Tasoula Hadjitofi: Cyprus’ candidate for ”Woman of Europe” 2007

Through her struggle, which often led her to the dangerous paths of smugglers, she succeeded not only in contributing to the repatriation of stolen Cypriot icons from the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, but also to the enlightenment of foreigners regarding various aspects of the Cyprus problem.
Cypriot expatriate Tasoula Hadjitofi was chosen as the Cypriot representative for the “Woman of Europe 2007” Award. The final decision will be announced in Brussels, in March 2008.
In an interview with CNA Hadjitofi talked about her long standing efforts to achieve the repatriation of valuable cultural and religious treasures, the difficulties she faced as well as her worries for the future.
Serving Cyprus from the post of Cyprus Consul in Holland, where she immigrated after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and from the post as Church of Cyprus representative abroad, Hadjitofi achieved the repatriation of 60 stolen artifacts (mosaics, icons, murals) which can now be seen in the Byzantine Museum in Nicosia.
Hadjitofi, a refugee from the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, was until 1997 the only official representative of the Church of Cyprus in dealing with the issue of the repatriation.
“During that time, I was approached by smugglers who tried to sell stolen treasures of Cyprus through me. That was the period when the four stolen mosaics of Kanakaria were found in the United States, and, before the Indianapolis case, they wanted to give me the mosaics of Apostle Andreas and Apostle Thomas and two icons, under the condition that we would give them for free one of the two mosaics”, she told CNA.
But Hadjitofi managed to play the game of the smugglers. She communicated with Nicosia and they advised her to talk to the smugglers in order to get information about the stolen treasures, which she gave to lawyers in the United States and Cyprus who were dealing with the case.
She even unveiled head of smuggling of treasures of Cyprus, a Turkish origin man living in Munich, called Aidin Dikmen, who was arrested and imprisoned.
Around 75 German police officers simultaneoulsy stormed Dikmen’s three houses where they found 5,000 treasures from various countries, 350 of which had come from Cyprus.
“These 350 treasures include a mosaic of Apostle Thomas of Kanakaria, pieces from murals from Agios Antifonitis, icons from various churches in the occupied area, Gospels, coins and three pieces from the Hadjiprodromou collection”, she told CNA.
Apart from 32 items which we recovered before the entanglement of police authorities, the remaining treasures still remain in a police station in Munich.
The Munich case is pending before German courts since 1977.
Hadjitofi plays no role any more in the repatriation of those treasures because since 1998 this issue has been taken over by Cyprus’ Attorney General.
Apart from the Munich case she also turned to other directions trying to repatriate Cyprus stolen treasures found in Japan, United Kingdom, Greece, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.
“After a lot of efforts we achieved to get back a big part of our treasures without litigation and without paying any amount of money”, she told CNA.
But during that time not only she faced enormous difficulties and disappointments, but also dangerous situations.
“When the German police authorities said they appointed an armed bodyguard to be with me in Munich, I realized the danger I was exposed to”, she admitted.
UNESCO was activated sending an observer at the litigations for the claim of stolen treasures taking place in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Moreover, EUROPOL and INTERPOL were watching with great interest the judicial processes for the identification and the claim of cultural treasures, in relation with the perpetration of economic crimes and money laundering.
To this date, Hadjitofi works in her own firm called Octagon, a company she founded in the Netherlands in 1988, which deals with the reception of workforce specialized in information technology in the Netherlands.
In her interview with CNA, Hadjitofi said she was moved by her nomination as Cypriot candidate for the ”Woman of Europe” Award which signalizes not only a recognition of her work for repatriation of stolen cultural and religious treasures of Cyprus, but also her work in the respect of human rights, cultural identity and diversity.
The ”Woman of Europe” Award has been established in 1987 by the International Association for the Promotion of Women of Europe (AIPFE).
The Brussels-based association honours women who stand out with their work, featuring and forwarding European ideals and European conscience.
The candidates are nominated every three years from the national councils of the AIPFE.