THE SACRIFICE OF THE 4 HEROES OF THE ANTI-FASCIST RESISTANCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF AYI YIANNI
Speech by Nikos Ioannou, member of the Political Bureau of AKEL
13th July 2016, ALKI Square, Larnaca
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13th July 2016, Nicosia
For the 42nd year, Cyprus will again remember the Black summer of 1974.
Many years have gone by, but the wounds have still not healed. The memories have not faded. These days return in our memory to remind us of the dramatic events of our History.
We remember the military marches and communiques of the putchists on the junta-captured state radio.
We remember the armed EOKA B men on the streets.
We remember the voice of Makarios from the democratic radio station in Pafos.
We remember the tanks and bombings.
We remember the tents of the refugees, the mothers with the pictures of their beloved ones held prisoners and missing.
We remember the sea of people who welcomed Makarios back to the island.
However, we also remember the faces of those who left us forever and those who have never returned.
Our memory turns to the heroes who defended Democracy and freedom against the hordes of the NATO crime – to the domestic fascists and foreign invaders.
The bitter truth which the oldest and youngest must remember and learn is that as Cyprus we were forced to have so many heroes, because we were unfortunate to also have traitors and collaborators who were bought off. We were unfortunate enough to have traitors in Cyprus who colluded with the foreign conspiracy against our country, against its freedom, independence and democracy. All Cypriots who lived in 1974 – even those who do not admit it publicly – know that the 1974 tragedy is synonymous with the three foundations of the betrayal committed: NATO – Greek Junta – EOKA B.
Friends and comrades,
The city of Larnaca and the heroic working class neighborhood of Ayi Yianni has written its own page in the history of the resistance against the crime committed against Cyprus. On hearing the news of the coup d’état on July 15th, the people of Larnaca spontaneously rushed to the streets. In just a few hours the centre of the city was filled with people of all ages arriving by every means to join forces, shouting that fascism will not pass. The People’s Movement of the Left with EDON the Youth the Organization of AKEL in the vanguard, was at the forefront of the sea of enraged people.
At the same time, groups of AKEL militants, such as the group headed by comrade Vladimir Charalambous, together with democratic supporters of Makarios, organized bases of armed resistance in other parts of the city and province. The action of the Captain of the National Guard Pamporis shortly after the outbreak of the coup to unite his men and weapons together with the lawful forces of the State boosted the morale of the Resistance. On hearing the news people rushed to the police station to be handed arms in order to actively resist EOKA B.
The putschists seeing resistance growing were troubled. The citizens who initially spontaneously put up resistance against the coup were unarmed, but the iron will of the people to halt the coup, complicated things for the putchists. Therefore the putchists took the conscious decision to strike to kill, to kill unarmed demonstrators.
The murderous bullets fired by known and “unknown” murderers in Acropolis Square struck the bodies of the four courageous lads who at that time, following a convoy of cars, were demonstrating with their fists raised high with other comrades.
Comrades Georgos Hajistefani, Achilleas Kourtellis, Georgios Charalambous and Andreas Theodosiou.
Their bodies fell in the back of the vans driven to mobilize the people. Their bodies were found lying precisely where every Easter the congregation of the Epitaphs takes place. At that moment, the four young people went down in history to be known as the “The 4 of Ayi Yianni.” They became the banner of the City of Resistance; a banner which changes hands from generation to generation, but remains raised high no matter how many years go by.
However, there was also a continuation of the crime committed even after the murder, given that the putchists were not only cowardly murderers. They were fascists who hate and fear the people themselves. This is the reason why they did not allow the parents of the 14-year old member of EDON Andreas Theodosiou, the youngest hero of the Resistance, to give their son a funeral and bury their child. They feared the outbreak of popular rage. For four days his mother and father were begging them so that they could bury their child. And when they eventually gave the lifeless body of Andreas to his mourning parents, the priest from afar mumbled just some last words, as if a miasma was being buried.
Friends and comrades,
Even though we have gathered for the 42nd time here in this square, the historic square of “Alki” and of the Resistance, the memories continue to bring pain and generate indignation. The feeling of anger is rekindled, as well as the unfulfilled demand to punish the guilty and vindicate the heroes and their sacrifices.
There are certain forces and circles who for obvious reasons – whether openly or indirectly – state that because we insist on speaking about the truth on the events of 1974 and point out the guilty we are “harking on the past” and “opening up wounds”.
We reply that historical truth heals the wounds of Cyprus.
That historical truth is the torch that lights up the way for the vindication of our people.
That precisely this History gives the answer as to why the struggle of the Cypriot people today must be an anti-occupation, anti-imperialist and anti-fascist struggle, a peaceful and mass struggle.
A struggle we are waging until we achieve the final victory of our people which will be none other than Freedom and Reunification!
For this reason, AKEL will reiterate today certain truths, no matter how much certain forces and circles may be annoyed.
