Statement of Andros Kyprianou, Secretary General of the C.C. of AKEL at the graves of the Greek Cypriots murdered by EOKA B and the Turkish invaders

 

Statement of Andros Kyprianou, Secretary General of the C.C. of AKEL, on the visit to the Constantine and Heleni cemetery to place flowers at the graves of the Greek Cypriots murdered by EOKA B and the Turkish invaders

 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th September 2015, Nicosia

Our presence here today sends above all a message of peace and reconciliation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It is a message of acceptance and recognition of the historical reality, even though there are aspects of this reality that hurt or disturb Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to this day.

Here at this cemetery are buried Greek Cypriots who were killed by Greek Cypriot extreme-right wing forces and paramilitary organisations and others who were victims of the Turkish invasion.

We do not accept the concept of “collective responsibility”. Not all Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots committed crimes against these people. The ones who did turned their guns on our people in order to impose their political beliefs and executed the orders of those who wanted to partition our Cyprus.

As communities and as a people we must finally leave behind this notion of “collective responsibility”. The notion that those people who were born and happened to speak Greek or Turkish, born before and long after these terrible acts, whether they are guilty of committing crimes or completely innocent, bear responsibility because they belong to one community is unhistorical and blinded by fanaticism.

As AKEL, we dare to face the truth straight in the eye and to tell the truth as it is. Whenever Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots allowed hatred and nationalism to divide them, whenever they became servants of foreign centres and not servants of our country and people, this country was overwhelmed by tears, blood and destruction.

Drawing therefore lessons from our history, we focus on the vision for the reunification of our homeland and people; for a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem; for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality as set out in the UN resolutions; for a real reunification of the institutions, the territory, the people and the economy and for the defence of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

In closing, I want once again to address an appeal for substantive progress on the issue of the missing persons, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Now is the time for those who have information about missing persons to come forward and present it. The process of verifying the fate of the missing persons must proceed vigorously. We owe it to the missing persons and their families.

Today, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots who love peace, dare. Let our country’s history stop being that of thousands of tragic stories of unjustly killed. Let’s begin writing together the history of peace, cooperation, prosperity, creativity and progress.

Long live Cyprus!

Long live the common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for reunification!