Speech by Neoklis Sylikiotis, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL, at the event in memory and honour of the Hero Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou

 

11 July 2024, Agios Dometios EAS Local Club of the Left

Comrades and friends,

We are here once again, in the EAS Local Club of the Left in Agios Dometios, faithful to the debt we owe to the memory of Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou. Not out of any formal anniversary obligation, but as a minimum duty to pay due tribute to the memory of Sotiris. To honour a worthy son of the motherland of Cyprus, whose sacrifice has become a symbol of democratic resistance against the treacherous coup and at the same time a symbol of unparalleled courage and fortitude.

Remembering his sacrifice, during these days of July, our memory turns back to the twin crimes committed against our homeland: the treacherous coup of the Greek Junta and EOKA B and the barbaric Turkish invasion. We remember them and we will never let the perpetrators, executioners and political apologists of the actions of Grivas and EOKA B, falsify the historical truth and lead the people into forgetfulness. This is what the memory of our unsung heroes demands from us.

Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou, son of Adamos and Martha, was not born to be a hero. He was a young boy who had dreams, who wanted to live his life with his loved ones and build his future in the place where he was born. Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou did not want to be a hero, he did not happen to be a hero. He chose to be a hero. And that is the greatness and magnitude of his sacrifice.

His parents raised him with few means, but with a lot of care and love. In their small home they raised him with the greatest ideals born of humanity: peace, democracy, justice, solidarity. These values and these ideals, which he was taught by his family and by the progressive local club of EAS Ag. Dometios, were sealed by Sotiris with his own blood. He signed them with his own life.

On that fateful day of 15 July 1974, the imaginary clock of democracy stopped. The tank crews were in the streets and on the orders of the Greek Junta, they headed for the Presidential Palace to overthrow the loyal forces of the country and assassinate the elected President Makarios. The 31st Commando Squadron in which Sotiris was serving received an order from the then Commander of the ‘Green Berets’ Commando Force, the Greek Colonel Konstantinos Kompokis, to attack the state-owned Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK).

Sotiris, with unparalleled courage, stood up and defied the vulgar hatred of his superiors. True to his ideals and principles, he refused to attack legality and democracy, refused to become one with the unholy cabal of treason, and for that he was murdered.

For more than three decades, instead of being written in gold letters in the pantheon of heroes, Sotiris Adamou Konstantinous’ name was buried in the list of coupists. Instead of being a chapter of modern Cypriot history, an example for future generations, he was passed off as just another name among those who attacked democracy.

It took many years for Sotiris’ memory too be restored. His parents had to climb a whole mountain of obstacles to vindicate him. To have it officially recognised that Sotiris was cowardly executed in the back by the coupists because he refused to take part in the treason that was underway. As the investigation proved, Sotiris was stabbed and shot with weapons that at the time only the officers of the Commando Forces who were protagonists in the coup were in possession of. Sotiris refused to carry out their orders and was therefore murdered in cold blood.

Years later, the State formally apologized because his name, instead of being listed among the heroes, was listed among those who turned against democracy and legality; against Cyprus.

The vindication, albeit late, came for Sotiris and his family. But the catharsis for this family and thousands of others who experienced fascism, death and uprooting during those days has not yet come. For no one has apologized to Sotiris’ family for his cold-blooded murder. Because none of those who planned and executed this crime, neither from inside nor from outside Cyprus, has apologised to the Cypriot people and been punished. Most importantly, because our homeland remains under occupation with thousands of Turkish troops and settlers threatening the future of the Cypriot people.

His murder was but the culmination of the constant struggle, literally for survival, that Sotiris conducted in the Commando Forces, being a democrat and a Leftist. Considered as a “dangerous element”, during the similar practices of keeping files/records on people in Greece, Sotiris experienced intimidation, torture, and even beatings during his military service. His only “sin” was his political beliefs and his involvement in the EAS Local Club of the Left.

His remains were buried with hero’s honours on 23 December 2007 at the Ayios Dometios Cemetery. 33 years later, another piece of the mosaic was added to the long efforts made to restore the historical truth.

The official state may have apologised for including him as a coupist, but the apology was half-hearted. It was half-hearted because no one apologized for his cold-blooded execution, no one confessed that the murder was purely politically motivated and no one paid for his actions.

Instead, to this day, in an embarrassing but deliberate attempt to erase our collective memory, the government of Nikos Christodoulides, as well as the previous government of Nikos Anastasiades, the Democratic Rally DISY party and the political-ideological descendants of EOKA B’ the far right party of ELAM, side by side, honour and mourn every year not only the destroyer of Cyprus Georgios Grivas, but also the Commandos who fell in their attack on the Presidential Palace, being on duty to dissolve democracy. The contradictory attitude of the Government and DISY, on the one hand, supposedly condemning the coup and on the other hand, commemorating those who executed the coup itself, causes only shame and abomination.