First truth: The first truth is that the main responsibility for the 1974 tragedy lies with American-NATO imperialism. Where we perceived our country as being the golden leaf of the Mediterranean, NATO saw it as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”, an espionage and spy base against the Soviet Union, a military launching pad and base and – of course – a centre to control the flow of oil to the West. This is the root cause of the Cyprus tragedy. They wanted our island under their control: either for Cyprus as a whole to join their aggressive alliance or to impose “double enosis”, that is to say, the union of two parts of Cyprus with the NATO Greece and NATO Turkey respectively. That is why there was a conspiracy between Turkey, the junta in Athens and its collaborators in Cyprus.
So 1974, although a double crime, was at the same time also the same crime. That the coup was followed by the invasion was not accidental. They were both part of this same plan. That is why the bereaved mothers of Cyprus will always curse Washington and the headquarters of NATO. That’s why, neither AKEL, nor our people are going to love the rapist of Cyprus and consent to our country’s accession to NATO and its branches.
Second truth. It is not as a song says “Our beloved Kyrenia Sea brought us Attila” but the Turkish army that was sent by imperialism after first being invited to do so by fascism.
The Junta of Athens and EOKA B of Grivas were the Greek and Cypriot hands that were stained with the blood of Cyprus. In 1974 the betrayal of Cyprus was committed against our people by a handful of traitors who sold out. Neither was there a “fratricidal disunity” or a “civil war”.
The coup of July 15th wasn’t some “foolish” action, as governing DISY party likes to say.
It was treacherous, fascist and engineered by the US.
It was not, as certain forces claim, the action of some young lads swept away by the charm of the vision of Enosis – they were members of EOKA B.
They were paid agents and other conscious fascists who under the guidance of the Greek junta and funded by CIA dollars were preparing for years the treason committed.
They undermined the Cypriot state and the elected President Makarios, around which more than 90% of the people had rallied around.
They blew up police stations and government buildings.
They were murdering and beating people.
They filled school pupils with anticommunism and hatred for Makarios.
They are the same people who were screaming that they want “Mouskos” (Makarios) to be overthrown “even if it means seeing Nicosia burning from their cell.”
They are the same people that left the coastline of Kyrenia on the day of the Turkish invasion unprotected as they ordered military forces of the National Guard to rush to Pafos in order to hunt for and kill Makarios.
They are the same people who were hatching plans for a coup, such as the “Apollon” Plan which was found in the hands of leading EOKA B member Syros and which was eventually implemented – with minor variations – on July 15th.
Do they really think we would believe that this was all a coincidence?
No. These events are proof that the coup and invasion were planned by the same centres; that their participation in the coup was substantial, as was their participation in the invasion of Attila and the sell-off of half of Cyprus; that the betrayal and treason was a conscious action. That is why we remind the Cypriot people and young generation, that those who pretend to be the most patriotic of all, are usually those – others, willfully, others unintentionally – who act together for the partition of Cyprus. For this reason, AKEL denounces daily every exacerbation of nationalism-chauvinism.
Third truth … In truth the target of NATO, the Greek junta and EOKA B was none other than the two major obstacles to the plans for the partition of Cyprus:
The first target was President Makarios who rallied together almost all the people around the line of a united, non-aligned and independent Cyprus.
The second obstacle was the existence of a strong Left, AKEL – the backbone of the popular resistance.
It is no coincidence that during these years anticommunism had reached psychotic levels. The National Guard had elevated anti-AKEL frenzy as the principal national duty. The Left and its militants were under constant surveillance. There was not as single Left family that wasn’t under surveillance and had a file. The right-wing daily newspapers were urging Makarios to outlaw and ban AKEL to prove to them that he wasn’t “pro-communist”. The General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL, the late Ezekias Papaioannou, was on the death list compiled by EOKA B and the coup plans provided, inter alia, for the destruction of the “Haravgi” newspaper printing building. In those years, the militants of the Party and People’s Movement of the Left were targeted by fascist violence and the terror exerted on them in the army during their military service, at school, in the neighborhoods and in every corner of Cyprus.
However, we did not yield.
We did not give in and consent.
We continued to support more combatively President Makarios and the line of independence. AKEL was the main force mobilizing in mass rallies the people in defense of democratic legality and to denounce EOKA B fascism and the Greek junta interventions.
At the same time, AKEL never stopped urging President Makarios to take drastic measures to stamp out EOKA B terrorism; to give weapons to the forces of democracy and legality. AKEL proposed the establishment of a mass People’s Militia that would crush in the bud a possible coup. We even gave a list of a thousand Party members, who were all willing to sacrifice if necessary their lives to defend democracy. Even up to a few days before the coup, AKEL and its newspaper issued warnings of the danger of a coup. Makarios, however, credited the Greek junta with the minimum of patriotism. But Makarios was wrong, because fascists are fascists. They have no country. For them there is nothing sacred. They committed what their masters ordered them to do.
With the outbreak of the coup on the morning of July 15th, the Party called on the people to put up resistance. Thousands of AKEL members went to police stations demanding weapons to defend the state. In most cases, instead of being given weapons they were thrown in prison by coup officers.
