AKEL MEP’s: Against both the “Grey Wolves” and ‘grey’ press reports
20 November 2020, ‘Dialogos’ website
AKEL MEPs Giorgos Georgiou and Niyazi Kizilyurek issued a joint statement on the issue that arose when Cypriot Democratic Party MEP Mavrides sent a letter to all MEP’s asking them to co-sign the text he himself had drafted, without specifying whether his text could be open to proposals that accompanies his demand.
The joint statement of the AKEL MEP’s follows.
“AKEL knows very well the fascist character and activity of the “Grey Wolves” since the first to be targeted in Turkey are our comrades. The progressive forces, our fraternal parties – the Communist Party and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) – the Kurdish movement, the voices that oppose Turkish chauvinism. In a similar way, those forces and circles in the occupied territories of Cyprus who are being attacked by these very circles are the forces of the Turkish Cypriot Left, the voices fighting for the federal reunification of Cyprus and for peace, including the former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. The Turkish Cypriot trade unionist Sener Elcil and the Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union KTOS are also being attacked and threatened by far-right/nationalist circles in the occupied territories and in Turkey, something we had denounced on 6th November to the President of the European Parliament.
For you, the “Grey Wolves” were good for you in this case too, since it suited you yet again. We are talking about you, that is to say all those in the Greek Cypriot community who frequently choose the same goals as those chosen by the “Grey Wolves”. The memory is fresh when, celebrating the victory of Tatar, the “Grey Wolves” publicly thanked their “friends” in the Greek Cypriot community for the help they had offered, through their actions, to his election.
The issue arose when Cypriot MEP Mavrides sent a letter to all MEP’s, asking them to co-sign the text he himself had drafted, without specifying whether the text accompanying the request could be open to proposals/suggestions. Mr. Mavrides’ action completely goes against the longstanding tactic of all the 6 Cypriot MEP’s from all parties for a common position, always, on issues related to the promotion of Cyprus’ positions on the Cyprus problem, the issue of Famagusta, the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), Turkey and the issues relating to EU-Turkish relations in the European Parliament.
We clearly endorse the content of the text, even though our position as AKEL has always highlighted the EU’s distorted perception of lists of terrorist organizations, as the EU (just like NATO) includes national liberation movements and progressive radical organizations who also oppose, among other things, the authoritarianism of the oppressive Turkish state.
However, instead of waiting for AKEL’s reply with the additions mentioned above to the text, Mr. Mavrides hastened to publish the letter, before receiving any comments and response from us, believing that by doing so he will have the opportunity to engage in populism with the help of certain willing mass media outlets against AKEL.
However, apart from the populism, Mr. Mavrides’ energy gave the opportunity to well-known nationalist journalists and political circles to engage in dirty propaganda against AKEL and its MEP’s for supposedly attempting to provide cover to the “Grey Wolves”.
We therefore reply that we fight fascism – whether grey, black or blue – not only through issuing statements and circulating texts, but through our practical struggles and actions.
We don’t do that just today, but from the very first moment of our existence. Our own anti-fascist activity is marked by many bloody sacrifices. Neither does AKEL, nor its MEP’s, accept any lessons from those forces and circles who brought the ‘Grey Wolves’ to Cyprus.”
