Speech by Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of the C.C. OF AKEL, at the mass meeting to condemn the black anniversaries of the fascist coup d’état and Turkish invasion
15TH July 2015, Aglantzia, Nicosia
March 1966. The newspapers wrote: “If Makarios wishes to redeem himself somewhat he is obliged today without hesitation to combat and stamp out AKEL. If the force of the texts of laws is not enough, he should make sure to introduce new legislation. The banning and prohibition of AKEL is today a national need. AKEL is a branch of Moscow. Its existence is a provocation and a danger”.
March 1970. All over Cyprus leaflets were circulated by the self-styled “Friends of the National Revolution”[1] threatening that “the Phoenix[2] of Greek history will not be complacent. The communists are too petty and worthless to aggravate us and prisons do exist.”
That same year George Grivas Digenis[3] was concerned about AKEL’s influence among the people and wrote “the results of the parliamentary elections in Cyprus should not make us indifferent. They show a significant increase in the number of communist votes and highlight the future danger of communism for the Island.”
The newspapers continued in the same tone: “The National Centre[4] opposes the tactics of AKEL. This is how the Party’s plans and objectives are to be destroyed, but this also means its final destruction because it will be outlawed and its cadres will be exiled. This is the reason why the decision has been taken to establish armed groups in cities and the countryside.”
During the same period Vassiliades of the ESEA organization[5] told the Greek junta ambassador in Nicosia Lagakos: “Makarios must be overthrown and may I see even behind bars Nicosia burning…”
There are two conclusions to be drawn from these references. The first is that the crime of treason, the coup d’état of the Greek junta and EOKA B that massacred our people, was not some “stupid action” or the result of “national division”. It was a premeditated and preplanned crime.
The second conclusion to be drawn is that the biggest obstacle to the plans of imperialism and nationalism was AKEL and its steadfast policy line for a non-aligned, independent and sovereign Cyprus, the common homeland of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
This is the reason why AKEL had to be exterminated at any cost; why it had to be annihilated. This was the goal and not the salvation of the Homeland. This goal was served by undemocratic and petty people; people with a fascist mentality fuelled by their anti-AKEL hatred, which turned them into pawns of the imperialists. This same anti-AKEL fury still exists today in many minds.
The US and NATO had never renounced the goal of the subjugation of Cyprus in order to serve their interests. They incited and fermented clashes between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots without difficulty at all. In the Greek Cypriot community, nationalism and chauvinism perceived the independence of Cyprus as a stepping stone for Enosis[6]. Inside the Turkish Cypriot community independence was viewed as a stepping stone to partition. Those who had targeted Cyprus began to “offer” their services as so-called “intermediaries”. The various plans submitted by Ball, Lemnitser, Acheson, Cyrus Vance[7] all had the same objective – the overthrow of Makarios and the reversal of the non-aligned policy he followed; shackling Cyprus to the NATO machine and conceding part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus to Turkey. The message conveyed by Ball[8] in 1964 to the US embassies in Athens and London is revealing. This message stated that the permanent Greek military division in Cyprus has the power to “deal with Makarios” if an order was issued by Athens and that perhaps Grivas could assume this responsibility…
The plans to assassinate Makarios were being elaborated and hatched one after another. The goal was specific: to murder Makarios, provoke conditions of civil conflict, intervention and the subsequent seizing of power by the military in order to supposedly avoid the outbreak of a civil war. This is why Grivas arrived in Cyprus illegally in order to implement this plan. In late 1971 the EOKA B armed underground organization was already set up. Immediately after its establishment, EOKA B launched the preparation for the execution of the coup d’état at all levels. It began to bring in Cyprus illegal weapons. It organized its financing and began planning the coup d’état. In the 3 and a half years during which Grivas was the leader of EOKA B, but earlier on as well, numerous plans to overthrow Makarios and seize power were prepared: the “Hermes”, “Sfendoni”, “Apollon”, “Fist”, “Typhon” and “Retaliation” Plans, which targeted political figures, among them the late General Secretary of AKEL Ezekias Papaioannou, as well as newspaper offices, such as AKEL’s daily newspaper “Haravgi”. Lastly, the “Victory” plan for a coup d’état was signed by Grivas himself. Political assassinations, the blowing up of government buildings, bullying and beatings were on the daily agenda of the fascist EOKA B organization.
