Memory must teach
By AKEL Political Bureau member Eleni Mavrou
Sunday 14 July 2024, “Haravgi” newspaper
50 years have already passed since that day on the 15 July 1974. In the heat of summer, the Cypriot people were destined to live their own week of suffering that culminated five days later with the Turkish invasion on the 20 July 2024.
15 July was the culmination of the intense campaign of terror that the domestic far right, organised by Grivas in EOKA B, initiated in the early 1970’s. During this period democratic citizens were assassinated and murdered, police stations and the offices and local clubs of the Left were blown up, innocent people were persecuted and hunted.
The Greek junta and EOKA B played their own shameful role in serving the geostrategic plans to subjugate Cyprus to NATO interests. They hid their plans behind empty slogans of “national-mindedness” in order to embellish the betrayal that followed. They made extensive use of anti-communism, fanaticism, chauvinism and bigotry to creep into people’s minds.
On 15 July 1974 the coupists were once again executing what they had learned to do so well during their illegal activities. The democratic resistance followed and a new orgy of terror and crimes were committed by EOKA B and the coupists. They murdered, tortured and rounded up people in police stations and prisons.
The coup provided the “alibi” for Turkey to invade Cyprus. Since then, the barbed wires of division have left a deep wound in our island, condemning our people to become refugees in their own divided country.
History is not devoid of the obligation to assign responsibilities. Εvery anniversary is a challenge forcing us to sharpen our memory in the fire of historical knowledge. To make an assessment and draw lessons from the past from what preceded and followed the tragedy we lived through in 1974. From what we did and did not do over all these years.
This is even more necessary today, when the passage of time is fading our memory, when amnesia and forgetfulness suits the establishment, when certain forces and people are trying to rewrite and falsify history seeking to relive themselves of any responsibilities. This is even more necessary, not just to pay tribute to our heroes. After all, our fallen heroes will not rest in peace in their graves as long as their struggle has still not been vindicated. But also because even the frequently said slogan “I will not forget” needs a struggle to be waged so that it gains a meaning and significance.
So we mustn’t forget. We mustn’t be misled by the attempts by the mechanisms that certain forces and circles are deliberately setting up to turn the coup into an anniversary fiesta. Mechanisms that are designed to turn this historical event into a “moment of silence” in pernicious and tried and tested ways, instead of thousands of cries of protest and resistance.