It is reasonable for each family to commemorate its own loss, but it is provocative for the state and the President of the Republic to honour and justify the coup and all those who destroyed democracy through their actions.

Comrades,

Today we pay tribute to a compatriot who consciously chose to sacrifice his life rather than comply with fascism and turn his gun against democratic legality and constitutional order, thus choosing, the ultimate sacrifice he could pay, namely to be on the right side of history.

At the same time, paying practical tribute to those who have left us, to our heroic dead, and paying the minimum debt to the generations to come, requires and imposes first and foremost respect for historical truth and, consequently, the drawing of the right lessons from the tragedies our country has suffered. Not only in order to avoid similar mistakes or even crimes from being committed, but also so that we can tread in the present and in the future with greater security and certainty, given that the devastating consequences of the twin crime remain and pose deadly dangers for our people.

The examination and critical analysis of history is therefore one of the most important tools towards this end. It is precisely in this context that AKEL, armed with the truth, responds to any attempt to falsify history and to every narrative that is insidiously seeks to distort reality, as well as any attempt to equate the victims with the perpetrators and to apportion equal responsibilities.

Consequently, as we have already stressed, only the respect for the historical truth can lead us to draw the correct and self-evident lessons. Only in this way can we, as a people, take safe steps into the present and the future. As much as some people may not like it, we as AKEL will continue to raise our voices and fists and proclaim:

• Fascism, fanaticism and intolerance no more. The only way forward is democracy and mutual respect, together with political isolation and not solidarity with the neo-Nazi far-right which has reared its head in a threatening manner, both in Cyprus and Europe too. Today the far right is ruling or co-governing with the right-wing parties in Italy, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands and is strong in most countries of Europe. The elections in France proved that the only force that can put a stop to the rise of the far right is the Left if and when it united its forces.
• No more nationalism-chauvinism, underestimating and hatred towards our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, elements that were and are the Trojan horse for the promotion of Turkish expansionism which were fostered by American-NATO and British imperialism to impose the division of our country.
• A crucial historical lesson that should be drawn for today is the need to define assertive and yet realistic goals, as well as to demonstrate unwavering consistency and stability in our positions. The regressions and contradictions are severally damaging the credibility of the Greek Cypriot side and facilitating Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot chauvinist leadership in promoting unprecedented unacceptable fait accompli and in their attempts to undermine the agreed basis for a solution of Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation and the body of work agreed in the negotiations in general, as it was concluded at Crans Montana.

Comrades,

50 years after the twin crimes against our homeland, it remains our principal duty to hand over to the future generations a free and reunited homeland within the framework of a just, viable and workable solution.

A solution based on UN Security Council Resolutions, the High Level Agreements and International and European Law.

A solution that leads to a united state, with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship.

Ac solution that guarantees the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriot people.

A solution that will free us from guarantees, intervention rights and occupying troops.

This solution is none other than a Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation with political equality.

There is no other alternative.

Any attempt to derail to other forms of solutions can only be harmful. Just as damaging is the current situation of a prolonged deadlock and the absence of any negotiations. The very history of the Cyprus problem proves that in periods of a negotiating deadlock, and especially when the blame for this is being assigned to the Greek Cypriot side, Turkey promotes new fait accompli on the ground.

A tragic expression of this reality is the fact that Turkey, despite the unprecedented provocative nature of its actions, is essentially proceeding unhindered with the colonisation of Varosha, just as it is roaming unhindered in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus.

Developments unfortunately demonstrate that we are paying the price for the regressions and contradictions as well as the unwillingness of Nicos Christodoulides – who is faithfully following the policy of his predecessor – to make use of the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General for the resumption of the negotiations from the point where they were stopped, but also paying the heavy price of the collapse of the Crans Montana conference on Cyprus, for which responsibility was apportioned on the Greek Cypriot side, while Turkey was praised by the UN Secretary General for its stance.

On the other hand, Turkey has for decades been attempting to strengthen the dependence of the Turkish Cypriot community on Ankara through its economic and political assimilation.

It is therefore the duty of every one of our compatriots, of each and every one of us who do not accept the occupation and de facto partition, who want to live again in peace and stability in a reunited and prosperous country, together with our fellow compatriots Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Latins and Maronites, to create the organic conditions for peace and to ensure a future of stability and security for our homeland.

Cyprus will be saved only if it is reunited. The sacrifice of Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou, the sacrifice of all our heroes will only be vindicated if we thwart the partition plans of those forces who ordered the treason, those who carried out the crime against our people. Their sacrifice will only be vindicated by the reunification of our country and people.

May the memory of Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou live on!

Honor and glory to our heroes!