As the Greek independence fighter Makrygiannis wrote “those who committed the crime, resent it because they wanted both the evil act and their interests. At the same time they also wanted to be called good patriots as well. And this is impossible”. Every July the political descendants of Grivas and EOKA B are restless and feel uncomfortable. They cannot stand the fact that History is so stubborn. They cannot stand how the graves of our heroes, the tears of the black clad mother holding the frame of the picture of her beloved one who is still missing are staring at them. They can’t stand the fact that those who saw them raise their machine guns against our people are still live and that they still remember. They cannot stand the fact that the truth withstood to this day. This is the reason why they inject in the debate various pretexts to disorientate.
AKEL will never stop reminding the people of the truth. Not everyone had and fulfilled the same role. The Soviet Union was on one side, defending the Republic of Cyprus. The US and NATO was on the opposite side, elaborating and preparing plans for dissolving the Republic of Cyprus and promoting the partition of our country. We didn’t all have the same role. On one side AKEL, and with it the vast majority of the Cypriot people, were united around the non-alignment policy pursued by Makarios. On one side a handful of EOKA B, conscious fascists. On the other side, thousands of honest patriots who gave their blood for democracy and freedom. On one side those forces of the junta who betrayed, who as soon as the invasion came ran to hide in the mountains or in hospitals so that they wouldn’t go to fight. They reappeared only when there was no danger. Years later they were established in society with their suits, in comfortable chairs and in positions of power. They were at ease, finding refuge within the ranks of the party of the Right. But mostly they feel no shame at all and are unrepentant, outrageously waving their finger today giving us lessons in history.
We didn’t all play the same role. On one side, there was Grivas and EOKA B, who despite the fact that they knew that the coup d’état would give Turkey a pretext to invade, consciously planned and executed it as soon as they found the opportunity.
On the other side, AKEL, which although it had prevented the planned coup d’état in 1972 through the militant mass mobilization of the people around Makarios, was not complacent. In April 1974 the then General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, Ezekias Papaioannou, stressed from the podium of the 13th Congress of AKEL: “Not only have they not abandoned their criminal plans against Cyprus, but they are perfecting them. The main objective remains the assassination of President Makarios and the seizure of power through the execution of a coup d’état”. It was for this reason that our Party has proposed the creation of the People’s Militia, which would be the opposing force against EOKA B and the Greek Junta-controlled National Guard[9]. For this purpose, AKEL offered a force of 1,000 comrades and we put all the forces of our Party at the disposal of Makarios. The proposal of AKEL, without it being rejected, did not materialize. Makarios proceeded to the establishment of the Special Police Force body, which fought selflessly to defend democracy and legality. This force virtually smashed the EOKA B organization, but it was not in a position to stop the coup d’état.
Five days after the coup, the Turkish invasion completed the crime of 1974. The Athens Junta washed its hands in the blood of our people. The aircraft bombers from Greece never received any orders to fly to help Cyprus. The ELDYK[10] contingent was in complete disarray. The Greek junta general Bonanos, as he himself admitted, was aware on the dawn of 20th July about the invasion, but didn’t alert the Cypriot National Guard because he “prioritized other things to do.”
Thousands of Cypriots ran to the front to resist and fight so as not to allow the double crime against our people to pass. Among them, the cadres and members of the People’s Movement of the Left too, who fought in the frontline of the battle to defend democracy and the territorial integrity of our homeland. The vulgarity with which every year the heroes are equated with those who are also baptized as heroes because they were supposedly simply “obeying orders” represents an immense provocation .There were in fact others who could also have supposedly “obeyed orders”, but refused to do so because of the bravery of heroes such as Sotiris Adamou Constantinou[11] that sprang from the ranks of the People’s Movement of the Left.
Sotiris Adamou Constantinou preferred to die rather than yield and give in to fascism. Sotiris is not the only example. From the ranks of the People’s Movement of the Left sprang brave lads and comrades such as, for example, Kostas Mishaouli, Costakis Evagorou, Nikos Flourentzou, Kyriakos Papalazarou, Andreas Kestas, Pambos Christofi, Christofi Tasos, Pantelis Charalambous, Christakis Kombos and so many other comrades. It would shame their memory and each and every one of us if we accepted their sacrifice being equated with the coupists and the betrayal committed. From the ranks of the People’s Movement of the Left sprang brave lads like Gavriel Theodosius, Andreas Stylianou, Gerasimos Leontiou, Evelthon Ioannides, Karasamanis and so many others. It would be shameful for their sacrifice and for the ideals that drove them to fight at the forefront of the struggle, if today we accepted the distortion and revision of History, for those who paved the way and opened the backdoor to the occupation troops just to sleep soundly.
