Speech by Aristos Damianou, member of the Political Bureau of AKEL and MP, at the meeting in honor of the four Heroes of the working class neighborhood of Ayi Yianni, Larnaka

 

‘ALKI’ square, Larnaka, 12 July 2023

Compatriots,

Comrades,

Dear friends,

Tonight, we honor our history. Tonight we pay tribute to four heroes of the Left. Tonight, we will fulfill our minimum duty. We shall commemorate the sacrifice of the four heroes of Ayi Yianni. We remember that horrific day when the clock stopped to write history: the story of the sacrifice of four children of Cyprus:

• Georgos Adamou Hadjistefani, 46 years old, member of AKEL.
• Achilleas Kourtellis, 24 years old, member of the class-based trade union federation PEO and EDON Youth organisation.
• Georgios Charalambous, 17 years old, member of EDON.
• Andreas Theodosiou, 14 years old, member of PEO and EDON.

Unfortunately, it was neither the first, nor the only time that fascism and nationalism turned their weapons on the Left and our people. But, looking back 49 years, such were the conditions of the murder of our comrades that we can say with certainty today that the sacrifice and blood of our four heroes has left an indelible mark on the city of Larnaka and the whole of Cyprus.

AKEL, the Left, from the very first moment, pointed out our people’s patriotic duty in the face of the betrayal committed and danger that was looming. Hundreds of our militants and members were beaten, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and assassinated. True patriots, raised with the ideals of independence, freedom and democracy, who did not hesitate for a single moment and rushed to the front line of an unequal battle.

When the fascism of the Greek Junta and EOKA B took to the streets with their tanks and Kalashnikov machine guns, murdering democracy, the people of AKEL, EDON and PEO stood in frontline of the struggle, together with other democratic resistance fighters, to defend democracy. Fully aware of the danger, the four heroes of Ayi Yianni climbed on to a truck with other comrades and fellow fighters to reinforce the resistance forces. For them, there were no dilemmas. That’s how the Left had raised them: to fight for the ideals of our homeland, the ideals of democracy, freedom and dignity.

That is precisely why every July we stand in awe and lay our wreaths on the graves of our heroes. Because, back then when the dark clouds were hanging over democracy and freedom, the four heroes of Ayi Yianni saw things clearly and took a conscious decision. For that decision, they deserve the greatest honors. For, as the poet says, heroes may walk in darkness, but these heroes illuminated with the immensity of their sacrifice the very meaning of Homeland and patriotic duty.

The question of course is whether the sacrifice of our comrades and all our other people who sacrificed their lives for the cause of our common homeland, for peace, freedom and democracy has been vindicated. Unfortunately, the answer is negative. Beyond its powerful symbolism and the significance of their sacrifice for our beliefs, values and ideals, their struggle has still not been vindicated.

In just a few days 49 years will have passed since the treasonous coup d’état and the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation. Our people and homeland remain divided.

With the barbed wire of division prohibiting a common life, the waging of common struggles between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

With our fellow Turkish Cypriot compatriots living under the suffocating embrace of the Turkish establishment, with a leadership that acts as the mouthpiece of Turkey and the advocates of partition in Ankara.

With the Greek Cypriot community living through the uncertainty caused by almost half a century of ongoing occupation.

But we persist, we don’t abandon the struggle. AKEL, faithful to the history, struggles and sacrifices of all the children of our small and bitter homeland who sacrificed their lives for a free, democratic and common homeland, will continue to fight for:

• The termination of the occupation, the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops and the end of the colonization [of the occupied areas].
• The restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the restoration of the unity of the state, the people, the institutions and the economy.
• The abolition of any intervention rights and the anachronistic system of guarantees.
• The safeguarding the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots, including the right of return and property of the refugees and lawful owners from both communities.
• The full demilitarisation of the Republic of Cyprus.

We state emphatically that the danger of the permanent partition of our country is now immediate and visible. Considering that there is still little room for putting a stop to this disastrous course, it is imperative that any technical games and the communication handling of the Cyprus problem be abandoned immediately.

It is imperative that consistency to the basis of the solution of the Cyprus problem is shown, as well as a readiness in practice and not in words to resume the negotiation procedure.

We know what Turkey is. The question is what we are doing.

Because only a solution can vindicate the sacrifice of our heroes.

Because only a solution can create conditions of peace, prosperity and security for our people.

Our path is long and difficult.

The critical juncture the Cyprus problem has been led to and the day of the solution are separated by the dangerous consolidation of partition and the given hardening of the Turkish position.

AKEL considers that the road to reversing the passive contemplation [of developments] and overturning the partitionist status quo requires realistic assertion and genuine patriotism and not patriotic sloganeering and fruitless patriotism bordering on the exploitation of patriotic sentiment – if it is not already too late, bearing in mind the stage we have reached.

But we have to fight for it because we are not content with either the occupation or any so-called “second best solutions”. We are not here to construct and sell glass towers in a “Cyprus that maybe half, but Greek”.

We are here to tear down the walls of separation and intolerance.

We are here to build the Cyprus of tomorrow.

We pledge, in memory of our heroes, honoring all those who fought for democracy, freedom and dignity, to continue the struggle until their sacrifice has been vindicated.

Honor and glory to our heroes!

Long live our Cyprus!