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Agios Georgios, or Ayyorgi, a village in the Kelokedara region of Paphos, is located twenty-five kilometers east of Paphos (Ktima) and two kilometers east of Mamonia. Agios Georgios means “Saint George” in Greek. Turkish Cypriots called the village Ayyorgi until 1958, when they adopted the alternative name Kavaklı, meaning “place with poplar trees.”

 

As may be seen from the above chart, Agios Georgios was predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots from the Ottoman period. During the first half of the 20^th century the population of the village increased from 142 to 243. However there was a significant drop recorded in 1960, when the population fell to 217.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the emergency years of the 1950s or during the intercommunal strife of 1963-64. However, the village served as a reception center for some displaced Turkish Cypriots from nearby villages such as Kidasi/Ceyhan(310), Archimandrita(293) and Gerovasa(264). Richard Patrick recorded only 8 displaced Turkish Cypriots still living in Agios Georgios/Kavaklı in 1971. He also noted that the total population of the village in that year was 240.

On 22 July 1974, in response to the Turkish military offensive of 20 July, Greek Cypriot forces placed the village under siege, although they did not attack it. After some of the Turkish Cypriot Fighters surrendered their guns, the siege ended. However, after the siege was over, most of the inhabitants began secretly to flee the village to the Akrotiri British Sovereign Base Area. Those who sought refuge in the Base Area were eventually transferred to north Cyprus via Turkey in January 1975.

By the time the Vienna agreement was signed, almost 150 persons had made their way to the northern part of the divide. Eventually the remaining 89 persons were evacuated to the north under the escort of UNFICYP on 16 August 1975. Most of them were resettled in Zodeia/Bostancı(047), and the rest were dispersed amongst various villages and towns. Esat Fellahoğlu (2010) claims that apart from those who settled in Zodeia/Bostancı(047), two families resettled in Morphou/Güzelyurt(072), four families in Fyillia/Serhatköy(035), six families in Trachoni/Demirhan(099), two families in Famagusta(140), two families in Agios Georgios/Karaoğlanoğlu(210), one family in Prastio/Aydınköy(091) and one family in Palykythro/Balıkesir village(081). The number of the Agios Georgios/Kavaklı Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 220-240 (217 in 1960).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, Agios Georgios /Kavaklı village was used for the settlement of displaced Greek Cypriots from the northern part of the divide. The 2001 census recorded only 118 people living there.  

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Websites:

• http://www.cyprus-village.com/ (for the villages)
• http://news.karpasha.com/
• http://human-rights-archaeology.blogspot.com/
• http://kypros.org/Occupied_Cyprus/ (for the villages in the north)