Paphos will get 39 street names for newly built or roads under construction, as it expands with new neighbourhoods and a long-overdue general face-lift that includes new pavements, fresh asphalting and repairs of old buildings.
The town’s municipality issued a list of names to be given to new streets, a process that began in December 2019 and culminated on January 18 this year when it removed the name after public pressure of the mastermind of the Armenian Genocide.
The Armenian and Pontian Greek communities of Paphos hailed the decision to rename Talaat Pasha Street near the municipal market to Justice Street, in the former Turkish Cypriot neighbourhood of Moutallos.
Announcing its decision last week, the municipality said “those who planned and executed genocides have no place in street names,” followed by an outpouring of support on Mayor Phedon Phedonos’ Facebook page, with many praising him for his courage and boldness.
The renaming was described “symbolic with meaning”, while others said it was “an example that needed to be imitated by other municipalities,” such as with Ankara street and Istanbul street in Limassol, especially after all Greek street names have been defaced in the Turkish occupied north.
“It is noteworthy that there are many Turkish and Turkish Cypriot intellectuals who also describe and record Talaat Pasha as a hideous politician and a ruthless man,” the municipality said.
The 39 new street names include leading Cypriot personalities and public figures of Paphos, mainly in education and the arts. They also include two distinguished local Turkish Cypriots.
They new street names are:
Akis Cleanthous, former education minister
Chrysostomos I, former Bishop of Paphos and Archbishop (1977-2006)
Michael Christodoulides, Paphos mayor (1880-1887)
Solomos Markides, Paphos mayor (1889-1892)
Necmeddin Eyub, doctor and assembly deputy
Mehmet Dana Efendi, Mufti of Cyprus and religious court judge
Savvas Koupatos, benefactor and headmaster
Demetris Constantinou, benefactor and founder of Dimitreion Girls’ School
Philon Pavlides, benefactor, businessman and scholar
Menelaos Kakoyiannis, benefactor;
Christodoulos Petrides, benefactor, Petrideion Foundation, donor of Paphos hospital diagnostic unit
Kleanthis Georghiades, educator and author;
Omeros Demetriades, doctor and community activist
Georgios Eliades, educator, archaeologist and founder of Paphos Folk Museum
Magda Kitromilidou, educator and author;
Kyriakos Koullis, folk artist;
Costas Liasides, educator and founder of Liasideion Commercial Lyceum of Paphos
Theodoulos Moreas, actor and culture;
Persefone Papadopoulou, educator and poet;
Pavlos Pavlides, educator, author and Co-operative activist
Ioannis Tsiknopoullos, scholar, researcher and author;
Spyros Charitos, photographer and cinematographer
Andreas Azina, EOKA veteran, former agriculture minister and Governor of the Co-op Bank;
Sergis Antoniades, educator, lawyer and scholar;
Katina Antoniadou, director of the Ktima Girls’ School and founder of the Hellenic Women’s Charity
Bishop Kleopas of Paphos and former Abbot of Kykko Monastery;
Epameinondas Komodromos, lawyer, a former interior and defence minister
Costas Markides, doctor, scholar, and playwright
Nicos Mavronikolas, lawyer and former MP
Herodotos Nicolaides, doctor and former member of the Ethnarchic Council
Pavlos Xioutas, educator, author and folk writer;
Costas Economou, educator, painter and engraver;
Kyriakos Papademetriou, dentist and former MP;
Niki Papadopoulou, WWII resistance member who fought in Greece;
Panicos Sivitanides, lawyer and former labour minister
Antonis Soteriades, doctor, scholar, and former MP
Savvas Tenizis, fought in the Balkan War and WWI, and Cyprus uprising in 1931
Bishop Photios of Paphos
Antis Hadjiadamou, artist and prose writer
Nicolas Hadjicostis, educator, scholar and author
Recent street naming includes Mikis Theodorakis (musician), Manos Hatzidakis (musician), Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler (academic), Kyriakos Nicolaou (archaeologist), Lieut. Nicolaos Katountas (killed in 1974 Turkish invasion), and benefactor Nicolas Constantinides from Anavargos.
Paphos has also recently named streets after other cities it is twinned with, including Kalamria (Greece), Anzio (Italy), Herzliya (Israel), Amman (Jordan) and Alexandria (Egypt).
Meanwhile, the Armenian National Committee of Cyprus has also called for the name change of Bozkurt street in Larnaca, saying this is the name of the Grey Wolves extremist paramilitary organisation in Turkey linked to death squads and violence in Turkey.
It said the Grey Wolves, a branch of the MHP party, regularly call for the deportation of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch and burn his effigy, fought on the side of Chechens in Russia, were involved in ‘deep state’ activities in Turkey and were involved in the killing of Tassos Isaac during an anti-invasion protest near Dherynia in 1996, as well as the murder of Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adali.
They were also seen as the masterminds behind the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981 by Grey Wolves member Mehmet Ali Agca.
