Intervention at the “Moment of Solidarity” event: “End the Turkish Occupation of Cyprus!”

 

Saturday, 3rd September, “Avante” Festival, Portugal

Dear comrades,

I welcome you all to today’s “Moment of Solidarity” with the struggle of the Cypriot people to end the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. I would like to start by expressing our gratitude to the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) for yet again showing its internationalist solidarity with the Cypriot people. A solidarity that extends to our relations and struggles on numerous other levels.

Dear comrades,

Cyprus is a small island in the troubled region of the Middle East. A region where imperialism’s plans are torturing the peoples of the region, such as those of Palestine and Syria.  Our region has been a crossing of peoples and cultures for centuries. As Cyprus is a crossroads of three continents, it is of immense geopolitical importance. After numerous occupations, Cyprus became a British colony in 1878. The British, as the colonial masters of the island, on the one hand, looted the island’s resources. On the other hand, they left the seeds of discord between the two biggest communities, the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with their “divide and rule” policy.

These seeds of discord were watered with the blood shed caused by the actions of chauvinists in each community through the crimes that began to be committed in 1958. These crimes, together with the coup d’état executed by the Greek junta in 1974, opened the back doors for Turkey to invade our island, on the pretext of protecting the Turkish Cypriots. Of course, Turkey came neither to restore the constitutional order, nor to save the Turkish Cypriots. We should point out that both the coup and the Turkish invasion were extensions of NATO’s orchestrated plans that sought to put our island under its control.

Since 1974 Turkey has been occupying 37% of our island’s territory. It maintains 40,000 troops, military bases and continues to colonise the occupied areas of Cyprus. More generally, the occupied part of our island is proportionally one of the most militarized areas in the world.

AKEL continues to highlight the path of the joint struggle by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for a solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, in accordance with the relevant Resolutions of the UN. A solution that will lead to the demilitarisation of Cyprus. A solution that will free our island from foreign dependencies and the Turkish occupation. A solution to which the two communities of Cyprus have committed themselves to before the international community since 1977. A solution that is supported by the progressive forces of our country in both communities. A solution that can make Cypriots the real masters of their own homeland and not any third party and powers.

As AKEL, we believe that our island’s energy resources, basically natural gas, must be turned into a tool for promoting the solution. On the contrary, at the moment these resources are becoming a source of barren confrontation.

There have always been numerous attempts to solve the Cyprus problem. Since 2008, when AKEL was at the helm of the country, negotiations started at the level of the two communities. With the change of power in the both communities there have been various setbacks in this procedure. The last major phase took place at the Crans Montana talks in 2017 when we were actually just a breath away from reaching an agreement. AKEL, from its position as an opposition party, backed the procedure. Regrettably, the procedure collapsed mainly due to the responsibility of Turkey, but unfortunately also due to the responsibility of the Greek Cypriot leader.

AKEL continued the struggle during and after the talks broke down, both on the political level, as well as in the streets through mobilisations together with the progressive forces of both communities.

A series of negative developments followed from 2017 to date. The procedure for the solution of the Cyprus problem is at an impasse. Turkey once again found an opportunity to challenge the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic Cyprus with its continuous violations of the International Law of the Sea.

On the other hand, the Greek Cypriot leader with his handlings on the Cyprus problem has lost his credibility on the domestic front, as well as internationally.

With Turkey’s blessing and direct involvement in the 2020 vote procedure in the occupied areas, Ersin Tatar, a puppet of Erdogan, assumed the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot leadership. A leader who does not represent the will of the majority of Turkish Cypriots. Tatar and Turkey are for the first time putting forward the unacceptable position for a two state solution.

They have also started to open up part of the occupied until recently enclosed and fenced-off city of Famagusta in violation of the Resolutions of the UN. A development which, among other things, serves to further advance the interests of the capital aligned to Turkey’s ruling AKP party. Famagusta, the most developed city on the island until 1974, was not only captured and seized by Turkey, but was designated as a closed military zone, thus becoming a “ghost town” and ended up symbolizing the drama of the ongoing occupation. You can find out more about this issue in the postcard and in a video we have prepared and can provide you with.

At the same time, the progressive Turkish Cypriots are waging a struggle to preserve their communal identity and will from Turkey. They are struggling against the machinations and plans aimed at their social, economic and cultural assimilation.

AKEL has always been at the forefront of the mass political struggle of the Cypriot people, inspired by its Marxist and class-based ideology. AKEL to this day remains in solidarity with all the progressive forces of the country and is continuing the struggle to reverse the current situation with the submission of political proposals and by mobilising the people. Within this context, we are struggling to win the country’s next presidential elections due to take place next February.

The expression of international solidarity, especially of our comrades internationally, is as always precious. We grasp this opportunity to convey yet again the gratitude of the Central Committee of AKEL for the consistent and principled solidarity and ongoing support of the fraternal PCP to the struggle being waged by the Cypriot people.

The mere fact that throughout all the years of AKEL’s presence at the “Avante” Festival we find that many of you – visitors, friends and members of the Party – know about the Cyprus problem, also highlights the substantive internationalist activity and especially on the Cyprus issue which the Portuguese Communist Party is carrying out.

Long live the struggle of the Cypriot people!

Long live internationalist solidarity!