11.09.2024 – In light of our statement on the 50th anniversary of the NATO-planned Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Union of Cypriots reaffirms its commitment to the complete liberation of Cyprus from imperialist occupation and settler colonialism. For five decades, the occupation has been oppressing Turkish-speaking Cypriots and continues to deny Greek-speaking Cypriots their right to return to their homes.
NATO powers continue to treat the island as an unsinkable aircraft carrier, imposing apartheid-like arrangements such as the “bicommunal bizonal federation” or the “two-state” solutions to facilitate war crimes, most recently using Cyprus to support “Israel’s ” actions in Palestine and as a base for bombing Yemen, all enabled by the status quo they created.
We reject the false narrative of Cyprus as a ‘divided island’ and underscore the reality that Cyprus is occupied. Therefore, the solution is not a so-called “reunification” under imperialist conditions, but the complete liberation of Cyprus.
On 10 October 1964, the Non-Aligned Movement adopted a declaration affirming the sovereignty, unity, and independence of the Republic of Cyprus in response to Turkey’s early actions against the Cypriot people, a position referenced and supported by the United Nations in 1965.
As the Union of Cypriots, we therefore celebrate 10 October as International Solidarity Day with the Cypriot People, and invite anti-imperialists worldwide to join or initiate solidarity actions for Cyprus. We call on progressives to stand for the territorial and social integrity of the unitary Republic of Cyprus, support the national and class unity of Cypriots, resist imperialist occupation, and advance the broader struggle for a free West Asia and North Africa.
Liberate Cyprus, Free West Asia and North Africa, Defeat Imperialism!
