WHO IS LYING HRISTOFIAS OR AKEL? |
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Prof. Dr. Ata ATUN |
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Cypriot presidential candidate Dimitris Hristofias of the Progres-sive Party of Working People (AKEL), in his speeches at various meet-ings and rallies, has said that he and his party believe in a “bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality” and that, if elected, he will solve the Cyprus problem in the shortest time possible. It may sound good, but what he keeps saying is only a fairy tale.
On March 6, 1966, the Haravgi newspaper (AKEL’s mouthpiece) reported the proceedings of AKEL’s 11th congress in banner headlines. According to the paper, the congress was taking historic decisions on the furtherance of the “Greek Cypriot anti-imperialist struggle.”
The historic decisions concerning Cyprus announced on March 12 and published in Haravgi on March 13, 1966 were as follows:
“The congress reaffirms AKEL’s persistent and unchanging atti-tude in our liberation struggle. It further reiterates AKEL’s efforts aimed at a non-aligned independence, the ultimate territorial integrity of Cyprus and the removal of all foreign bases and radio stations that are used for spying. It is only after the realization of these objectives that the people of Cyprus will be able to determine their future through the internationally accepted principle of self- determination, free from foreign intervention and pressure. Only within this concept will our people achieve national rehabilitation with its free will and conscience, without any pressure or blackmail. Those NATO forces that oppose our policy are taking advantage of the nationalistic feelings of the people and issuing disseminating propaganda of a direct [union of Cyprus and Greece (enosis)] through a fait accompli. Our party is resolutely opposed to such enosis. Because through this kind of enosis an unacceptable NATO solution will be imposed on our people … that will in fact amount to the partitioning of Cyprus from Greece and its linking with NATO.
“The congress, having in mind these efforts of imperialists and NATO forces, calls on our people to be vigilant, to foil these plots aimed at the oppression and enslavement of Cyprus.
“While the congress approves non-aligned independence, full so-vereignty and the policy of self-determination, it maintains that this policy serves the national interests of our na¬tional struggle and, in general, world peace in its full meaning. It sees the struggle as the only right policy and the real anti-imperialist national liberation movement and, while it approves this stand, it urges the party to continue to play a leading role in this struggle as it has done, without deviation and to do its utmost with all its strength.”
One day before this resolution was adopted by the 11th congress, the text of a letter addressed to President Makarios by former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, dated Aug. 29, 1964, was published in the Greek Cypriot press. There is a close relationship between this letter and the slogan of “Unfettered independence, unconditional inde-pendence and genuine independence.”
Passages from Makarios’ reply to Papandreou also shed light on their links with enosis, as indicated be¬low. All Greek Cypriot papers carried the following quotation from George Papandreou on March 3, 1966, attributing it to the Athens-based Ethnos newspaper:
“Shortly the Turkish troops in Cyprus will be rotated. We feel it necessary to announce our joint decisions on the new crisis created by this development.
We have reached agreement to have recourse to the United Na-tions for unconditional independence, which provides for the exercise of the right of self-determination.
We have further agreed to maintain peace in the island until the UN adopts a resolution. We shall not provoke, but rather we will launch a peace offensive, promising general am¬nesty to Turkish Cypriots. We shall tell them that we will safeguard their human and politi¬cal rights. With this approach we will foil the aggressive intentions of the Turks and create favorable impressions at the United Nations.
Turks can be expected to attack without provocation. But, as I said, in the event of such an offensive Greece will defend Cyprus with all her strength. As the Greek army cannot pos¬sibly fight under the banner of “unfettered in¬dependence,” the parliaments of Greece and Cyprus will proclaim enosis immediately and the fight¬ing will take place under the banner of enosis. This is a banner suitable for a nation to fight for.”
I wonder why AKEL did not object to the declaration of the “Cypriot Hellenic Republic” on July 16, 1974 by coup d’état-installed President Nikos Sampson, the notorious killer of innocent Turkish Cypriot civilians. The resolutions of 1966 and 1973, which are similar to pre-vious one, are still valid and not yet cancelled.
One must wonder how Mr. Hristofias will settle the Cyprus dispute based on “bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality” while the above resolutions are directing him to enosis.
