Speech by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A. Kyprianou at the memorial service of the Hero and Martyr Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou

AKEL C.C. Press Office, Sunday 8 July 2018

We have gathered to commemorate yet another year the memory of Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou. A hero whose name reflects the bitter history of our homeland. It illustrates the dark shadow of the betrayal committed and our heavy debt to vindicate his sacrifice.

Sotiris Adamou Konstantinou, the son of Adamos and Martha, wasn’t born to become a hero. He was a young child 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 Constantinou did not want to become a hero, he did not become a hero. He chose to become a hero. And that is the greatness of his sacrifice.

His parents raised him with meagre means, but with a lot of attention and love. In their small home they raised and educated him with the noblest ideals humanity gave birth to: peace, democracy, justice and solidarity. These values ​​and ideals, which were taught by his family and conveyed by the local association of the Left “EAS” in the suburb of Ayios Dometios in Nicosia, were marked by the blood shed by Sotiris himself in sacrificing his own life.

For over three decades, the name of Sotiris Adamou Constantinou instead of being written in gold in the pantheon of heroes, was buried among the coupists, those that participated and executed the 15 July 1974 coup d’état. Instead of being a chapter of Cyprus’ modern history, an example for future generations, it was just another name among those who had attacked Democracy and the Republic.

Many years had to pass by before the memory of Sotiris was restored. His parents had to suffer so much so that they could vindicate him after death and for there to be an official recognition that Sotiris was executed in the back and cowardly by the coupists because he refused to participate in the treason of the coup d’état. As the investigation carried out proved, Sotiris was stabbed and shot with guns, which only the army officers of the Commando Forces (LOK) had who took the lead in the execution of the coup. Sotiris refused to execute their orders and for that reason they murdered him. Years later, the State issued an official apology because his name, instead of being listed among the heroes, was among those who turned against democracy, the lawful Government and acted against Cyprus.

Vindication, though late, came to Sotiris and his family. However, the catharsis for his family and thousands of others who experienced those days of fascism, death and uprooting has not yet come because no one has apologized to the family of Sotiris for his cold blooded murder; because none of those who planned and executed this crime, whether from inside or outside Cyprus, has apologized to the Cypriot people and none of the culprits has been punished. Above all, however, the vindication of Sotiris’ sacrifice has not come because our homeland remains under occupation with the thousands of Turkish army troops and settlers who are threatening the future of the Cypriot people.

Unfortunately, instead of drawing the correct lessons from our country’s turbulent history after so many decades we behave as if we have not learned anything.

The historical experience of the Cyprus problem since 1974 shows that in times where there was no negotiation procedure underway the situation deteriorates and new fait accompli are attempted by Turkey. Indicatively, the so-called illegal regime “TRNC” (in the occupied areas) was proclaimed in 1983, following the rejection of the Cuellar Indicators, which constituted a very general outline for negotiation. The official turn of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership from federation to confederation took place in 1997, when again there was no ongoing negotiation procedure, and when the S300 missile frenzy and theory of the “active volcano” were at their peak. Intense efforts for direct trade of the pseudo-state with the outside world were made after the well-known outcome of the 2004 referenda.

The period we are now going through has its own critical nature. It’s been a year since the collapse at Crans Montana, during which unfortunately there has been no developments. Meanwhile, Turkey seized the opportunity after the breakdown in Switzerland to try to officially put the demand for a two-state solution on the table. This represents a negative and dangerous development.

Now that the elections have ended in Turkey, we as the Greek Cypriot side must make every effort to resume substantive negotiations. The Secretary-General of the United Nations in his successive Reports has set out how to move forward, that is to say we should proceed from where we had remained on the basis of the Guterres framework, the convergences that have been achieved so far and on the informal document with regards the mechanism of implementing the solution, with discussion at one table on the chapter of Security and guarantees and on the other table on the issues of the internal aspect of the Cyprus problem.

The question of course is that the necessary will on the part of Turkey must exist. At the same time our own will and readiness must not be doubted by well-meaning forces. Based on the situation that exists, there is no room neither for inertia, nor any ambiguous stand. President Anastasiades has to take initiatives that will isolate Turkey’s partitionist positions and strengthen our side. He must launch an international campaign to convince the international community about the just cause of our positions.

As far as AKEL is concerned, our positions are based on principles and the long-standing positions of the Greek Cypriot side as they have been expressed in the National Council. We will continue to support them consistently and with the firm conviction that our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, can live together in the land that gave birth to us. We will continue to fight for the solution of the Cyprus problem. A solution that will terminate the occupation and colonialization (of the occupied areas) based on UN Resolutions, the High-Level Agreements, International and European Law. A solution that will demilitarize Cyprus and exclude interventions and guarantees from any foreign powers. A solution that will reunite the land, the people, the institutions and the economy. A bi-communal, bizonal federation with political equality as described in the texts of the United Nations. A solution that will lead to a united state as a continuation of the Republic of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship.

For decades, Turkey has with consistency been promoting policies that are deepening the dependence of the Turkish Cypriot community on Ankara and weakening it. It promoted the economic integration of the occupied territories through financing in the construction and tourism sector and beyond. It seeks a constant interference in the occupied areas. It is aiming to cultivate religion as a means of exercising greater control over society. A section of the Turkish Cypriot community is resisting all of these actions, but a small community will not always withstand and stand up to powerful Turkey. If we do not understand this in a timely manner, very soon the scope for a solution based on the agreed framework will fade dangerously.

Cyprus will only be saved if it is reunited.

The sacrifice of Sotiris Adamou Constantinou, the sacrifice of all our heroes will only be vindicated if we reverse the partitionist plans of those forces and circles who ordered the betrayal, of those who executed the crime against our people.

His sacrifice will only be vindicated with the reunification of our homeland and people!

May his memory live forever!