The Ministry must revoke the circular on the falsification of history

Statement by Christos Christofides, Head of Education Policy

22 April 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

In the Greek language the word “truth” comes from the “a” abstract and the word “forgetfulness” which means to overlook, to forget. So the word truth is synonymous with not forgetting. This is the truth we are trying very hard to convey on to our children because a people who do not know their history and the truth are doomed to experience similar tragic situations again.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the twin crimes of the treasonous coup d’état of the Greek Junta and EOKA B and the barbaric Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation that torments our people, but also raises the question of our survival in the land that gave birth to us and our ancestors.

On this anniversary the Ministry of Education decided to tell, correctly, schools to hold events. The serious problem, of course, is that suddenly, it “forgot” and erased from the historical truth the treasonous coup d’état.

Because this deliberate, in our view, decision follows recent events such as the laying of a laurel wreath by the government ruling forces on the graves of those killed in the attack on the Presidential Palace on the 15 July 1974 and various others,

It is now clear to us that Mr Christodoulides and his government want to appease the extreme right-wing and fascist circles who threaten through their actions, ideological concepts, positions and behaviour to bring back those black pages of the high treason that was committed.

Obviously, the government ruling forces are comfortable with the falsification and distortion of the historical truth and the attempt to

remove from the twin crimes the period when certain forces and circles opened the backdoors to the Turkish invading army, so that we could mourn thousands of dead, thousands of missing persons, wounded, enclaved people [in the occupied areas], raped women and many thousands of refugees.

We therefore want the Ministry of Education, even belatedly, to revoke the circular it had sent on the falsification of history. The government must take a clear position on the matter and, in particular, the government coalition parties, which come from a tradition of defending democracy in this country.

We owe our children the historical truth, the cultivation of a democratic conscience. We owe it to ourselves, our people and country to cultivate such a culture that will prevent us from experiencing again what we went through in 1974 with the horrific betrayal committed and the brutal Turkish invasion.

22.4.2024