Located in the Park of the Community is a Monument dedicated to hero Charalambos Casparis, who fell during the Turkish invasion. The Monument consists of a plaque which will be replaced by the hero’s bust in the future.  

The fate of the heroic son of the Community, Charalambos Kasparis, had been unknown since the tragic summer of 1974 until the day his remains were identified.  

In 2007 there was an exhumation of remains from a group grave in the area of the Turkish-Cypriot village of Tziaos and anthropological and DNA testing revealed the identity of the fallen. The remains of the hero were buried on April 17th 2011 in the Holy Church of Agia Varvara in Oikos in an emotive atmosphere of grief.      

Some words about the life of the hero*:

Charalambos Casparis was born in the village of Oikos Marathasas on February 17th 1954 and was the son of Andreas and Kyriakou. He was single and lived with his parents until the war broke out. He finished Gymnasium and after his graduation his enlisted in the National Guard to serve his army duty. He was placed in the 251 Infantry Battalion which was based in Keryneia and he served as an Infantry Transmitter. 

Upon the commencement of the Turkish invasion the men of 251 Infantry Battalion received orders to move to the area of “Pente Mili” of Keryneia to withhold the marching of the Turkish invaders, who, assisted by the Turkish Air-force and the Navy, had disembarked.   

The men of 251 Infantry Battalion, among which was Casparis, took part in cruel battles which took place against the Turkish troops during the first two days of the Turkish invasion.  

In the afternoon of July 22nd 1974, due to the marching of the Turkish troops, the soldiers of 251 Infantry Battalion were ordered to retreat and to redeploy in other positions of the village of Kazafani.

On August 8th 1974 the 251 Infantry Battalion redeployed in the area of Agios Chrysostomos, under the location “Spitia tis Regaenas”, where they manned defensive posts replacing another battalion of the National Guard.  

On August 14th 1974, the date when the second phase of the Turkish invasion began, the men of the Battalion, including Casparis, were attacked by the Turkish troops while guarding the area of Agios Chrysostomos. The Turks started firing against the men of the National Guard with different types of weapons. Due to the superior firepower they had at their disposal and because they had occupied all the heights to the left and right from where the 251 Infantry Battalion had been stationed, the men were given an order to retreat towards Kythrea to regroup.   

During retreat Casparis, along with other fellow soldiers, ended up in a house on the outskirts of Neo Chorio Kythreas.   

Next, the area was occupied by the Turkish troops. Since then his traces were lost and his fate had been unknown …. (until the day his remains, which were found in the Turkish Cypriot village of Tziaos, were identified).

Sources:

Funeral oration delivered by Mr Stelios Nearchou, Infantry Major

*Excerpt from a funeral oration – Community Council Archive