Speech by Stefanos Stefanou, General Secretary of AKEL / Foreword – book “The fighter-teacher of the Turkish Cypriot left”

 

“Kasteliotissa” Hall, Nicosia, 26 November 2025

 

Dear friends and comrades,

Dear Abdullah Korkmazan,

Respected family of Özker Özgür

Twenty years have elapsed since we bid farewell to our comrade Özker Özgür. This book launch event is the least we could do as AKEL to honor the leading figure of the Turkish Cypriot Left, who shone brightly in the dark times in which he lived. Twenty years have also passed since AKEL organized a special farewell event in honor of Özgür, while he was in poor health. On July 21, 2005, in a packed hall, a large crowd expressed their respect for the politician—but above all for the man— Özgür, whose physical strength was failing but whose spirit remained more than vibrant. Up to his last breath, his principal concern was the reunification of his homeland.

Twenty years onwards, AKEL decided to support the publication in Greek of the book “ Özker Özgür – The Fighter-Teacher of the Turkish Cypriot Left,” written by our dear comrade Dr. Abdullah Korkmazan. The book is published by Almyra Publications and translated by Maria Siakalli.

A book that takes us on a journey through the life and valuable work of our comrade Özgür.

A book that introduces Greek-speaking Cypriots to the struggles of the Turkish Cypriot community during difficult times: times of war and displacement; intercommunal clashes; the profound democratic deficit within the Turkish Cypriot community; the lack of communication and the inability to fully comprehend what was really happening on the other side of the partitionist barbed wire.

The book is a journey through the life of ‘Hocza’ (meaning “Teacher”) Özgür, starting with his difficult childhood in the village of Vretsia, Paphos: years filled with poverty and social injustice.

However, it was these difficult times in life that cultivated his class consciousness and subsequently led him to turn to education and the struggle for social justice. We are transported to his student years, his contact with his students, and the development of the deep sensitivity and political awareness that characterized him as a political being.

As an educator, he had a vision for education in Cyprus and believed that Cypriot students should learn history from books free of chauvinistic remnants, so that they could develop progressive and democratic mindsets. Not to erase history, but—on the contrary—to provide an objective and accurate interpretation of events.

As a tireless thinker, he studied the Marxist worldview and understood that the struggle of Cypriots, in essence, is resistance against social exploitation, imperialism, and foreign occupation. ‘Hocza’ was a lover of social justice and equality among people. He was an opponent of injustice and exploitation. Above all, he fought against nationalism, which he considered inhuman and repulsive.

He worked with dedication for the cause of rapprochement between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, at a time when it was dangerous to talk about relations with “the other side” and was attacked by the nationalists. His ideological explorations led him to conclude which forces could take the lead in the struggle for rapprochement.

Together with AKEL, he developed common positions on the Cyprus problem. While he was the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP), he reached a common position with AKEL on the liberation of Cyprus from the military presence of the so-called “mother” countries and for the termination of the Turkish occupation within the framework of a Bi-zonal, Bi-communal Federation with political equality, as described in the relevant UN resolutions.

A hallmark of these collaborations was Özgür’s special relationship with Demetris Christofias, General Secretary of AKEL, with whom he shared visions and struggles. In those difficult times, the two men found ways to overcome the obstacles of the partitionist barbed wire and lead the struggle to end the occupation and reunify our country. A personal relationship that forged political ties between the Left of the two communities; a legacy that remains a model of bicommunal cooperation to this day.

Özgür led the Republican Turkish Party at a time when the concept of democracy and tolerance for opposing views within the Turkish Cypriot community was by no means a given right. As a result, he had to wage struggles with great courage.

Later, at the helm of the United Cyprus Party (BKP), he played an important role in the struggles that led to the end of the Denktash era, the opening of the checkpoints, and the consolidation of the joint struggle of the two communities for peace and a federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

Özgür, with his sensitivity and humanity, earned the respect of society. His multifaceted activities, his dedication to the struggle for peace and reunification, as well as his love for humanity established him as a symbol of our common homeland. He was a leader who fought in the name of reunification, peace, and social justice.

Dear compatriots,

Abdullah Korkmazan’s book is a reminder that our struggle for peace and reunification is timeless, and that our history includes people like Özgür, who inspire and guide us through their example.

I warmly congratulate Abdullah Korkmazan on writing this book. He was fortunate to be one of the few of his generation who shaped his political consciousness from a very young age at the side of Özker Özgür.

At this point, I would also like to thank the family of Özker Özgür, both for their presence at tonight’s event and for giving the author access to Özgür’s personal archive. As a result, after many years of research, this very important document on the political history of our country was created.

This document is also a legacy for us, in terms of AKEL’s long-standing relations with the Turkish Cypriot community and especially with the progressive forces. I would like to emphasize that we maintain and protect these relations as our precious crown jewel, because not only are they part of our political DNA, but mainly because they are one of the most important tools for promoting a solution to the Cyprus problem – from the level of official talks to the level of relations between ordinary people in the country. That is precisely why rapprochement is a key policy area for us.

In fact, and I must stress this, AKEL does not exclude from these relations those Turkish Cypriots who have no ideological or political ties with us. On the contrary, AKEL engages in a dialogue and extends a hand to all those who are seeking and working for the reunification of our homeland and people within the framework of a federal solution. Of course, having common goals does not mean that we do not have different approaches. And that is legitimate and to be expected. However, any differences will be resolved through dialogue, contacts, and mutual understanding. This is the way forward—in fact, this is the only way forward for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

On the contrary, approaches that view the Cyprus problem as a stand projecting permanent protest, approaches characterised by petty political exploitation, and approaches with nationalist rhetoric are alien to us. We live in a time when, unfortunately, the far right is gaining strength, and this is not at all good for the prospects of a solution. Beyond the fact that the far right poisons society with its nationalist, racist, and hateful messages, its presence also influences other parties which, under pressure from the far right, legitimise its agenda and rhetoric, thereby causing even more problems. The worst thing, of course, is that they are perpetuating the de facto partition and putting the Cyprus problem itself to rest.

Despite the difficulties of our times, AKEL remains a champion of dialogue and a federal solution: a solution in which Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will jointly manage their common bicommunal state; a solution that will not make the island hostage to “mother countries” and imperialist centres; a solution that will put the common interests of the two communities above their differences.

The recent vote of a new leadership at the helm of the Turkish Cypriot community creates new hope for positive developments surrounding the Cyprus problem.

As AKEL, we are ready to support a new procedure, which must start from the point where the talks at Crans-Montana were interrupted, on the basis of the Guterres Framework and preserving the entire negotiating acquis. Through many years of negotiations and efforts, the two communities have managed to agree on many important issues and aspects of the Cyprus problem, and we must not lose this result. We must not overlook the fact that the UN Secretary-General stated that at Crans-Montana we were just one mile away from a solution. This is where we must resume the negotiations from: just one mile away from a solution!

I congratulate Abdullah Korkmazhan once again and wish the Greek edition of the book every success, as was the case with the Turkish edition. On our part, we assure you that we will support this very important and wonderful journey.

Thank you all.