish Cypriot population appeared to stagnate. During the British period, the Greek Cypriot proportion of the population rose from 68% in 1891 to 78% in 1960.
Displacement:
The first conflict-related displacement took place in June-July 1958, during the island’s emergency years, when most of the Anglisides/Aksu Turkish Cypriots fled and sought refuge in nearby Turkish Cypriot villages. At that time the total Turkish Cypriot population of the village was approximately 170 (152 in 1946). Of these, 124 persons returned to the village after 1960, only to be displaced again in December 1963. Richard Patrick suggests that the early evacuation of the Anglisides Turkish Cypriots may have been prompted by particularly intense local intercommunal hostility. He also states that the Turkish Cypriots of this village had only partially resettled since their evacuation in 1958 during the EOKA campaign. Many of the Turkish Cypriots of Anglisides sought refuge in Kivisili/Cevizli(358), Kophinou/Geçitkale(360), Agios Theodoros/Boğaziçi(346), Kalo Chorio/Vuda(356) and Alaminos/Aleminyo(347) villages. Although Patrick recorded no Turkish Cypriots living in the village in 1971, the 1973 census put the Turkish Cypriot population at 55. Nevertheless, most remained in the locations where they had sought refuge until 1974, when they fled again, this time to the Turkish-controlled north of the island. The majority of Anglisides Turkish Cypriots were resettled in Spathariko/Ötüken(193) village of the Famagusta district.
Current Inhabitants:
Currently the village is mainly inhabited by its original Greek Cypriot villagers and displaced Greek Cypriots. The Anglisides Modern Housing Project, a refugee housing development, opened its 72 units in stages from 1979-1982. The last Cypriot census of 2001 put the total population at 997.
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