Intervention of Georgos Loucaides, Press Spokesperson of the C.C. of AKEL, at the meeting of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot parties under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic
Theme: “The role of the political forces and society in the new effort to find a solution of the Cyprus problem”
Ledra Palace, 27th May 2015
Your Excellency Ambassador of the Slovak Republic,
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of AKEL I welcome you all to today’s meeting of our parties. Allow me to use this opportunity to thank once again the Slovak Government and more specifically the Ambassador for the on-going deep interest and facilities provided to us over many years.
Maintaining this custom over the years of meetings between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties on its own demonstrates the necessity of the existence and usefulness of this forum of dialogue and the development of joint action between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties.
Our meeting today, dear colleagues, is taking place in the light of two significant developments on the Cyprus problem.
The assumption by Mr. Akinci of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and the decision of 15th May 2015 for the resumption of the negotiations between the leaders of the two communities aiming at the achievement of a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem.
These developments have strengthened the hope and aspiration for an overall solution of the Cyprus problem after some years. Despite many disappointments our people has witnessed in previous decades, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, have been encouraged, and although cautious, are optimistic that this time it is possible for our homeland to fulfill the noble goal of peace, stability and security.
Without illusions concerning the high degree of difficulty that will exist also in this attempt to solve the Cyprus problem, as AKEL we are convinced that a window of opportunity has opened which the leaders of the two communities, the political forces and our people must grasp in the best possible way.
This is the reason we have chosen the theme of today’s meeting.
Allow me to clarify from the beginning that we are fully aware of the decisive role Turkey plays in the effort to solve the Cyprus problem. We also realize that the political forces cannot replace the leaders of the two communities in the procedure of the negotiations.
At the same time however we strongly believe that the role of the political forces and society is still of crucial importance in the efforts to find a solution and the utilization of the window of opportunity.
This is precisely what we would like today’s meeting to focus on. Namely, trying to outline together some basic parameters as to what the role of the political parties and society should be in the critical period ahead of us.
Allow me to submit some of our own thoughts and reflections, which objectively cannot be exhaustive.
We consider as paramount and most important the need for the political forces to remain steadfast and consistent to the agreed and internationally acceptable framework search for a solution, which is bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. Anything different, from whoever it may derive from, is a recipe for disaster and perpetuates the occupational and partitionist status quo, as well as harboring deadly dangers for our country.
The new effort that has began must be embraced in a positive and creative way, not boundlessly, but neither based on considerations and expediencies, aphoristic analyses, the cultivation of syndromes of fear and permanent negativism so that the hope for a solution will not be killed from the outset.
Consequently, the forces that believe in the peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem must as never before isolate politically the nationalist-chauvinist forces who are continuing to invest in fear and in the dark blood-stained and filled with pain pages of the past of our country’s contemporary history.
Of critical importance is the need to forge a mass and popular movement for the solution and reunification. The common struggle, besides common will, also presupposes of course a common framework of policies and positions on the various aspects of the Cyprus problem. This is the only way possible to decisively influence the decision-making centres in the two communities, Turkey itself, as well as important decision-making centres on an international level that play a role in the procedure.
For the elaboration of a common framework of policies on various aspects of the Cyprus problem it is imperative that a dialogue on a bilateral and multilateral level is conducted, as this established custom of ours demonstrates.
Such a procedure will not of course replace, but can act in a helpful, supplementary and possibly corrective way to the negotiations at the level of the leaders of the communities.
The implementation of Confidence Building Measures, whilst not leading to a solution of the Cyprus problem on their own, improve the day-to-day life of citizens and mainly facilitate and assist towards creating and maintaining a positive and hopeful climate, which in turn affects positively the effort to find a comprehensive solution. Therefore it is necessary that we encourage the leaders to continue to assume initiatives towards this end, without of course this leading to becoming distracted from the substance, which is the overall solution of the problem.
In addition, the political forces must utilize all the available channels of communication so that citizens are informed of the positions and views of each party with regards the solution of the Cyprus problem. The organization of common and open round table discussions in both communities, the utilization of the available mass media, the internet and social network means can also contribute significantly to the channeling of information concerning the positions, policy and concerns of our parties to the citizens of both communities.
Our parties must at the same time continue to assume bilateral and multilateral activities and initiatives, besides the political level. Towards this end it would be useful if a plan of joint activities is elaborated with a cultural, sports, environmental and other content.
Experience has also shown how important the assumption of joint initiatives on a trade union, youth movement, women’s and other level; initiatives that must be taken in the immediate coming period.
Correspondingly at the level of society the further contact and cooperation between organized groups, professional associations and NGO’s must be encouraged.
Your Excellency Mrs. Ambassador,
Dear colleagues,
As I have already mentioned the proposals we have tabled by their very object could not have been comprehensive, nor detailed.
However, we hope that they constitute an adequate basis upon which our meeting today can build on. Principally we hope these will enable us to formulate a common consensual outlook and perception about the role we as political forces must play in both communities.
This represents a challenge, but also a minimal obligation to our people and mainly towards the future generations, for the political forces to do everything possible to influence in a positive way the effort to find a solution by making use of the window of opportunity that has been created.
We will not tire in repeating that we will never compromise with partition, regardless of the content this may take. This small island was and remains big enough to embrace all of us. No one should fear the prospect of a solution and reunification through the achievement of an honorable compromise; nor should anyone also fear what one community will give to the other, clarifying of course at the same time that this does not include any third parties. We are certain that the benefits from the solution and reunification of our homeland will more than compensate whatever whatever each community will give to one another with in the framework of an honorable and fair compromise. Such a solution will benefit not only Cyprus and our people, but also stability, peace and security in our wider region as a whole.
