President Ersin Tatar responds to the Greek Cypriot Leader, Nikos Christodoulides, who praised the EOKA terrorist organisation
“The mask of Christodoulides has slipped”
President Ersin Tatar has stated that the real mentality of the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides has been exposed since his praise recently of the EOKA terrorist organisation -- who were involved in the massacre of Turkish Cypriot People.
President Tatar issued a written statement in reaction to the statements of the Greek Cypriot leader, made at events in South Cyprus, that commemorated the start of armed attacks by the EOKA terror organisation, on April 1, 1955. President Tatar stated that the "mask of Christodoulides has slipped”.
The statement reads as follows:
“The Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Cypriot leadership have made statements commemorating the 69th anniversary of the start of brutal attacks by the EOKA terrorist organisation on April 1, 1955 when EOKA, supported by the Greek-Greek Cypriot leaderships, commenced armed attacks on the Turkish Cypriot People all over the island with the aim of exterminating them and turning Cyprus into a Hellenic Island.
The latest statements by the Greek Cypriot leader and leadership have once again shown that the outdated Greek-Greek Cypriot mentality has not changed and that they are still continuing to chase impossible dreams.
The latest statements by Christodoulides have not only slipped the "pro-solution" mask from his face, they have also exposed his real mentality and thoughts.
The initial statements of the EOKA terrorist organisation declared that their objective was “to expel the Turkish Cypriots, who are an extension of the Turkish nation, from the island and to realise the unification of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS).” In the ensuing period, armed attacks were carried out with massacres and abductions that turned Cyprus into a bloodbath. EOKA had also stated that "Unless Heaven with Hell and fire with water come together, the Cypriot Greeks and Turks cannot come together." Indeed, as from 1955, Turkish quarters of major towns and villages, our sacred and religious places were attacked by EOKA, and Turkish Cypriot civilians were brutally murdered simply because they were Turkish.
We believe that it necessary to remind the Greek Cypriot leader, who attributed so many praises to the EOKA terrorist organisation and referred to its members as ‘heroes’, that EOKA in fact murdered hundreds of British servicemen as well as Turkish Cypriots.
In the face of these years of merciless attacks that amounted to acts of genocide, the Turkish Cypriot People founded the Turkish Resistance Organisation in 1958 so as to help organise and defend our people in the face of these attacks. This was followed by the establishment of the partnership 1960 Republic of Cyprus, of which the Turkish Cypriot people were equal co-founding partners. However, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, was stating that the republic was a “springboard” for ENOSIS and the Bloody Christmas attacks against Turkish Cypriots were started on December 21, 1963, in accordance with the Akritas Plan, duly signed by the Greek Cypriot leadership, which had the objective of exterminating the Turkish Cypriots.
Grivas Digenis, the leader of the EOKA terrorist organisation, led the island-wide attacks on Turkish Cypriots.
The unchanging goal was to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people and turn Cyprus into a Hellenic island.
Turkish Cypriot People were expelled by force of arms from the state apparatus of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus partnership they had co-founded, which turned into a solely Greek Cypriot administration. Turkish Cypriots were massacred, hundreds of our villages were attacked forcing tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots to emigrate. Our people were living under siege, deprived of basic human rights, food and water, and forced to live in less than three per cent of the Island’s territory from 1963 to 1974.
The Greek Cypriot Leader praised Archbishop Makarios and his partner-in-crime Grivas saying he "bows before them with gratitude" and we feel compelled to remind him that it was they who ordered the massacre of Turkish Cypriot people and buried our people alive in pits, as they did in the village of Türkeli.
On July 15, 1974, the Greek junta staged the coup d’etat in collaboration with EOKA in Cyprus, to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people and turn Cyprus into a Hellenic Island. As Nicos Sampson, who was appointed as the President who declared the 'Hellenic Republic of Cyprus' also confessed: Had Motherland and guarantor Türkiye not carried out the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974, a second Crete disaster would have been effectuated and not a single Turk would have been left alive in Cyprus. Further evidence of this are the acts of genocide committed by Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA in the villages of Atlılar, Muratağa, Sandallar and Taşkent, to name a few.
