Speech by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A. Kyprianou at the mass meeting in memory of comrades Kavazoglou and Misiaoulis
AKEL C.C. Press Office, Sunday 9th April 2017, Nicosia
“One handful of soil your island and you ferment it with blood and tears.”
With this verse of our Poet Tefkros Anthias History replies to our people. With Anthias’ verse History gives its own reply at the time when the decade of 1960 experiences its darkest turn as the guns of the murderous TMT organization were raised and aiming at Dervis Ali Kavazoglou and Kostas Misiaoulis; as imperialism and its Cypriot servants, nationalism and chauvinism, murdered comrades Misiaouli and Kavazoglou thinking that by committing this crime they would be killing what united our people.
That embrace of Kavazoglou and Misiaoulis drenched in blood illustrates everything. It illustrates a common path of decades of our people, the peaceful coexistence in the towns and villages of Cyprus and the common struggle for a living wage, life and dignity.
In that final embrace drowned in blood we can see everything that we are waging our struggle for, all that for which we have shed our blood for decades: a common country, common struggles and a common life.
From that final blood-stained embrace of Kavazoglou and Misiaoulis springs even to this day, the clear and resounding message: nothing can and must stop peace in Cyprus!
If peace doesn’t prevail there will be many troubles and predicaments for our island and people. We should all put this fact firmly in our minds, first and foremost by those voices in the Turkish side insisting on intransigent and therefore unacceptable positions.
These voices, but also any third parties, must not think that we will accept any unacceptable demands.
We have said many times and will not tire of repeating. What AKEL is seeking is a compromise with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, but not a compromise with the occupation, with any third party.
AKEL will never accept a bad solution.
All those inside the Greek Cypriot side who dream of fulfilling unfeasible goals, namely a unitary state or Enosis union with Greece, must equally put very well in their minds what we have declared. The only results these perceptions lead to will be to encapsulate the future of Cyprus in partition or annexation.
AKEL has a vision for Cyprus in the future; a vision that we believe in and are asserting. Everyone admits that we have a long-standing and consistent policy on the Cyprus problem. We have a comprehensive policy proposal on how the Cyprus of peace, reunification and of the solution will operate. We gave this proposal a practical content during the Demetris Christofias governance.
Back then we submitted proposals at the negotiating table to abolish ethnic confrontation; proposals that break down the barriers that want Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots living side by side; proposals speaking about the Cyprus of the future where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will live together.
For decades, the framework that divided our people was based on the idea that there are two separate entities in Cyprus. We wanted and want to do away with the policy we are following today. This is what patriotism means – to wage the struggle for liberation and reunification, and not to promote rhetoric that is keeping our country and people divided; not the slogans, empty words and nationalist frenzy that led our people to the brink of disaster. We won’t do them a favor. We will not allow them to harm Cyprus again just to satisfy their craving for the presidential chair, nor others to satisfy their fascist feelings.
As AKEL, despite the attacks and fierce onslaught that we faced and are coming under, even by certain circles and forces who declare they are on the left, we will assume our share of responsibility. We act in the way we do because we love our country and want to see it free and united; because we want to see it embrace with both arms all its children. This is what our patriotic duty demands.
Nothing can stop peace in Cyprus, neither big words, nor empty slogans. We have observed in wonder the tension and arrogance with which some circles and forces are putting forth the need for a notorious “change in strategy” on the Cyprus problem”. They have again discovered the magic solution…
They say we must change strategy on the Cyprus problem. Ok, let’s say we decide to change strategy for the sake of argument. But to do what?
They do not tell us – is it to abandon bizonal bicommunal federation?
What should we subsequently assert?
They reply that we should put the Cyprus problem on a different basis. But we all agree that the Cyprus problem is primarily a problem of invasion, occupation and illegal colonization. The issue is what we do about it to move forward.
What do they propose us to do?
Do they propose that we should first solve the Cyprus problem and then to negotiate?
They say that we should make Turkey pay a cost. We agree. However, we need to know how far this possibility can go.
Who will put pressure on Turkey?
Why didn’t they put pressure on Turkey on the refugee issue which concerns the entire European Union and not just the EU?
All these so-called “experts” and tamers of Turkish policy say over and over again every day the same things, but never really bother to discuss with even a single Turkish Cypriot. They have never bothered to study even once seriously Turkish policy. All the world revolves around their desks, on the interests they represent, on the conversations between themselves, around the rotten minds of those who think that we still live in 1950.
