It’s provocative and disrespectful the DIKO leadership, which became became a tail of ultra-right wing ELAM, to accuse AKEL
Statement by Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 21st February 2017, Nicosia
It is provocative and disrespectful for the leadership of the Democratic Party DIKO, which became a tail of ultra-right wing ELAM on the issue of the Enosis referendum, to accuse AKEL of supposedly fomenting the unjustifiable and condemnable Turkish reactions.
It is the decision approved by the majority of the House of Representatives for the Enosis referendum to be commemorated – to which DIKO was a part of –, which triggered Turkish reactions and gave the pretext for a toughening of Turkey’s provocativeness and intransigence. And, indeed, at a time when the issue of guarantees and security is at long last under discussion and while we are making a huge effort to free ourselves from the guarantees. Turkey is exploiting the opportunity which the leadership of DIKO gave so as to promote its arguments about the necessity of the existence of guarantees.
It is absurd, on one hand, for the leadership of DIKO to acknowledge that Turkey is seeking pretexts to cause problems and on the other hand, to accuse AKEL that it is fomenting its reactions. Those who are fomenting the reactions are precisely those with their vote and abstention on the amendment tabled by ELAM gave the pretext.
Whether the leadership of the Democratic Party understands this or not, the pretext was given by its vote in favour of this amendment and Turkey is exploiting it.
