“National togetherness” – a refuge for every fraudster

Article by Yiannakis Colocasides, member of the C.C. of AKEL

14 July 2019 “Haravgi” newspaper

For some time now we have been in the asterism of “national togetherness”. The governing ruling forces should be grateful to Turkey for this as its invasion in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone has come as a perfect fit for them. It is incredibly convenient, both for them and all those other forces and circles, namely those who are always “concerned”, but who paradoxically have stopped being concerned. On the contrary, they are all rubbing their hands with glee. As they themselves say, the government is pursuing their own policy even to some extent.

With Turkey in Cyprus’ waters it is imperative that “national togetherness” prevails so that we confront it, according to their logic. Everything else, such as, for example, the stalemate on the Cyprus problem, the approaching partition before us and the catastrophic policy implemented by Anastasiades-DISY are all being hidden from sight.

Resorting to the need for “national togetherness” is a recurring phenomenon in modern Cypriot and Greek history. Whenever the given ruling powers wanted to hide existing burning issues under the carpet or to promote/disguise disastrous policies, they remember “national togetherness”. There are countless examples one can cite. But that’s not what’s at stake here.

According to this logic it is imperative that “national togetherness” should prevail in order to supposedly confront Turkey’s threats. Furthermore, the governing ruling forces would be happy, and all those coordinating their steps with them, if they would manage to impose this so-called “national togetherness”. Namely, that every opposing differing voice were to be silenced, and that we should all be elated engaging in battle fighting talk or, more correctly, by slamming Turkey with denunciations.

AKEL however comes to spoil and ruin this idyllic scene, because it refuses to play the game of the government ruling forces. AKEL, of course, denounces and condemns Turkey’s illegal actions, but at the same time it continues to point out the grave responsibilities of Anastasiades and the governing DISY party for the dangerous deadlocks which they have led us to. Moreover, AKEL shows the way we can overcome these deadlocks. Thousands of citizens are aligning themselves with AKEL; citizens concerned and afraid of the future of our country.

It isn’t the first time that AKEL is spoiling the picture of “national togetherness”. It has done so many times in the past. AKEL was vilified, suffered attacks, but it has been vindicated. I wish, for the good of Cyprus, that AKEL won’t be vindicated this time as well.

The majority of the mass media have also been deployed in this celebration of “national togetherness”. The government’s mass media mouthpieces gladly and with satisfaction announce and comment on the warlike communiqués issued by the government and parties against Turkey, while at the same time speaking with evident maliciousness and spitefulness against AKEL’s policy and positions. History is again repeating itself.

At the end of the day, the easiest thing to do is to blast Turkey, while telling people what they want to hear for internal consumption purposes. You don’t need anything more than a big dose of big empty talk, sloganeering along with a dose of nationalist fervor.

The difficult way forward is to pursue a policy that will force Turkey either to cooperate for the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of UN resolutions or for Turkey to be exposed internationally as being in truth intransigent.

The question for Anastasiades, the leadership of DISY and many others is whether they really want to pave the way for a solution on the basis of the resolutions of the UN, which also provides for the “cursed” Bi-Zonal, Bi-communal Federation, or whether what they really want is in fact a second Greek state, even if in half of Cyprus. It is another story, of course, how immense the illusion is about the latter option. It’s something resembling the “Megali Idea” that led to the Asia Minor Catastrophe.

“National togetherness” can easily lead to a new catastrophe via the “uncompromising militant” path. Besides, nationalism, powerful economic interests and political careers, built on the given situations in half of Cyprus, have for some time been working in this direction.

It is an honor for AKEL that it doesn’t play the game of “national togetherness” and that it continues to wage the struggle for a free, united and federal Cyprus.