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Today's event is a continuation of a common course that has never stopped despite the difficulties and disagreements from time to time. AKEL and the Turkish Republican Party (PTK) are parties tied together by a common history; parties that united in common struggles for peace and the reunification of Cyprus. No matter how many difficulties we encountered in our struggles we have never stopped militating for the good of our country and for the peaceful future of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
These unbreakable ties were forged in the common political and workers struggles, and were marked by the sacrifices of our Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots comrades: Fazıl Önder, Ahmed Giachgia, Ahmed Ibrahim, Ayhan Hikmet, Ahmet Gurkan, Dervis Ali Kavazoglou, Costas Mishaoullis, Savvas Menikos, Michalis Petrou, Elias Ttofaris, and Andreas Sakkas to name but a few and also many others. These comrades watered with their blood the tree of friendship of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. This tree is now deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of progressive Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It planted its seeds in our conscience and does not allow us to be complacent, nor does it permit any forgetfulness. It constantly reminds us that we must devote all our efforts to reunifying our country and our people. This is the only way to ensure conditions of permanent and lasting peace. Only then will there be security and stability, essentials guaranteeing growth, progress and prosperity for all the people of Cyprus.
As AKEL, we always analyze and everywhere, within and outside Cyprus, how we arrived at the tragedy of 1974. We analyze who is primarily responsible for the Cyprus problem. Precisely so as to never forget who the real enemy of our people is. The main responsibility for the creation and perpetuation of the Cyprus problem lies with Turkey. American and NATO imperialism also bear very grave responsibilities which through interventions and conspiracies, led developments to the treacherous coup d'état and the Turkish invasion in order to make Cyprus prey to its interests. The military junta of Greece and the EOKA B local ultra-right organisation also bear responsibilities, who with the execution of the coup d'état gave the pretext Turkey was for many years looking for in order to invade our island.
Today, we see that in reality, unfortunately very little has changed. Turkey remains intransigent, provocatively ignoring the need to solve the Cyprus problem. In the past few years Turkey has uncovered its true face to both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, not only because it has remained intransigent and negative regarding the negotiations on the Cyprus problem; not only because Turkey broke off the talks due to the Republic of Cyprus assuming the presidency of the European Union. But also because under pressure from various developments, such as for example the mass mobilisations of the Turkish Cypriots last year, Turkey's real intentions were revealed. Who can forget the blatant admission of Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Erdogan that Turkey has a strategic interest in Cyprus? Who can forget the written reference of Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Davudoglu in his book that "even if there weren’t one single Turkish Muslim, Turkey would have been obliged to have a Cyprus problem"? These statements reveal that Turkey's goal has never been, nor is it's goal the alleged protection or guarantee of the existence of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island. Turkey's aim was, and still is to serve its own interests.
Turkey's interests coincide with those of NATO, which also stated the day before yesterday that Turkey is its important ally and that NATO will support it in every way. We should have no illusions that when placed on imperialism's weighing scale Turkey's interests will be more important for imperialism since they are identified with its own and not with the interests of the Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
Regarding the Right and ultra-right in Cyprus, we note all the time, perhaps even more than ever before, now that talks have been interrupted, that they are sometimes discretely projecting and other times fiercely advancing the solution of partition. What else but partition is the proposal of certain circles and forces for a "loose federation"? What else but partition is the demand that recurs from time to time for "closing the crossing points"? What else but partition are the most extremist positions that argue that "we must not be daunted by the word partition"?
AKEL will not do them a favour. We will continue to insist consistently on the peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the United Nations. We will continue the struggle for a bi-zonal bi-communal federal solution with political equality, as defined by the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the High-Level Agreements between the leaders of the two communities; for a solution that will evolve and reunite the Cypriot state, ensuring a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship. This is the only option to stop the perpetuation of the status quo and the partition of our homeland, a solution that will reunite the territory, the people, the institutions and the economy. Devoted to this agreed framework, President Christofias negotiated the Cyprus problem. He undertook this mammoth task to overcome the Turkish intransigence and pave the way for reunification.
We hope that after the presidential elections in February to continue talks on the basis of the agreed framework, far from any dangerous positions and misleading rhetoric. This is the reason why AKEL in the forthcoming presidential elections supports the candidacy of St. Malas, who is a young man who will fight with all progressive Cypriots to achieve a workable, sustainable and fair solution, a solution that will be based on the relevant UN resolutions, the High-Level Agreements and International and European law.
