AKEL Central Committee Declaration on Cyprus Independence Day
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 30th September 2018, Nicosia
AKEL, on the occasion of the anniversary of Cyprus Independence Day, addresses a militant greeting to the whole of the Cypriot people: Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins. AKEL calls on our people to continue the struggle to end the Turkish occupation and reunify our homeland.
The proclamation of Cyprus Independence and with it, the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, was the culmination of fierce and long struggles. Cyprus rid Cyprus Independence rid Cyprus and its people of colonialism, but unfortunately did not liberate it from dependencies and commitments.
Cyprus Independence was shackled by burdensome terms and preconditions that the British colonialists – with the cooperation of the then governments of Greece and Turkey – took care to incorporate in the well-known Zurich-London Agreements.
The fettered independence was the result, on the one hand, of the machinations and scheming of British colonialism to ensure their continued presence on our island, as well as of NATO too which wanted Cyprus tied to its aggressive machine in order to be able to promote its devious plans in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. On the other hand, the curtailed independence was the result of the short-sighted policy of the Cypriot Right, which did not permit the formation of a united front of the whole people against the colonial power, and which remained fixed on its anti-communism and illusions.
Unfortunately, the Republic of Cyprus in its first crucial years of life had few supporters, both domestically and abroad. On the internal front, the ruling forces in the Greek Cypriot community viewed independence as a stepping stone to the union of Cyprus with Greece, while in the Turkish Cypriot community it was seen as a stepping stone towards partition. Against this backdrop, the external conspiracies and foreign interventions, which mainly invested in nationalism and chauvinism in both Cypriot communities, found a fertile ground. The Republic of Cyprus instead of being backed and supported was undermined and combated. The two communities of Cyprus instead of cooperating found themselves in conflict.
The culmination of the problems and conspiracies was the twin crime that was planned by NATO and executed against Cyprus in the summer of 1974: the treacherous coup d’état of the junta of Greece and EOKA B and the barbaric Turkish invasion of Attila. Since then, Cyprus the wounds caused by the Turkish occupation and de facto partition, which threaten the future of our country and people, remain open.
The safeguarding of the future of our country and people demands the end of the occupation and the reunification of our homeland and people. This can only be achieved by the peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem through negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
Fifty-eight years after the proclamation of Cyprus Independence, the Cyprus problem is currently at a very critical turning point. The resumption of the talks is the only way to keep the window of hope open for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
In anticipation of the decisions of the UN Secretary-General on the prospect of the negotiations, it is imperative that remain consistent to the agreed basis for the solution of bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant United Nations resolutions. At the same time, it is imperative that the President of the Republic must clearly, without terms, preconditions and footnotes, state his readiness to continue the negotiations, as the UN Secretary-General himself has for some time defined.
The political will of everyone will be tested at the negotiation table. That’s precisely where all the involved parties, and primarily Turkey, will be judged as to whether they are ready to work together to achieve a solution, as described in the UN resolutions on Cyprus. For a Cyprus free from the occupation and colonization; a united Cyprus, with human rights and fundamental freedoms safeguarded. A Cyprus that will ensure lasting peace, security and prosperity for all its inhabitants.
Honoring the anniversary of Cyprus Independence, AKEL expresses its gratitude to all those who have fought and sacrificed their lives to gain its freedom, for the defense of independence, territorial integrity, democracy and legality in our country.
AKEL honors and is at the side of the relatives of our missing persons and enclaved people (in the occupied areas), the war-stricken people and the refugees. It honors our people, who is struggling in adverse conditions for its vindication.
The Central Committee of AKEL
