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| WFDY poster commemorating 40th anniversary of partition |
This July commemorates the 40th anniversary of the double
crime of NATO on the Mediterranean island.
On the 15th of July, 1974, EOKA 2, the fascist junta ruling
Cyprus by that time, led among others by the notorious anti-communist Grivas -
who had served against the National Liberation Army (ELAS) during Greek Civil
War - perpetrated a coup d’État in order to achieve the annexation of Cyprus to
Greece (“Enosi”), an idea long defended by the nationalist right. As a
consequence, Turkey invaded the northern part of the country five days later
legitimated by the defense of Turkish Cypriots’ interests, enacting the
partition of the island.
Today, 40 years later, a “Green Line” still separates the
country, affecting 250 000 people, that is, more than 20% of the population;
38% of the island is occupied by armed forces defending Turkey’s colonization
enterprise.
This is intimately linked to imperialism’s plans for the
Middle East. As we have been testifying for a long time and particularly now
with Israel’s criminal operation against the Gaza strip, imperialist powers
don’t hesitate to kill, subjugate, and divide people in order to safeguard
their interests, markets and access to natural resources. With its strategic
location between Europe and the Middle East, Cyprus’ colonization by Turkey
(the only country in the Middle East to be member of NATO and OECD) meets the
interests of the imperialists who can better control the eastern Mediterranean
maritime routes. We should also remember that Cyprus is, along with Malta, the
only state to refuse any partnership with NATO. Recent gas prospection
activities off Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey shores showed great
potential. This situation represents a great threat to peace, which is already
very precarious in this region. As the capitalist crisis deepens, the search of
new markets becomes crucial and, as the recent developments in the Middle East
show, imperialism is determined to put its hands on every asset to guarantee
its interests.
Therefore, the need for a patriotic and peaceful solution to
the partition of Cyprus is now essential. Progressive Cypriots, among them
young and working people, from both sides of the “Green Line” continue working
together for the reunification of their country and the creation of a sovereign
Cypriot demilitarized state. This struggle however is also linked to the rejection
of the Troika’s interference into the country’s policies.
On the frontline of these struggles are the Communist Party
(AKEL) and the Communist Youth (EDON). As the latter celebrated its 70th
anniversary last April, the YCL-LJC sent its greetings that we thought should
be reproduced here for the occasion of the 40th anniversary of resistance to
the Turkish troops occupation and the fight for reunification.
Greetings online [Gr, En]: <http://www.edon.org.cy/70xrona-aon-edon/mhnymata/mhnyma-ycl-kanadas-gia-ta-70xrona-ths-aon-edon-ycl-canada-message-70th-anniversary-foundation-aon-edon/>
Dear Comrades,
Please receive our warmest revolutionary greetings from
Canada.
It is a great pleasure to address our most sincere and
fraternal salutations to ΕΔΟΝ to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its
creation. For 70 years, cypriot progressive youth has committed to fight for
peace, for the interests of the people against imperialism. Weather it be for
the struggle for national independence against British rulers, against the occupation
of the island’s northern part by turkish imperialist forces or, more recently,
against the privatization of semi-state organizations of electricity,
telecommunications and ports imposed by the Troika; ΕΔΟΝ together with ΑΚΕΛ and
Cyprus progressive movements have been at the forefront of the struggle.
Comrades,
we would like to outline that this anniversary - that occurs
simultaneously with the 40th year of the island’s partition - takes place in a
general context of one of the most important capitalist crisis. As a
consequence, attacks on working class and popular strata as well as enslavement
of states as we witnessed in Venezuela and Ukraine are becoming more common and
more violent.
In Canada, just like in Cyprus, privatizations figure on the
agenda of pro-corporate reactionary forces. They are currently trying to
further privatize Canada Post as a way to not only guarantee their economical
interests but also to break any type of labour union’s resistance to austerity
policies. A part from resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs, this would
mean, for Canadians, the end of door-to-door mail delivery.
We, the Young Communist League of Canada - Ligue de la
jeunesse communistes du Canada, are also fully committed to guarantee national
equality within Canada, proposing a federative solution where the full right to
self-determination of Aboriginal, Metis, Québec, Acadian and English-Canadian
nations would be recognized.
As the Young Communist League of Canada, we want to insure
our Cypriot comrades that we fully support your struggle against imperialist
measures imposed by the European Union and the Troika: we have been following
with great interest the huge mobilization of December 14th which gathered as
more than 10 000 people in the streets of Nicosia.
We also want to express our full support of a peaceful
solution to the Cyprus problem by a unitary federative state so the Greek
Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins be able to
self-determine their own future in a demilitarized country.
Comrades,
Our international solidarity commitments aren’t just about
words. In our perspective, it is by fighting all together in our own countries
that we will defeat imperialism. Therefore, we want you to be insured that all
our struggles and campaigns go further than Canadian borders, reaching all
oppressed peoples fighting against imperialism.
Οχι στη διχοτόμηση του Κυπρου!
Long live international solidarity!
Long live socialism and communism!
Long live AKEΛ and EΔON!
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