This is why we do not neglect to expose the transformations and empty sloganeering of Nikos Anastasiades who doesn’t dare to name the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation for fear of possibly losing political support, either of Georgios Lillikas who claims that he will manage to accomplish something different than the final "closure" of the Cyprus problem if he deletes all that we have agreed to so far. Nor is it accidental that Mr. Serdar Denktas is hoping for the election of N. Anastasiades and that various right-wing forces in the Greek Cypriot community for the election of G. Lillikas.
Our Party has not ceased for a moment to remind that such approaches only harm Cyprus and its people. We have never for a single moment stopped showing the way to achieve peace and reunification. We have never stopped reiterating that the Turkish Cypriots are not our enemies, that the Turkish Cypriots are our brothers. AKEL and the PTK know this well: the enemy of the people of Cyprus is called nationalism. When imperialism sought to determine the future of our people, it put on the mask of nationalism, trying to impose its control over our country from within. The uncompromising opponent of nationalism is the genuine and true patriotism of the progressive forces of the two communities, who fought for the independence of Cyprus and peace. For us, the soil of Cyprus belonged and belongs to all its children, to the whole of its people.
AKEL has always marched together with the Turkish Cypriot community, not one community next to the other but together. This is why today we reiterate once again that we must not stop fighting for the common homeland, for federation and for the safeguarding of the human rights of our people. Together, we can raise our voices for justice and the right of our cause, to assert the obvious and self-evident. That is to say, a peaceful and secure future for our children and our grandchildren. Our goal is common. It is clear and is worth all the sacrifices: a just solution to end the occupation and reunite our Homeland and our people.
This is the duty that we must fulfil in order to vindicate the common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots which was forged in the mines of the 1948 strike battles, in the brotherhood and friendship born in the strikes of construction workers and builders, in the neighbourhoods, cities and villages in the years when peace prevailed. We shall honour the blood of our first comrades, who sacrificed their own lives for their ideology and in the belief and conviction for a free Cyprus, the mother Cyprus for all her children.
To our people to rise up defiant and strong, with a smile of peace, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots must turn the page, building the Cyprus of the future.
Speech of the General Secretary of the C.C. of Akel Andros Kyprianou at the Rapproachement Meeting Organised by AKEL Famagusta District and Turkish Republican Party
28th November 2012, Frenaros Community Centre
Today's event is a continuation of a common course that has never stopped despite the difficulties and disagreements from time to time. AKEL and the Turkish Republican Party (PTK) are parties tied together by a common history; parties that united in common struggles for peace and the reunification of Cyprus. No matter how many difficulties we encountered in our struggles we have never stopped militating for the good of our country and for the peaceful future of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
These unbreakable ties were forged in the common political and workers struggles, and were marked by the sacrifices of our Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots comrades: Fazıl Önder, Ahmed Giachgia, Ahmed Ibrahim, Ayhan Hikmet, Ahmet Gurkan, Dervis Ali Kavazoglou, Costas Mishaoullis, Savvas Menikos, Michalis Petrou, Elias Ttofaris, and Andreas Sakkas to name but a few and also many others. These comrades watered with their blood the tree of friendship of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. This tree is now deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of progressive Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It planted its seeds in our conscience and does not allow us to be complacent, nor does it permit any forgetfulness. It constantly reminds us that we must devote all our efforts to reunifying our country and our people. This is the only way to ensure conditions of permanent and lasting peace. Only then will there be security and stability, essentials guaranteeing growth, progress and prosperity for all the people of Cyprus.
As AKEL, we always analyze and everywhere, within and outside Cyprus, how we arrived at the tragedy of 1974. We analyze who is primarily responsible for the Cyprus problem. Precisely so as to never forget who the real enemy of our people is. The main responsibility for the creation and perpetuation of the Cyprus problem lies with Turkey. American and NATO imperialism also bear very grave responsibilities which through interventions and conspiracies, led developments to the treacherous coup d'état and the Turkish invasion in order to make Cyprus prey to its interests. The military junta of Greece and the EOKA B local ultra-right organisation also bear responsibilities, who with the execution of the coup d'état gave the pretext Turkey was for many years looking for in order to invade our island.
