Speech by the Central Organisational Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL Haris Karamanos at the event of Remembrance and Honor for the coup and the invasion

 

 

18 July 2023, Park of the Fallen and Missing Soldiers, Municipality of Livadia, Larnaka

 

Respected Families of the Heroes,

Comrades,

Compatriots,

 

The month of July is a month of fire and death. These verses simply and succinctly describe the Cypriot summer. From Turkey’s bombing of the region of Tylliria in 1964, to the landing of Turkish troops in Kyrenia in July 1974, to Famagusta and Morphou in August 1974, the summers of Cyprus were unfortunately filled with fire and death.

 

The first act of the Cypriot tragedy began in August 1964.  Just four years after Cyprus gained independence, Turkey attempted for the first time to dissolve the Republic of Cyprus. The first Turkish invasion was a fact, a foreshadowing and a precursor of the suffering that would subsequently follow.

 

We condemn once again with all our soul’s strength the treacherous fascist coup of the American CIA and the Greek junta, Grivas and EOKA B.

 

We denounce once again in the strongest possible terms the invasion of the Turkish army and its ongoing occupation.

 

We condemn the atrocities committed by the Turkish invading army, the uprooting of our people as refugees, the destruction of our cultural heritage, the colonisation of the occupied areas, the alteration of the demographic character of Cyprus, the pseudo-state and all the fait accompli being imposed.

 

We honor the heroes of the Resistance and all Resistance fighters, whether they are alive or have passed away. Our debt to them will be eternal because in those days of July 1974 they saved the honor and dignity of all of us.

 

We express our full solidarity and support to the refugees and our heroic enclaved persons in the occupied areas and renew our commitment to continue to work for their return and the solution of their problems.

 

We are proud because the Left not only has not stained its hands with blood, but instead has always stood as a bulwark against nationalism-chauvinism. It has always been the tireless force working for the friendship and cooperation between the two communities, the protagonist of the movement for rapprochement.

 

Among the dead of the resistance were the heroic brave young men, for whom we held a commemorative march today in the Municipality to mourn them as befits heroes and martyrs.

 

The fallen Andreas Stylianou, Charalambos Panteli Palma, Lefteris George Avraam, Stelios Eleftheriou Christou, Andreas Christoforou Apostolou, Mihalis Theodoulou, Artemis Kolomvos, Giorgos Argyrou, Antonis Christoforou Apostolou and Giorgos Paphitis Mihail.

 

Besides the fallen, there are also the missing persons of Livadia: Gavriel Mihail Gavriel, Theodolos Christou Theodoulou, Paraskevas Eleftheriou Apostolou, Kostas Kyriakou, whose memory, along with the memory of all the dead of the resistance, we commemorate today.

 

It is hard when young people lose their lives fighting. It is twice as cruel and unjust when young people lose their lives because of the treason that was committed. The names of our heroes must be remembered at every opportunity – not as some anniversary obligation, but as a debt we owe to the past and to the future of this country.

 

The community of Livadia, like every community in Cyprus, every district and village, must continue to speak of these heroes to the younger generation – to our children and grandchildren.

 

We need to teach them the causes and reasons for the evil that befell Cyprus.

 

They must know why there is a refugee settlement in Livadia and in almost every corner of Cyprus.

 

They must know why to this day there are mothers clad in black clothing.

 

They must know why we are still burying the dead of 1974.

 

They must know why we have and must erect monuments to our heroes.

 

Dear friends,

 

The President of the Republic on the very day of the treasonous coup d’état honored the coupists who attacked the Presidential palace. On 15 July, at the time of the roll call of the dead, when EOKA B was killing resistance fighters, President Christodoulides laid a laurel wreath through his Minister, telling us that this was done on other occasions as well.

 

This is a rape of logic and an insult to the memory of the heroes and their families. Mr. Christodoulides, as Anastasiades’ successor, has amply demonstrated three things with this obscenity.

 

First: he has overlooked the subversive and criminal activities of EOKA B and its tragic role in the destruction of Cyprus.

 

Two: he has disrespected the historical truth and, above all, the relatives of the heroes, who were honored by the state in the same cemetery but elsewhere as the people who shed their blood fighting fascism.

 

Third, he put his party beliefs above all else, serving the Right and ultra-right.

 

Unfortunately, Mr. Christodoulides has demoted himself from President to party leader.

 

The coup was not some instantaneous act of some insane people. It was the culmination of a premeditated crime that had been planned for years.

 

A crime in whose conception, organisation and commission NATO decision making centres, the fascist Greek junta and its local subservient organs staffing EOKA B took part in.

 

A crime which aimed to hand over Cyprus to Turkey and to finish with the Cyprus problem once and for all in the most shameful way.

 

Memory lives and guides us. The knowledge of the historical truth about the tragedy of 1974 is the solid foundation on which we base our struggle on. Any attempt to forget and falsify history, any attempt to justify and vindicate Grivas, EOKA B and the coupists is an insult to our people and undermines our struggle for the vindication of Cyprus.

