AKEL denounces speech at the official memorial service for those who fell fighting the invasion
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th July 2017, Nicosia
The speech made by Mr. Chris Triantafyllides (Note: leading official of the ruling DISY party and appointed by President Anastasiades to the negotiating team) at the official memorial service for army officers and soldiers killed during the invasion was, to say the least, unacceptable and provocative. In front of the political leadership of the country, much of what he said constitutes a recipe, not for the solution of the Cyprus problem, but for perpetuating the partition and presence of the Turkish occupation troops and settlers in Cyprus.
Mr. Triantafyllides is entitled to his views, to express and defend them. However, the podium of the official memorial service cannot be used to submit opinions that have nothing to do with the official positions of the Greek Cypriot side and the Republic of Cyprus in general on the Cyprus problem.
During these critical times our country is going through, especially after the failure at the Crans Montana conference, everyone must reflect on their responsibilities as regards the future of our country. In particular, the President of the Republic must realize his own responsibilities, whose contradictions and regressions on the Cyprus problems, breed and generate such views like those of Mr. Triantafyllides, who up until recently was a member of the support group to the negotiator.
The choice of the speaker at the service was apparently made by the Church, which organizes the annual memorial service for the fallen of the invasion. The fact that on the anniversary of the invasion a speaker was chosen to divide and not to unite is the Church’s responsibility. We express our regret for this action.
We express our regret and anger also about the fact that both at the Tomb of Makedonitisa and at the official memorial service at the Panagia Faneromeni Church the “Golden Dawn” party attended and laid a wreath, at the same time as the Greek political parties were represented by the Second Vice-President of the Greek Parliament. We wonder who made this arrangement.
