Solidarity with Kurds Initiative established in Cyprus

Several politicians, journalists, writers and prominent politicians in Cyprus including EDEK (Socialist Party) Deputy Chair, European Parliament (EP) members Kostis Efstathiou and Eleni Theocharous, Ecologist Party’s former Chair and Deputy Giorgos Perdikis, Researcher-Journalist Christos Lakovou announced the establishment of the Solidarity with the Kurds Initiative.

The members of the Initiative held a press conference in the Nicosia Journalists Association on Wednesday.

PYD (Democratic Union Party) Representative Yasin Derguş, the co-chair and members of the Kurdish People’s Assembly and Kurdish politician Lezgin Serhat attended the meeting which was covered by a large number of press outlets.

Members of the Solidarity Commission with the Kurds, which was established in the 90s by Theofilos Georgiadis, known for his pro-Kurdish activities and murdered by the Turkish intelligence service MİT on March 20, 1994, also attended the meeting.

While the deputies made speeches at the meeting, a joint press release was also read out.

The statement said that Kurdish-Greek relations were prospering at a time when the peoples of Kurdistan and the Middle East were going through a historic process; “Solidarity and partnership against the fascism and genocidal policies pursued by the Turkish state and capitalist modernity in general is important for the Kurdish Freedom Movement. We believe that we will make progress with the participation of the Kurdish people and allied Greek people. Only the unity and solidarity of the peoples can frustrate the plans of the occupying Turkish state and hegemonic powers.”

The statement emphasized that the best course of action for the peoples under Turkish occupation and attack is to organize and defend themselves based on their own strength.

‘THEOFILOS IS OUR SYMBOL’

The statement noted that the murdered friend of the Kurds, Theofilos Georgiadis, embodied the historical relations between the Kurdish and Greek people. “Theofilos saw how the peoples of Kurdistan and Cyprus had been attacked by these occupying and hegemonic powers, arguing that the colonization and occupation of Kurdistan had also paved the way for the occupation of Cyprus. On this basis, he displayed solidarity with the Kurds and became a symbol of the Kurdish freedom struggle. Theofilos’ phrase ‘The freedom of Cyprus is linked to the mountains of Kurdistan’ is a historical phrase. In line with his motto, we believe that the Solidarity with the Kurds Initiative will continue its activities by diligently focusing on the political, economic and cultural problems of the Kurdish people.”

PRIORITIES OF THE INITIATIVE

The primary objectives of the Initiative were listed as follows:

“The initiative has been established to contribute to the liberation of Cyprus and Kurdistan. In cooperation with the Cypriot community and government, it will work to promote the common interests of the peoples of Cyprus and Kurdistan. It will carry out activities to maintain a strategic unity between the Cypriots and the Kurdish people. It will provide social and financial support to the victims of war in Kurdistan. Settling the bureaucratic problems of the Kurdish people living in Cyprus and providing social and financial support to the victims of war in Kurdistan are among our duties. The paradigm of Öcalan which inspires the peoples in the Middle East, especially in Rojava, and the autonomous administration model will be explained to the people of Cyprus.”

‘CYPRUS’S FREEDOM LINKED TO MOUNTAINS OF KURDISTAN’

“Theofilos took the side of the Kurdish people and the freedom movement 30 years ago, saying that Cyprus and the Kurdish people should fight together. He left his mark on history with his remark that the freedom of Cyprus is linked to the mountains of Kurdistan,” Kurdish politician Lezgin Serhat said, commemorating Georgiadis.

Speaking after, PYD Cyprus Representative Yasin Terguş stated that the Kurdish people, who are at the centre of the current war in the Middle East,have  introduced a great revolutionary move based on the philosophical and ideological perspective of Abdullah Öcalan against the fascist and chauvinist line.

Terguş remarked that the Turkish army has carried out massacres against civilians, women and children together with its mercenary groups. He emphasized the importance of the common struggle of the peoples against these attacks.

Terguş expressed that following the introduction of the Democratic Confederalism, which Öcalan described as the third line, a system that promotes the coexistence of all peoples without bans on language, religion, race, sect and culture has emerged. He noted that the freedom line of the peoples of the Middle East has been realized in Rojava.

The meeting was ended with slogans chanted in Greek and Kurdish such as “Bijî Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Öcalan], “Long live the revolutionary solidarity of the peoples”, ” Şehîd namirin” [Martyrs are immortal] and “Bijî Rojava” [Long Live Rojava].

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