Address by the General of Secretary AKEL at the Conference on “The Left and the Cyprus problem” at the “House of Cooperation”

AKEL C.C. Press Office, Saturday 13th May 2017, Nicosia

On behalf of the C.C. of AKEL, I warmly greet your conference and wish every success in its deliberations. Our wish and hope is that the forces fighting for a just solution to the Cyprus problem and the reunification of the country grow stronger so that they can be at the forefront of this struggle. Such events and discussions as the one taking place today, strengthen all our arguments in the daily political battles we are waging.

The subject of today’s Conference itself is a huge chapter for the history of the country and the People’s Movement of the Left. “The Left and the Cyprus problem” is an issue that we could discuss for days. I know that each one of you has different views on the Left’s role over time during the course of the Cyprus problem. However, I am sure that together we can identify and acknowledge some basic truths.

The Left was the first to recognize the Turkish Cypriot community as representing our equal compatriots.

The Left was the first to rally and unite both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in waging political and social struggles together.

The Left was the first to combat the irredentism of the Right, speaking of the need to conduct a common anti-colonial struggle, subsequently for independence and a common state.

The Left was the first to dare attach a practical content to the vision of a common state, with the submission of unifying proposals at the negotiating table with the aim of abolishing ethnic confrontation which led to so many wounds in our country’s body.

The Left was the first to defy any political cost and undertake the political task of defending historical truth.

It spoke out openly about what kind of a solution we want.

It transferred the Cyprus problem from the closed doors of the negotiation room and placed it at the centre of the public debate.

It spoke up about the hundreds of Greek Cypriots, but also Turkish Cypriots who fell victims of nationalism on either side.

In saying all this, it doesn’t mean that the Left can or should talk about the Cyprus problem perched on a high stool. Our philosophy doesn’t permit us to do so, but neither the mistakes that from time to time were committed. It would be woeful if we didn’t have the courage to talk about these mistakes as well. We do not therefore speak arrogantly as if we are faultless. We do not preach and give lessons on the Cyprus problem. We learn lessons from the Cyprus problem. We will adamantly insist on reminding everyone of all that the course of the Cyprus problem has taught us to date.

We should draw the correct conclusions from the past so as to build a better future.

To do so we first of all need the young generation of this country to learn about our History.

We need to stop cultivating and nurturing “generals”, “Marshalls” and “super-patriots”.

We should dispel myths.

We should acknowledge that not every force played the same role and has the same responsibilities, whether inside Cyprus or abroad, as to how our country ended up with the barbed wire of division, checkpoints, and the huge Turkish flag on the Pentadactylos mountain range in the occupied territories.

The laying of wreaths at the graves of the protagonists who committed the betrayal against Cyprus and its people must stop.

Above all, the exoneration and pardoning of their descendants must also end.

The appeasing of the monster of neo-fascism must be terminated.

More than four decades after the coup d’état and invasion, we haven’t managed to unite around the goal of the agreed solution. We haven’t managed to overcome narrow-minded approaches and short-sighted perceptions. Not everyone acknowledges what should be self-evident, that is when the feasible is sacrificed for the sake of the desirable, we and our Cyprus face great dangers. If we want to look to the future with optimism, we must minimize Turkey’s possibilities to play games against Cyprus and the Cypriot people as a whole.

Anyone studying the modern history of the Cyprus problem can easily conclude that whenever we have chosen to abandon what has been agreed at the negotiating table for petty-political and other considerations, we consequently faced adventures, each time even more dangerous than before.

Whenever we attempted to distance ourselves from the agreed framework, Turkey found the opportunity to officially put its own unacceptable positions on the table, while the Greek Cypriot side was apportioned responsibilities for the deadlocks.

Our contemporary history is full of such examples. Listening today yet again to the vague proposal for the adoption of a “new strategy” one really wonders the following: has history at long last taught us anything at all? After so many years haven’t we still managed to pursue the path of attaining the feasible?

But there are other things that the history of the Cyprus problem must teach us.

Another irrefutable truth is that each time there was stagnation in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, without our side appearing and recorded as not being responsible for it, Turkey found the opportunity to promote unhindered its goal of upgrading the pseudo-state in the occupied areas. This must never be forgotten. This mustn’t make Mr. Anastasiades complacent not even for a single moment, even though he seems to have already taken his decisions. He has decided to subordinate everything to serving the goal of his re-election to the Presidency. We will not tire of reiterating the following to him: the future generations will be talking about a huge historical mistake being committed.

One cannot characterize otherwise the fact that that now we have reached an advanced stage with maps having been submitted at the negotiating table and with Turkey facing us at the table on the issue of security, we have given up the effort and commenced a pre-election campaign.

It isn’t late for the President of the Republic to demonstrate political will and negotiate the solution of the Cyprus problem with dedication to principles, flexibility in tactics, consistency and persistence on long-standing positions and in line with the agreed framework. He should exhaust every possibility so that an agreement on a just, functional and viable solution to the Cyprus problem is agreed.

In saying all this, let me clarify for the umpteenth time that the Turkish side is primarily responsible for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem with its provocations, aggressive stand and intransigent positions. This stand is timeless, not just some current phenomenon. This stand does not relieve us of our own responsibilities. We state that we really want a solution. Our stand however must make it harder and not facilitate the Turkish side in promoting its goals. That is what AKEL demands Mr. Anastasiades should do, not supposedly to proceed to concessions or sell out his country.

We address an appeal to all Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots who are struggling for the reunification of the country and dreaming of a peaceful future for Cyprus, to struggle with us from every front and podium to support any initiative undertaken by the People’s Movement of the Cypriot Left, in order to convey a powerful and mighty message, that is peace in Cyprus cannot be hindered, that the solution and reunification can and must be achieved!