Delegation of AKEL in Turkey

 

 

Delegation of AKEL headed by the General Secretary of the CC AKEL visited Turkey between the 19th and 21th of January after the invitation received by the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), where they had a series of contacts. The delegation was also attended by Costas Christodoulides member of the CC and Head of the Bureau of International and European Affairs of the CC AKEL and by Marina Savva, Office Director of A. Kyprianou. In addition to meetings held in Turkey, A. Kyprianou attended as speaker on the Cyprus Issue at a conference of GPOT Center of Istanbul Kultur University while he also met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The Turkish communists call for a just solution of
the Cyprus problem
The member of the CC the TKP, Kemal Okuyan, who met in Istanbul
with the delegation of the party, reiterated the support of the Turkish
communists in the anti-occupation struggle of all Cypriots. After an
exchange of views on the Cyprus problem, they came to the conclusion
that it is urgent to solve the problem in a just manner, but they noted
that the developments are negative. The TKP suggested that the political
situation in Turkey has become more intense and the Cyprus
problem has deteriorated dramatically in the public debate in the country.
We remind that the TKP has diachronically favoured a settlement
of the Cyprus problem away from the imperialist interventions that
have created it in the first place. The TKP demands the termination of
the Turkish military occupation and colonization, while it stresses that
the solution of the Cyprus problem should release the island from all
foreign military bases. The TKP supports – through its Decisions – the
policies of AKEL on a solution based on principles. At the same time,
the TKP supports solidarity between peoples and workers of Cyprus,
Turkey and Greece for their release from imperialist interventions.
At the meeting with K. Okuyan, after analysing the developments in
the region, it was affirmed that the only way is the common struggle
against the cries of war of the powerful of the earth trying to reshape
the Middle East in a way that serves the interests of the “new world
order”. The two parties reaffirmed their position of resistance against
foreign interventions and the policy of “divide and rule”, tools used to
spread bloodshed in a number of countries in the region. The TKP
also indicated that the neo – Ottoman policy of the Erdogan government
created and is facing several difficulties, focusing on the intervention
in Syria.
The meeting also dealt with the economic and political developments
in Turkey. The TKP noted that the economic situation in Turkey
(termed “economic miracle” of neoliberal circles and the Erdogan government
itself) is based on a bubble as it was the economy of Greece
a few years ago. Additionally, the TKP underlined the necessity for the
masses in Turkey to promote the struggle for their own alternative instead
of a choice between the reactionaries former allies of Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen. The TKP reiterated that it struggles
for socialism and sent the message that it fights for: the immediate
resignation of the government of Erdogan and President Gul, clearing
the state from religious reactionary battalions, trial of those involved
in corruption, re-trial of all civil proceedings against Erdogan, prosecution
of those responsible for the deadly crackdown last summer, the
democratization of justice, removal of the electoral threshold of 10%
and trial of those who were involved in war crimes in the intervention
in Syria.

Meeting of AKEL with ODP
The delegation of AKEL also met with the co-chairman
of the “Party of Freedom and Solidarity” (ODP), Bilge
Sequin. They discussed the situation in Turkey, especially
in the social sphere. Bilge Sequin suggested that
the movement during the events of the park Geza summer
of 2013 was greatly reinforced by young people of
18-34 years since, according to surveys, young people
exceeded 60% of the protesters. The co-chair of the ODP deemed that
the role and undemocratic way by which Erdogan used to crush the
protesters was not enough to crash the movement, while it subsided
only when the movement itself deemed it necessary. At the same time,
ODP suggests that Erdogan may be facing great opposition from the
outside, but he is actually the dominant figure in AKP.
We remind that the ODP program supports a peaceful solution of the
Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation
where Greek and Turkish Cypriots will co-exist peacefully.

Andros Kyprianou as keynote speaker at the
University of Instanbul Kultur: Federation the
only solution to the Cyprus problem
Finally, the General Secretary of the CC of AKEL was the key speaker
at an event on the Cyprus problem held at the Istanbul Culture University,
entitled “Recent developments in the Cyprus problem. Which
are the prospects?”. Andros Kyprianou stressed that only a federation
may be accepted as the solution to the Cyprus problem, rejecting the
division of Cyprus into two states. He also emphasized that the status
quo cannot continue for much longer because it will lead to a solution
of two states, adding that this is why AKEL seeks the initiation of the
talks soon. “In the past, T/C and G/C lived peacefully. Why can’t they
again?” asked A. Kyprianou.
At the same time, the General Secretary of the CC of AKEL pointed
to the intransigent and delaying tactics of the Turkish Cypriot leader
Dervis Eroglu in the talks, as opposed to the convergences reached on
specific issues during the negotiations with the previous
T/C leader, Mehmet Ali Talat. Additionally, Andros Kyprianou
reiterated that the support for Turkey’s european accession
course, is dependent upon Turkey fulfilling all its
obligations, clarifying however that the opening of chapters
23 and 24 that Ankara is now asking, the reasons why they
were blocked still hold.
Finally, the Secretary of the CC of AKEL said
that “the natural resources of island, including
the hydrocarbons, are the common heritage of
all Cypriots and therefore within the framework
of a solution, our Turkish Cypriot compatriots
must be assured that they will enjoy
those benefits of this invaluable good.”