In the pre-dawn hours of July 22, 1974, a transport plane full of Greek commandos on a secret mission to Cyprus was shot down by friendly fire. For more than 40 years, the exact whereabouts of the remains of 19 of the soldiers — sent to support Greek Cypriot forces against invading Turkish troops — has been a mystery. But now efforts are underway at a Nicosia military cemetery to unearth the remains and finally send them home, digging up an ugly past that has haunted the soldiers’ families and ties between Greece and Cyprus. Due to its embarrassing circumstances –- Greek Cypriots shooting down Greek comrades — the incident has been largely brushed over in the aftermath of the war in Cyprus. ‘It was shot down by friendly fire and it crashed, and under instructions of the army, they buried it… it was an embarrassment,’

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