Many atrocities and facts have been recorded in the pages of history. Mr. Christodoulides, after having praised the EOKA terrorist organisation, went on to state that the "unification with Greece, which is the official goal of the struggle, may not have been achieved, but EOKA's struggle proves that we can achieve every goal". Mr Christodoulides has shown once again that the mentality of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo has not changed.
In addition, the escalation of anti-Turkish rhetoric and hostility on the Greek Cypriot side, the call made by Mr. Christodoulides to the Greek Cypriot people to “unite to save our homeland and fight until the day when the liberation of our lands is blessed"; slogans such as "Turks out of Cyprus" and remarks by the Greek Cypriot leadership that "there can be no solution whilst the Turkish military remains in Cyprus and Türkiye's guarantorship is not revoked" are also issues of concern.
Whilst we continue to call for dialogue with our good will and sincerity regarding the Cyprus issue, the Greek Cypriot Leader is pursuing the impossible dream of the EOKA terrorist organisation and making statements that create tension and hostility which is unacceptable. Such statements and mentality constitutes the greatest obstacle to a settlement, which is being communicated before the eyes of the international community.
I would like to state once again that the solution to the Cyprus issue cannot be achieved by allowing the EOKA terrorist organisation to pursue its dreams. Federal based negotiations have been tried, failed and exhausted. Negotiations on the exhausted basis came about priimarily due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriot Side and their repeated rejections for a settlement on this basis. A fair, viable and sustainable settlement in Cyprus can however be reached on a two separate sovereign State basis.
The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side is also essential, if any new and formal negotiations are to be started. This is the only basis for settlement that will be beneficial not only to the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People, but also to the region.
My call to the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Christodoulides, is not to continue going after unachievable dreams, and for him to respond positively to my calls for a settlement and dialogue.
President Tatar issued a written statement in reaction to the statements of the Greek Cypriot leader, made at events in South Cyprus, that commemorated the start of armed attacks by the EOKA terror organisation, on April 1, 1955. President Tatar stated that the "mask of Christodoulides has slipped”.
The statement reads as follows:
“The Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Cypriot leadership have made statements commemorating the 69th anniversary of the start of brutal attacks by the EOKA terrorist organisation on April 1, 1955 when EOKA, supported by the Greek-Greek Cypriot leaderships, commenced armed attacks on the Turkish Cypriot People all over the island with the aim of exterminating them and turning Cyprus into a Hellenic Island.
The latest statements by the Greek Cypriot leader and leadership have once again shown that the outdated Greek-Greek Cypriot mentality has not changed and that they are still continuing to chase impossible dreams.
The latest statements by Christodoulides have not only slipped the "pro-solution" mask from his face, they have also exposed his real mentality and thoughts.
The initial statements of the EOKA terrorist organisation declared that their objective was “to expel the Turkish Cypriots, who are an extension of the Turkish nation, from the island and to realise the unification of Cyprus with Greece (ENOSIS).” In the ensuing period, armed attacks were carried out with massacres and abductions that turned Cyprus into a bloodbath. EOKA had also stated that "Unless Heaven with Hell and fire with water come together, the Cypriot Greeks and Turks cannot come together." Indeed, as from 1955, Turkish quarters of major towns and villages, our sacred and religious places were attacked by EOKA, and Turkish Cypriot civilians were brutally murdered simply because they were Turkish.
We believe that it necessary to remind the Greek Cypriot leader, who attributed so many praises to the EOKA terrorist organisation and referred to its members as ‘heroes’, that EOKA in fact murdered hundreds of British servicemen as well as Turkish Cypriots.
