Speech by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou at the event commemorating and honoring the anti-fascist Resistance to the coup

 

17 July 2023, Memorial of Fallen Resistance Fighters, Limassol

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Dear and respected fighters of the Resistance, colleagues and fellow fighters in the eternal struggle for a more democratic world,

There has never been a time in the history of humanity when resistance struggles were not necessary, imperative and inevitable. Resistance is inherent in human evolution and progress. And the wheel of history, to move forward, needs resistance and impetus in addition to a vision. Resistance to the volunteerism of the few, resistance to self-interests, resistance to backwardness, obscurantism and conservatism of all sorts of the established order.

For what was Spartacus but a resistance fighter and a revolutionary against slavery?

What else was our own Cypriot rebel “Re Alexis”, but a resistance fighter and a revolutionary rising up against the feudal regime that oppressed our country centuries ago?

For that reason, resistance and resistance fighters run through history. And they will always be present as mature children of the need and rage of every era, since the future will be no less angry than those that have passed.

You, my dear resistance fighters, played the role of the modern Spartacus, the modern “Re Alexis”. You did not hesitate to do so when you were called upon to defend universal human values such as democracy and freedom, defying all personal costs and dangers, despite the fact that you faced heavily armed, savage and barbaric attackers. Yes, they were barbarians who were ready to murder innocent people in cold blood. And in many cases they did.

It is for this reason that you deserve every honor and distinction bestowed on you because that’s what every state governed by the rule of law all over the world does. It honors and awards distinctions to heroes who make history by standing up for principles and values.

In Cyprus certain forces and circles have a different view, not caring if they downgrade democracy and insult the memory of heroes. The policy of equating perpetrators and victims, defenders and attackers, legality and illegality, is a Cypriot peculiarity and absurdity. It began to be practised during the governments of DISY – a party that provided political cover for the coup – and is now being continued by the current government, apparently to reinforce what the current President frequently repeats: that the Christodoulides administration is a continuation of the previous one.

That is why they all together – the President of the Republic, the President of DISY and ultra-right ELAM – laid laurel wreaths to the Commandos who attacked the Presidential Palace on the 15 July 1974. For them, these attackers are all heroes!

This is shameful and a disgrace!

In all directions, I want to reiterate once again AKEL’s long-standing position: to honor worthily and sincerely the sacrifice of the heroes of the resistance to the coup and the invasion, one must honor the historical truth. Otherwise it is hypocrisy!

Dear friends,

I address tonight’s meeting to commemorate and honor the fallen and living resistance fighters. The resistance against EOKA B, against the Grivas the destroyer of Cyprus, against the Greek Junta.

I salute with awe, emotion and respect an audience among whom I see many resistance fighters, who stood up to be counted defending democracy and legality. Defending freedom and the territorial integrity of our country, because all you resistance fighters, all you democratic and progressive people who supported the elected President Makarios and the constitutional order, knew very well that a coup d’état would subsequently bring Turkey to Cyprus.

However, most of all I salute those who are no longer with us, those who sacrificed their lives, sacrificed their life for the sake of the resistance in the battle against EOKA B, the Greek Junta and the Turkish invading army. It is our duty to remember, it is a debt, it is an obligation, to those who fell, to those who survived and continue the struggle, but above all to those who came and are coming, the future generations because a people’s historical memory and consciousness is the most powerful weapon at its disposal in its struggles – present and future.

It is a duty and a debt we all owe to the heroic fighters of the resistance and to the young generations to defend the historical truth. And the historical truth does not accept that the defence of democracy against the terror of EOKA B was supposedly violence and anti-violence. The defence of democracy and legality is the ultimate act of patriotism. It cannot be called violence, let alone convey the message that those who acted in darkness were responding to violence with their own violence.

Historical truth does not stand up to claims that are propagated that the coup was supposedly some action of fools. The coup was an act of treason, not an act of foolishness. The scenarios for the constitutional overthrow leading to a Turkish invasion of Cyprus were well known and umpteenth warnings were issued to this effect both from Makarios, AKEL and other democratic forces. The warnings were on the front page of newspapers and a major topic of discussion at the time. Therefore, no one can be credited with ignorance. The protagonists of the coup were implementing foreign plans, NATO plans, drawn up with the cooperation of Turkey and the Greek junta, to divide our Cyprus.

