AKEL has marked the 52nd anniversary of the 15 July 1974 coup by paying tribute to the fighters of the Democratic Resistance and condemning what it described as the greatest betrayal ever committed against Cyprus.
In a statement issued on the anniversary, the party said the coup carried out by the Greek military junta and EOKA B paved the way for Turkey's invasion of the island days later. "The shame of betrayal will forever accompany the fascists in Greece and Cyprus who collaborated with Turkey and drenched our people in blood."
AKEL said the anniversary serves as a reminder of what it called the greatest act of treachery suffered by Cyprus and its people.
The party recalled the tanks that, under orders from the Athens junta, turned against the Presidential Palace, the Archbishopric and other state institutions in an effort to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Makarios.
It also referred to the actions of EOKA B, accusing the organisation of targeting, arresting, torturing and killing left-wing and democratic Cypriots.
‘Not a mistake, but conscious betrayal’
According to AKEL, the coup was not an "ill-conceived act" but a deliberate contribution to what it described as a NATO-backed plan for the partition of Cyprus.
The party argued that this was demonstrated by the Turkish invasion that followed and the island's subsequent de facto division.
AKEL also rejected descriptions of the period as an internal civil conflict, saying it was instead the result of the actions of a small minority that turned against both the people and the lawful government of the Republic.
The statement further alleged that some coup participants abandoned their positions when the invasion began and instead engaged in acts of violence against leftists, supporters of Makarios and Turkish Cypriot civilians.
Tribute to the Democratic Resistance
AKEL paid tribute to members of the Democratic Resistance who, it said, defended democracy and confronted EOKA B, fascism and the coup plotters.
The party expressed gratitude and respect to those who resisted through armed clashes, imprisonment, interrogations and torture.
It also referred to a House of Representatives resolution adopted in December 2022, which calls on the state to honour the heroes of the Democratic Resistance and refrain from organising events honouring EOKA B leaders, members or officials of the coup administration.
Defence of historical memory
AKEL said it would continue to defend what it described as historical truth and democratic memory regarding the events of 1974.
The party accused forces on the right and far right of attempting to distort that history and argued that the struggle against historical revisionism and the far right remains an integral part of the wider effort for Cyprus' liberation, reunification and peace.