We will never tolerate such brave fighters being equated with those who attacked and fought against democracy and our people. Neither will we ever tolerate the myths that are being fabricated in order to rewrite history. We have no need for myths to be spread about “generals” and “marshals”. The governing DISY party every year lays a wreath in honour of Grivas – an anti-communist killer. It does so with sermons, blessings and speeches about the “great actions” of Grivas the “Leader”. At some stage, the Right must stop “revising” History and reread it. It should refer to the words of its patriarch Glafkos Clerides[12] who testifying before the Ad-hoc Commission on the “File of the Cyprus tragedy” in Parliament reiterated what he had said in the past: someone who has people who murder all those who do not believe in the same ideals as him is a murderer.
No matter how many years will pass, we will continue to talk about the betrayal and treachery. Treachery without traitors does not exist. No matter how many years will pass, we will continue to talk about the crime committed against our country and people. And a crime cannot be committed without the existence of criminals. Therefore, not one of us forgets, nothing can be forgotten.
Today forty one years later, we have one duty and the obligation towards so much blood that was spilled, that is to say the vindication of Cyprus, the reunification of our country and people and to make this possible we should all learn from the events that took place.
Forty one years afterwards we have unfortunately not succeed in uniting around the goal of the agreed solution. Some haven’t managed to see what happened without narrow-minded approaches and shortsighted perceptions. Forty one years later, certain forces and circles still insist on making the desirable a banner of struggle. Without learning from events themselves when the last time the feasible solution was sacrificed for the sake of the desirable, the big loser is us, namely the Cypriot people and Cyprus. Neither were lessons drawn when we agreed to Cyprus independence, although shackled, nor when it was apparent that the course of developments could not turn backwards were pseudo-patriotism and rhetoric abandoned. On the contrary, the exploitation of national feelings and jingoism led to imperialism and Turkish expansionism being given the pretext on a plate. Yet, unfortunately the much-advertised proposal for a change in strategy and in the agreed framework is being brought back today on the agenda in order to abandon the solution of federation and seek ideal/perfect solutions. There are, even today, certain forces that are frantically competing with each other in sloganeering about “patriotism”, even promoting the solution of a unitary state. However, as long as they appease the people with their sloganeering, History is written. Every day that goes by with the discussion on what kind of a solution we want still continuing, time pokes the knife of our country’s division even deeper.
Another irrefutable truth is that every time there was stagnation with regards the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, without it being apparent and recorded that the Greek Cypriot side is not responsible for this inertia, Turkey found the opportunity to promote its goals undisturbed. We must never forget this. No matter how much some circles and forces do not want to admit it, during the five year term of the D. Christofias governance there was no regressions on positions and principles, at the same time as there was also no success in the Turkish side’s efforts to upgrade the pseudo-state in the occupied areas. This is because a multitude of functional and integrative proposals were submitted by the Greek Cypriot side at the negotiating table which were based on the agreed framework, because in the negotiations but also in the international arena, our will for a solution was constantly being demonstrated and proved.
Today we must all realize the importance of the effort that has began with the assumption by Mr. Akinci of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community having preconditions for a successful outcome. President Anastasiades should negotiate with consistency based on principles, collectivity and seriousness. He should bring before the people an agreed solution – a solution to demilitarize Cyprus, cancel the guarantees and exclude any rights of intervention by foreign forces; a solution that will reunite the territory, the people, institutions and economy under a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality as set out in the UN texts, in a Federation with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship.
From the very beginning, we called on President Anastasiades to build on convergences achieved during the Christofias governance and proceed to talks putting the emphasis on the pending core issues. We did so regardless of any political cost. We supported the procedure of the talks and insisted on the correctness of the convergences despite the myth of “concessions” made propagated which was fabricated in the previous period.
The President of the Republic did not listen to us then, enabling unfortunately precious time to be lost. After many hesitations and regressions that had their own cost, he has recently started to utilize the convergences as well. As a consequence, mobility is being observed. AKEL stresses once again that we support the procedure of the talks; that AKEL will try to contribute to this procedure with ideas and the submission of proposals so that we can liberate and finally reunite our long-suffering island.
We are still at the beginning of the procedure. The negotiating table itself will be the judge of the truth. What is certain is that there is a positive climate which opens a window of hope. The challenge for us all is to open wide this window so that the sun of freedom and reunification can come in. To achieve this goal, we must all rise to the occasion.