Yes, the twin crime committed against Cyprus was NATO-engineered. Cyprus is a victim of NATO. And for all those who are bringing back the issue of our country’s accession to NATO, we have one thing to say: the problem with NATO is not only its past actions and record, but its actions today too. NATO considers Turkey a strategic and valuable ally, a fact that was demonstrated during the last NATO Summit. What Turkey wanted, Turkey actually got.

Does anyone doubt that NATO is indifferent to the fact that Turkey is an occupying power in Cyprus, Syria and Iraq and continues to appease it in every way possible?

Does anyone doubt that Turkey’s aggression against Greece is tolerated by NATO?

For that reason, certain forces and circles shouldn’t attempt to cultivate any illusions. Enough of these illusions that have cost our Cyprus so much!

The magnitude of the 1974 betrayal was so great that it went so far that the coupists facilitated Turkey’s invasion when it set foot on the shores of Kyrenia. Battalions of the National Guard that had been tasked to confront a possible Turkish invasion were ordered to move away from their area of responsibility. National Guardsmen who were asking to strike the invaders were prevented from doing so because, according to the Greek junta officers, Turkey was supposedly “conducting an exercise”.

It is also a historical truth that the EOKA B coupists continued their terror and murderous work even after the invasion broke out. They continued to roam around neighbourhoods and arrest left-wing and democratic citizens. Many of the coupists, of course, hid in the rear with the elderly and women and children or went up the Troodos mountain range while democratic resistance fighters, together with thousands of other sons of the people, were climbing up the Pendadactylos mountain range with few weapons to defend it.

Dear friends,

In this neighborhood, in Ayios Nicholas, in this city of Limassol, forty-nine years ago, the fire of guns could be heard, the rattle of Kalashnikovs and rifles, fire-red sparks peeked out in the night. Who, indeed, can forget the battle waged at the Eftapatos crossing and the battle of Ayi Yianni? Limassol was a bastion of resistance. It stood up against lawlessness, terror and fascism. Blood was spilled in this city, as it was shed all over Cyprus.

However, I said that the need for resistance never dies out. And it does not die out today either.

Resistance to the Turkish occupation is an absolute necessity for our survival as a people.

Resistance to the perception that we can settle for the perpetuation of the status quo and provisionality as it evolved after 1974 is imperative, because the Turkish army’s illegal presence in Cyprus represents a constant and growing danger for our people.

It is also imperative that we resist the perception that some people have promoted that a solution of the Cyprus problem is not feasible; that Turkey will never accept a solution that will liberate and reunify our homeland and people. If this approach prevails, then we will be driven to abandoning the efforts for a solution and we will be left with the occupation.

We have no right to hand over a Cyprus to future generations that will be kept hostage to Turkey’s will.

We have no right to leave a ticking time bomb on the foundations of our country, threatening the very survival of our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, but also of the Republic of Cyprus itself.

We have an obligation to continue our efforts to create an opportunity and momentum for a solution. If we do not do it ourselves, no third party will do it for us. This effort is by no means easy and no one can guarantee its success in advance. But we must try to do so without empty talk, sloganeering and communication tricks to satisfy domestic public opinion.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the situation on the Cyprus problem is desperate. The Turkish side is now officially promoting the two state solution, which is unacceptable. We are living through the longest stalemate ever on the Cyprus problem and Turkey is exploiting this situation to consolidate partition on the ground. Time is working against the prospect of reaching a solution.

AKEL has long since submitted its comprehensive positions on how we should proceed as the Greek Cypriot side and the Republic of Cyprus in general.

Our positions are based on three pillars:

Firstly, continuing the negotiations from the point where they were suspended in 2017 on the basis of the Guterres Framework, preserving the convergences that have been recorded after a long effort.

Secondly, to formulate a positive agenda focusing on the energy situation in the region and on Cypriot natural gas without crossing our “red lines”.

Thirdly, promoting a package of measures to support the Turkish Cypriot community on the part of the Republic of Cyprus.

We believe that by doing so we can convince the UN Secretary General to take a new initiative for a resumption of the negotiations.

Friends,

Dear respected resistance fighters,

For 49 years we have been telling the truth to the people and we will continue to do so forever. The resistance of all of you, dear friends of the anti-fascist resistance, shows us the way and guides us.

Eternal memory to the fallen and the sacrificed heroic of the heroic, unparalleled and unforgettable Resistance of 1974 against the twin crime committed against our homeland and our people, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

Eternal gratitude and profound respect to the fighters of this Resistance! Its flame will never be extinguished!

Long live our Cyprus!

Long live the vision of a reunited, peaceful and prosperous Cyprus, the homeland of all its children, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins!

This vision will forever inflame our hearts!