As was the case here in Larnaca, but also in other districts resistance rallies were organized, but they were attacked by EOKA B. In every village and neighborhood of Cyprus fascists raided the Local Clubs of the People’s Organizations of the Left, the homes of AKEL members/militants and Makarios supporters to arrest, torture and murder them. This is the badge of honor of AKEL and its members and militants. These are our answers to those who believe today that their propaganda will uproot AKEL from the Cypriot people.
Friends and comrades,
Its impossible not to refer to another issue that insults and outrages the conscience of every refugee, every relative of the Fallen of 1974, every democrat, progressive and left-wing Cypriot.
We are referring to the attempt by the Anastasias and DISY government to rewrite and distort the contemporary history of Cyprus; to transform and elevate Grivas, Sampson and Georghadjis into heroes; to equate Makarios with EOKA B; to pardon and exonerate NATO and the Americans for the tragedy they caused in 1974.
How should the refugees react when they see the official government paying tribute to the putchists, to those who tried to overthrow Democracy, the Republic and who participated in the 1974 crime?
How must the fighters of the democratic Resistance feel when the Anastasiades government finances the construction of a monument for those who attacked the Presidential palace on the 15th July 1974 to assassinate President Makarios?
In what other country in the world, does the Ministry of Education organize school pupil trips to the monument of the biggest traitor of them all Grivas the leader of EOKA B who opened the backdoor to the Turkish Attila?
Besides what need is there for monuments and memorials? All of Cyprus can see every day the huge flag of Turkey on the Pentadaktylos mountain range lit up in the evening – the best monument that reminds us all of the actions of Grivas and EOKA B.
Comrades and friends,
AKEL defends the people’s democratic memory and our country’s history not because it looks to the past, but because on the contrary it looks ahead, to the future of Cyprus and our people.
We know that the bloodstained ideologies of the past have not been extinguished and that fascism which massacred the island, can change masks and appearance, but it has not gone away.
We know that the political descendants of EOKA B fascism are sworn to prevent the reunification of Cyprus, while the scenarios for a speedy “closure” of the Cyprus problem regardless of its content, to suit NATO, have not disappeared.
We know that as long as the occupation and division of the island continues, Cyprus will be immersed in a quicksand.
We know that the passage of time without a solution of the Cyprus solution, does not work in our favor.
We know that in the age of the “new world order”, there is no divine force that will hand us the ideal solution that certain circles and forces may dream of.
This is the reason why AKEL is wholeheartedly committed to the struggle for a just solution of the Cyprus problem, based on principles; to the struggle for the liberation and reunification of Cyprus, which will guarantee that in the future ahead Cyprus will remain one homeland and Cypriots will remain one people.
As AKEL we supported and support the procedure of intercommunal negotiations on the Cyprus problem, within the agreed framework, regardless of who was or is the given President of the Republic.
We support a solution that does justice to Cyprus and our people; terminates Turkey’s occupation and colonization of the occupied areas on the island; demilitarizes Cyprus and free once and for our Cyprus from the notorious “guardians”, guarantors and “motherlands”; restores the human rights and basic freedoms of all Cypriots; reunites Cyprus and its people, through the transformation of Cyprus into a bizonal, bicommunal federation and that makes our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the true masters of their common homeland.
These are AKEL’s long-standing positions of principles which it remains unwaveringly consistent to for decades.
Among the things that distinguish AKEL from all the other parties is that, whether one agrees or disagrees with us, one cannot fail to acknowledge that AKEL says loud and clear to the people its positions on the Cyprus problem.
It doesn’t change its positions depending on which audience it is addressing.
It doesn’t sacrifice the homeland for the sake of electoral expediencies.
It doesn’t subordinate its principles and beliefs to any communication and tactical games and maneuvers.
Everyone can determine, whether other political forces behave in the same way, and particularly the governing DISY party which in the morning lays wreaths and pays tribute to those whose betrayed Cyprus and then in the evening talks about the rapprochement of the two communities.
Comrades, friends and guests,
Today we honor the immortal “4 of Ayi Yianni”, Georgios Hajistefani, Achilleas Kourtelli, Haralambos Georgios and Andreas Theodosiou and with them we also honor all those who rushed to defend Democracy at the Presidential Palace, at Kolossi, in Eftapato Limassol and in Pafos and all those who five days later fought the invader in Kyrenia and the plains of Mesaoria.
Today we renew our vows for Democracy and Freedom. We warn the falsifiers of history, the neo-fascists and those glorifying EOKA B that the guardians of democracy are on alert.
Today we kneel again in front of the dead who shed their blood for all of us.
Today we loudly declare that the struggle for the vindication of Cyprus continues.
For only then will the sacrifices made in 1974 not have been in vain.
Only then will the faces of the “Four of Ayi Yianni” shine vindicated over the sky of Larnaca and the whole of Cyprus.
Only then will the sun shine all over our island so that the Cypriot people will emerge victorious in the highways of the future.
In a free Cyprus, united and without chains.
LONG LIVE THE DEMOCRATIC RESISTANCE!
LONG LIVE CYPRUS!