We don’t have any illusions, nor do we live in other world. We believe in the vision of a reunited federal Cyprus that will be a beacon and an example for the whole world. It will be a modern model of harmonious coexistence of two different ethnic communities, languages and religions that will co-manage their own common state. It will be the country that will have managed to rid itself of the armies and channel all its power and resources to social investment and economic growth.
Nothing can stop peace in Cyprus.
Our people have had enough of presidential “I pledge”. They have been betrayed many times by empty declarations. It is thirsty only for truth and honesty.
Let us renounce nationalism and fanaticism.
The regressions of the Anastasiades-DISY government and others must finally stop with their laying of wreaths in honour of those who destroyed the country while at the same time declaring that they want a solution and reunification stop.
They must stop caressing the monster of neo-fascism, because they aren’t going to appease it. On the contrary, it is these policies that breed it.
The day before yesterday outside the House of Representatives, the neo-fascists were again shouting at us that we are “traitors”, “colluders of our national interests”, “Turkish lovers”.
Its not the first time they have called us traitors.
They called us traitors in 1974 as well when we were defending independence and democracy. They were dreaming of Enosis back then too.
They were calling us traitors back in 1974, but in the end they eventually proved to be the traitors that brought nightmares for Cyprus. Their actions brought destruction and decimated our people in the disaster of 1974. And then as well they were calling us traitors.
We reply that everyone is judged by their History.
Our own history, the history of AKEL, was written by our people with their own blood and sacrifices.
It was written with the courage of the resistance of AKEL militants and members wherever they were, who with one voice were giving the same reply: “I am a member of AKEL and I am proud of it, I do not regret it – not even now”, “I am a member of AKEL, a Communist and I’m proud of it”, “I have no weapons, if you have made a coup d’état to kill communists I say to you that I am a communist, so go on kill me.”
The history of AKEL was written by the comrade who found himself alone under arrest in the middle of the road confronting the members of EOKA B and shouted at them again and again “Shoot me.”
It was written by another of our comrades who didn’t desert the front line and stood alone fighting incessantly against the invading Turkish army. When the Turkish soldiers realized that an entire company of theirs was fighting for an hour against only one man opposite them, they used every means to exterminate him. Eventually they did kill him. But they themselves buried him with full honours, for his bravery to keep on fighting, even though he was fighting them completely alone.
Our own History is all of these and so many other actions!
Our patriotism, our name, our honour and our conscience is all of these and so many other comrades!
AKEL is these and so many other comrades!
The fascists and all those forces who are forgetting their own history by marching alongside them would do well to put all this firmly in their minds.
The effort which has resumed to solve the Cyprus problem must be focused on our ultimate goal: the reunification of the state with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality. The solution must ensure that the two communities will live together and cooperate in a united and independent homeland.
This certainly cannot be guaranteed by any solution, but only by a solution that will terminate the occupation and colonization of the occupied areas.
A solution that will restore the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus.
A solution that will be based on the UN resolutions, the High-Level Agreements, International and European Law.
A solution that will demilitarize Cyprus and will exclude any guarantees or rights of intervention in the internal affairs of our country by foreign forces.
A solution that will reunite the territory, people, institutions and the economy under a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as described in the UN texts.
Such a solution must be put to Referenda after having been agreed to the negotiating table.
We’re not going to stop supporting the efforts for a solution, reunification and peace. We will not stop building little by little the prospect and hope of our people for the future audience.
Progressives Turkish Cypriots has been and will remain our normal allies in the struggle for the reunification of our country. I wish I soon manage to dawn on Cyprus the day of peace. I wish we can close the dustbin of history once and for all the neo-fascism and the far right before irreparably injure, this time, the whole of Cyprus.
AKEL will not cease supporting the efforts for a solution of the Cyprus problem, for reunification and peace. We will not cease building little by little the prospect and hope of our people for its common future.
The progressive Turkish Cypriots were, and will remain, our natural allies in the struggle for the reunification of our country.
May we manage to achieve the dawn of a new day in Cyprus – the day of peace.
Let’s throw neo-fascism and the extreme-right to the dustbin of history once and for all before they irreparably harm, this time, the whole of Cyprus.
Generations and generations of Cypriots have been nurtured with the vision of peace, the ideal of the common struggles of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Generations and generations of Cypriots have fermented the soil of our land with their blood and tears.
Now is the time of our generation!
Now is the time to stand up and be counted!
Now is the time on the soil watered by the tears and blood of our people to grow the lemon blossoms of peace!
Now is the time to assert, united, our future!
Long live Cyprus!
Yasasin Kibris!