The attack that was unleashed on the proposals submitted by Demetris Christofias at the table was truly fierce. It is difficult to identify anyone critical of these proposals, that will not have as their basis the deeply ideological position that “it is better to remain as we are now with half a state, but a state to be purely Greek” and that “the Left wants to Turkify us”. If we are honest, we must admit that Turkification, will threaten us not if we project and put forth these positions, but on the contrary if we abandon them – unless some forces are even under the illusion that more unifying, realistic and workable/functional proposals can be found on issues of governance or the four freedoms. If we are honest, we will have to admit that the demonization of these proposals was done to serve petty-party considerations. However, currently the important thing is neither one’s political prestige, nor the party percentage. The important thing is that the President should understand that if these proposals are abandoned Cyprus would take the path of adventures, perhaps without return and important achievements registered for the whole people of Cyprus would be lost.
We believe that Mustafa Akinci is both willing and able to cooperate with regards the internal aspects of the Cyprus problem. If we manage to get within range of an agreement on these issues, then we will put Turkey before its responsibilities. Everyone knows that the issues of security, the withdrawal of the occupation troops and settlers, but also with regards the territorial issue, it is Turkey that decides. We however have a duty and obligation to all those who have sacrificed their lives for this country to devote all our forces for the vindication of our Homeland; to struggle to the very end. We shall do so, even if this struggle is difficult and uphill.
When just after the outbreak of the coup d’état we heard that Makarios was alive, in Limassol a popular mobilization took place. The slogan that was shouted everywhere was ”Cypriot people – resist until the end!”. The henchmen of EOKA B took up arms to control the situation. Shots were fired into the demonstration. One comrade remained alone in the middle of the street..He knelt down, looking at them straight in the face and repeatedly shouted at them “Go on, shoot me!”. Cowards, as usual, they didn’t shoot him, but only when his comrades picked him up from the road and tried to follow the demonstration. Five days afterwards, another comrade again stood firm and fought the Turkish army ceaselessly. When the Turkish soldiers realized an entire company of theirs was fighting for a whole hour one man they used all the means at their disposal to exterminate him. Eventually they killed him. However, the Turkish soldiers themselves buried our comrade in honour because of his bravery and courage to persist in fighting even though he was fighting alone.
For us this is the deep meaning of all the meetings in memory and honour that are being held during these days. Neither the speeches full of empty slogans, nor the anxiousness of certain forces and circles to bury history, nor the wreaths of honour wipe out the acts of shame that were committed. For AKEL, these meetings and events have another meeting. In paying homage to the thousands of heroes, we also honour our comrades, the ones still alive and those that have died; who honoured in practice their ideological identity. In these meetings we meet these very faces – others marked with its history and bullets, others scarred with the price of the bravery of all those who were lost. This bravery and gallantry we are honouring with our mass meeting today – the bravery of the thousands of people’s fighters of democracy and freedom – is our own sacred heritage in our country’s struggles. It is this bravery which gives us the pride to look the people straight in the eye; the strength to continue the struggle against imperialism, neo-fascism, against the chains that are threatening our homeland; the strength to continue our struggle for a reunified and sovereign Cyprus – for a Cyprus that will belong to its?
[1] The term used by both Greek and Cypriot fascists, nationalists and anti-communists to describe the fascist junta that seized power in Greece in the period 1967-1974
[2] The symbol of the Greek junta.
[3] Greek Cypriot extreme nationalist, ultra-right and anticommunist leader.
[4] Cyprus is viewed by nationalists as part of Greece, thus Athens is termed as the National Centre.
[5] Unified Committee of the Enosis Struggle, the political front of armed underground Greek Cypriot ultra-right group EOKA B supported by the Greek junta.
[6] Enosis-the union of Cyprus with Greece, the termed “mother country”’
[7] Various American officials from the State Department, US Armed Forces etc.
[8] George Ball was one of America’s premier diplomats in the 1960s. He was under Secretary of State in 1964 when he became involved in the Cyprus problem.
[9] The army of the Republic of Cyprus composed of young conscripts whose officers were Greek junta appointees. Makarios attempted to send them back to Greece because of their daily subversive role in supporting EOKA B and the plans for a coup d’état.
[10] ELDYK (Greek Force in Cyprus), as well as TOURDYK (Turkish Force in Cyprus) are small permanent detachments agreed in the 1960 agreements imposed on Cyprus by Greece, Turkey and Britain.
[11] A true hero of our Movement who was in the Commandos subject to constant beatings, humiliation and torture during his military service because of his affiliation to the Left. He was ordered by his officer to attack the Presidential Palace on the day of the coup but refused the order. He was subsequently shot in the back of the head and stabbed.
[12] Founder of DISY party, traditional conservative leader of the Right and former President.