 

The visible occupied Pentadaktylos mountain range with the flag of the illegal regime of the pseudo-state engraved as a seal of the occupation on its slopes, the pain of those who have lost loved ones, the agony of the relatives of our missing persons that has no end, the hardships our heroic prisoners of war suffered, the expectation of the return of our refugees, the anguish of the entire Cypriot people, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, in the face of the uncertainty of tomorrow, is the grim reality that indicates to us that the horrific summer of 1974 is not in the past. It is a tragic present. A tragic present that we have a duty to change.

 

The argument is often put forward by the Right that Grivas died in January 1974 and therefore bears no responsibility whatsoever for the coup that took place six months after his death.

 

However, it was Grivas himself who created EOKA B. And the orgy of terror that was subsequently launched was under his orders. It was under Grivas that the coup plans for the overthrow and assassination of Makarios were drawn up, such as the “Hermes”, “Storm”, “Spider”, “Brontes”, “Apollo”, “Typhon”, “Grothos” plans and so on. Grivas was the instrument of the Greek junta and the foreign intelligence services throughout the entire period of preparation for the coup.

 

How dare they now tell us that Grivas bears no responsibility for the coup?

 

No attempt to relieve the destroyer of Cyprus of any responsibility can stand. As far as we are concerned, we will never accept his glorification, which some are attempting to do so as to write off the far right’s crimes.

 

I want to underline that AKEL and the People’s Movement of the Left in general have represented the soul of the Resistance of our people. We stood with absolute consistency on the side of Makarios in the titanic struggle to repel the foreign and local conspiracies. AKEL and the Left were the biggest, most organised and most consistent political force that supported the President of the Republic and the constitutional order. Around President Makarios, a strong anti-fascist and anti-imperialist front of struggle was formed and AKEL was its main pillar. AKEL was also the main lever of the mass mobilisations of the people that had prevented specific coup plans.

 

AKEL had repeatedly warned of the imminent danger of a coup. It had warned from the columns of “Haravgi” newspaper, and in speeches by its militants. By revealing specific conspiratorial plans and by providing information to Makarios and the government.

 

The most official warning was given by Ezekias Papaioannou from the podium of the 13th AKEL Congress in April 1974. The General Secretary of AKEL stressed the following: “The main objective remains the assassination of President Makarios and the coup d’état seizure of power. Imperialism, the dictatorial circles in Athens and the chauvinist circles in Ankara have joined forces in an unholy alliance against Cyprus with the aim of dividing Cyprus. The fascist Right in Cyprus and the criminal organisation EOKA B are the executive organs of this policy”.

 

Unfortunately, we are going through the most critical of times, with the situation on the Cyprus problem being desperate. This is the longest stalemate we have ever experienced, with the passage of time undermining the hopes for a solution.

 

The fact is, however, that President Anastasiades’ erroneous handling of the situation has led to the Greek Cypriot side, according to the United Nations, being held equally responsible for the deadlock. Today reminds us, in the most dramatic way, that Turkey remains intransigent, imposing new occupation fait accompli without suffering any real political cost. The stagnation on the Cyprus problem is fuelling division and it is for this reason that we must move forward by taking specific and targeted initiatives.

 

As AKEL we have submitted our proposal to the new President to create momentum for the resumption of negotiations and the formulation of a positive agenda. What the President says about a more active involvement of the European Union by the appointment of an EU special envoy is not enough to create new momentum. We insist on our proposal for consistency to the convergences that have brought us so close to a strategic agreement, as well as on the exploitation of the energy facts in our region, a proposal that is becoming more topical in view of the energy crisis that is developing nowadays.

 

Despite the real difficulties in the handling of the Cyprus problem, we must continue the effort and always look to the future. Because the future of our country and people is being undermined every day by the ongoing de facto partition.

 

Friends and relatives of the heroes we are honoring today,

 

Friends and relatives of those whose fate is still unknown,

 

We do not forget!

 

Who can forget so much blood shed to prevent fascism and the invasion?

 

We promise you that we will become the missing pages of history.

 

We will remember their names, their killers and their heroism.

 

It will always be our hands that will hold up their photographs. In our own mind, in the people’s conscience, their names will always shine.

 

We will forever honor them: Andreas Stylianou, Charalambos Pantelis Palma, Lefteris Giorgos Avraam, Stelios Eleftheriou Christou, Andreas Christoforos Apostolou, Mihalakis Theodoulou, Artemis Kolomvou, Giorgos Argyros, Antonis Christoforos Apostolou and Giorgos Paphitis Mihail, Gavriel Mihail Gavriel, Theodolos Christos Theodoulou, Paraskevas Eleftherios Apostolou, Kostas Kyriakou.

 

Our debt to the dead, martyrs and heroes of Democracy and Freedom is not repaid just by holding memorials and anniversary events.

 

Our debt to the present and future generations is not fulfilled just by issuing correct declarations.

 

We need to intensify the struggle and fight to overcome difficulties and obstacles and to reunite our Cyprus.

 

Only in this way will the souls of our dead finally rest in peace and the happiness of our children be ensured. AKEL is present in this struggle, always carrying the flag and always in the front line.

 

Honor and glory to our heroes!

 

May the memory of our heroes live on forever!