Today, we see that in reality, unfortunately very little has changed. Turkey remains intransigent, provocatively ignoring the need to solve the Cyprus problem. In the past few years Turkey has uncovered its true face to both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, not only because it has remained intransigent and negative regarding the negotiations on the Cyprus problem; not only because Turkey broke off the talks due to the Republic of Cyprus assuming the presidency of the European Union. But also because under pressure from various developments, such as for example the mass mobilisations of the Turkish Cypriots last year, Turkey's real intentions were revealed. Who can forget the blatant admission of Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Erdogan that Turkey has a strategic interest in Cyprus? Who can forget the written reference of Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Davudoglu in his book that "even if there weren’t one single Turkish Muslim, Turkey would have been obliged to have a Cyprus problem"? These statements reveal that Turkey's goal has never been, nor is it's goal the alleged protection or guarantee of the existence of the Turkish Cypriot community on the island. Turkey's aim was, and still is to serve its own interests.
Turkey's interests coincide with those of NATO, which also stated the day before yesterday that Turkey is its important ally and that NATO will support it in every way. We should have no illusions that when placed on imperialism's weighing scale Turkey's interests will be more important for imperialism since they are identified with its own and not with the interests of the Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
Regarding the Right and ultra-right in Cyprus, we note all the time, perhaps even more than ever before, now that talks have been interrupted, that they are sometimes discretely projecting and other times fiercely advancing the solution of partition. What else but partition is the proposal of certain circles and forces for a "loose federation"? What else but partition is the demand that recurs from time to time for "closing the crossing points"? What else but partition are the most extremist positions that argue that "we must not be daunted by the word partition"?
AKEL will not do them a favour. We will continue to insist consistently on the peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the United Nations. We will continue the struggle for a bi-zonal bi-communal federal solution with political equality, as defined by the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the High-Level Agreements between the leaders of the two communities; for a solution that will evolve and reunite the Cypriot state, ensuring a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship. This is the only option to stop the perpetuation of the status quo and the partition of our homeland, a solution that will reunite the territory, the people, the institutions and the economy. Devoted to this agreed framework, President Christofias negotiated the Cyprus problem. He undertook this mammoth task to overcome the Turkish intransigence and pave the way for reunification.
We hope that after the presidential elections in February to continue talks on the basis of the agreed framework, far from any dangerous positions and misleading rhetoric. This is the reason why AKEL in the forthcoming presidential elections supports the candidacy of St. Malas, who is a young man who will fight with all progressive Cypriots to achieve a workable, sustainable and fair solution, a solution that will be based on the relevant UN resolutions, the High-Level Agreements and International and European law.
This is why we do not neglect to expose the transformations and empty sloganeering of Nikos Anastasiades who doesn’t dare to name the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation for fear of possibly losing political support, either of Georgios Lillikas who claims that he will manage to accomplish something different than the final "closure" of the Cyprus problem if he deletes all that we have agreed to so far. Nor is it accidental that Mr. Serdar Denktas is hoping for the election of N. Anastasiades and that various right-wing forces in the Greek Cypriot community for the election of G. Lillikas.
Our Party has not ceased for a moment to remind that such approaches only harm Cyprus and its people. We have never for a single moment stopped showing the way to achieve peace and reunification. We have never stopped reiterating that the Turkish Cypriots are not our enemies, that the Turkish Cypriots are our brothers. AKEL and the PTK know this well: the enemy of the people of Cyprus is called nationalism. When imperialism sought to determine the future of our people, it put on the mask of nationalism, trying to impose its control over our country from within. The uncompromising opponent of nationalism is the genuine and true patriotism of the progressive forces of the two communities, who fought for the independence of Cyprus and peace. For us, the soil of Cyprus belonged and belongs to all its children, to the whole of its people.
AKEL has always marched together with the Turkish Cypriot community, not one community next to the other but together. This is why today we reiterate once again that we must not stop fighting for the common homeland, for federation and for the safeguarding of the human rights of our people. Together, we can raise our voices for justice and the right of our cause, to assert the obvious and self-evident. That is to say, a peaceful and secure future for our children and our grandchildren. Our goal is common. It is clear and is worth all the sacrifices: a just solution to end the occupation and reunite our Homeland and our people.
This is the duty that we must fulfil in order to vindicate the common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots which was forged in the mines of the 1948 strike battles, in the brotherhood and friendship born in the strikes of construction workers and builders, in the neighbourhoods, cities and villages in the years when peace prevailed. We shall honour the blood of our first comrades, who sacrificed their own lives for their ideology and in the belief and conviction for a free Cyprus, the mother Cyprus for all her children.
To our people to rise up defiant and strong, with a smile of peace, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots must turn the page, building the Cyprus of the future.