In the face of these years of merciless attacks that amounted to acts of genocide, the Turkish Cypriot People founded the Turkish Resistance Organisation in 1958 so as to help organise and defend our people in the face of these attacks. This was followed by the establishment of the partnership 1960 Republic of Cyprus, of which the Turkish Cypriot people were equal co-founding partners. However, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, was stating that the republic was a “springboard” for ENOSIS and the Bloody Christmas attacks against Turkish Cypriots were started on December 21, 1963, in accordance with the Akritas Plan, duly signed by the Greek Cypriot leadership, which had the objective of exterminating the Turkish Cypriots.
Grivas Digenis, the leader of the EOKA terrorist organisation, led the island-wide attacks on Turkish Cypriots.
The unchanging goal was to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people and turn Cyprus into a Hellenic island.
Turkish Cypriot People were expelled by force of arms from the state apparatus of the 1960 Republic of Cyprus partnership they had co-founded, which turned into a solely Greek Cypriot administration. Turkish Cypriots were massacred, hundreds of our villages were attacked forcing tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots to emigrate. Our people were living under siege, deprived of basic human rights, food and water, and forced to live in less than three per cent of the Island’s territory from 1963 to 1974.
The Greek Cypriot Leader praised Archbishop Makarios and his partner-in-crime Grivas saying he "bows before them with gratitude" and we feel compelled to remind him that it was they who ordered the massacre of Turkish Cypriot people and buried our people alive in pits, as they did in the village of Türkeli.
On July 15, 1974, the Greek junta staged the coup d’etat in collaboration with EOKA in Cyprus, to destroy the Turkish Cypriot people and turn Cyprus into a Hellenic Island. As Nicos Sampson, who was appointed as the President who declared the 'Hellenic Republic of Cyprus' also confessed: Had Motherland and guarantor Türkiye not carried out the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974, a second Crete disaster would have been effectuated and not a single Turk would have been left alive in Cyprus. Further evidence of this are the acts of genocide committed by Greek Cypriot forces and EOKA in the villages of Atlılar, Muratağa, Sandallar and Taşkent, to name a few.
Many atrocities and facts have been recorded in the pages of history. Mr. Christodoulides, after having praised the EOKA terrorist organisation, went on to state that the "unification with Greece, which is the official goal of the struggle, may not have been achieved, but EOKA's struggle proves that we can achieve every goal". Mr Christodoulides has shown once again that the mentality of the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo has not changed.
In addition, the escalation of anti-Turkish rhetoric and hostility on the Greek Cypriot side, the call made by Mr. Christodoulides to the Greek Cypriot people to “unite to save our homeland and fight until the day when the liberation of our lands is blessed"; slogans such as "Turks out of Cyprus" and remarks by the Greek Cypriot leadership that "there can be no solution whilst the Turkish military remains in Cyprus and Türkiye's guarantorship is not revoked" are also issues of concern.
Whilst we continue to call for dialogue with our good will and sincerity regarding the Cyprus issue, the Greek Cypriot Leader is pursuing the impossible dream of the EOKA terrorist organisation and making statements that create tension and hostility which is unacceptable. Such statements and mentality constitutes the greatest obstacle to a settlement, which is being communicated before the eyes of the international community.
I would like to state once again that the solution to the Cyprus issue cannot be achieved by allowing the EOKA terrorist organisation to pursue its dreams. Federal based negotiations have been tried, failed and exhausted. Negotiations on the exhausted basis came about priimarily due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriot Side and their repeated rejections for a settlement on this basis. A fair, viable and sustainable settlement in Cyprus can however be reached on a two separate sovereign State basis.
The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot Side is also essential, if any new and formal negotiations are to be started. This is the only basis for settlement that will be beneficial not only to the Turkish Cypriot People and Greek Cypriot People, but also to the region.
My call to the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Christodoulides, is not to continue going after unachievable dreams, and for him to respond positively to my calls for a settlement and dialogue.