KOILANEMOS

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Koilanemos is a small village located on the Karpasia/Karpaz peninsula, four miles southwest of Yialousa/Yeni Erenköy(205) municipality. There are two common claims regarding the origin of its name. One claim is that Kilanemos means “windy valley” in Greek, a combination of koilada, or valley, and anemos, or wind. The second claim is that the name of the village is a corruption of the Italian word “Collina,” which means “hill.” Turkish Cypriots apparently accepted the first version and in 1975 renamed the village Esenköy, meaning “windy village.” 
 
Historical Population:

As can be seen from the chart above, Koilanemos was always a mixed hamlet with a Turkish Cypriot minority. While the Turkish Cypriot population fluctuated between 3 and 17 during the first half of the century, their Greek Cypriot neighbors’ numbers increased, gradually rising from 62 in 1901, to 136 in 1946. On the other hand, fifteen years later, the1960 census recorded a decline in both the Greek Cypriot population and also in the total population of the village. The total population of the village dropped considerably from 153 persons in 1946 to 97 in 1960.

Displacement:

The first recorded conflict-related displacement took place in 1958, when all the Turkish Cypriots of the village fled to Famagusta. Most went back to the village in 1960. However they fled the village once again in December 1963. Although, in 1971, Patrick found no Turkish Cypriots living there, the 1973 census recorded nine Turkish Cypriots residing in the village. On the other hand, all of its Greek Cypriot inhabitants were displaced in 1974 and 1976. Most fled in August 1974 from the advancing Turkish army to the southern part of the island. However, some of the Greek Cypriots of Koilanemos chose to stay and they were enclaved in the village until early 1976. According to Jack Goodwin, there were almost 29 Greek Cypriots still living in the village in October 1975. This number dropped drastically in a short period of time and by December 1976 there were no Greek Cypriots left in the village. They were all forced to leave. Currently, like the rest of the displaced Greek Cypriots, the Greek Cypriots of Kilanemos are scattered throughout the island’s south. The displaced population of Koilanemos could be estimated to be around 90 since its Greek Cypriot population was 80 in 1973.

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the village is primarily inhabited by persons who originally came from Turkey in 1977. They are mainly from the Adana province of southern Turkey. Apart from one family, none of the original Turkish Cypriots of the village live there. The 2006 Turkish Cypriot census puts the total population of the village at 58.  

 
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