The 19th Pancyprian Congress of EDON which was convened on the 4 to 6 of January 2019, declares towards the Turkish Cypriot youth the following:
1. EDON, as the youth section of the Popular Movement, addresses to all our compatriots’ Turkish Cypriot young people, warm, compassionate greetings of friendship, cooperation, fellowship and joint struggle for a solution and reunification of our homeland. EDON is committed towards the policy of rapprochement and peaceful coexistence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and continues its struggles towards the deepening and massizing of this policy.
2. The policy of rapprochement consists a strategic choice for EDON and an extension of our class, social and ideological roots. In the framework of this philosophy the Popular Movement, as a result of its character as an expresser of all Cypriots, regardless of their origin, has proposed a joint front of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for deceiving the English colonial rule, as well as for conquering and safeguarding the class and social rights of the Cypriot working people. Subsequently, with the formation of the Cypriot state, which had an intensive bicommunal character and separating elements, the Left predicted correctly that for the proper functioning of this state the relations and the cooperation between the two communities should have been restored. The bicommunal clashes in 1963-64 and the tragic events of 1974, made the need for the policy of rapprochement imperative. Within these conditions, the Left found the political courage and the bold to prefix again the policy of rapprochement right after the painful and tragic experience if the treacherous coup d’ etat and the barbaric Turkish invasion.
3. The massive and daily communication of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, after the partial lifting of the limitations on the free movement since 2003, weakened the partition philosophy that preaches the impossibility of the coexistence between the two communities. This development proved that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can live and create together and at the same time being the real masters in our homeland, far from foreign dependencies and imperialist interventions.
4. The failure of the efforts for a solution on the Cyprus Problem, in 2004, brought feelings of disappointment and suspicion in both communities leading the rapprochement movement in difficulties. At the same time, a fertile ground was found by chauvinism and nationalism and first of all the forces of the extreme right in both communities. Unfortunately, incidents related to the rise of nationalism have not disappeared, especially within the students’ movement (high schools and universities) the extreme right preserves the policy of intolerance, nationalism as well as its insistence on anti-federation slogans. Hence, we call the Turkish Cypriot youth into a common and unaccountable struggle against the forces of nationalism and chauvinism as well as for an engagement in the struggle for solution and rapprochement.
5. Today, the situation is not clear in regards to the perspective of the relaunch of the negotiations and the way forward is unknown. The stability which is witnessed needs to be terminated with the direct relaunch of the negotiations. Additionally, any discussions on changes of the agreements that have been achieved so far both on the basis of the solution and the increased competences of the constituent states, must be ended. They must not set preconditions and terms outside Guteres Framework and no discussions should be made outside the agreed basis for a solution of a BBF. We all ought to realize that the time does not work in favor of the solution and we call upon the two leaders to take their responsibilities. The relaunch of the negotiations from the point they were interrupted in the basis of the Guteres framework is the unique way out for achieving a viable and feasible solution which will liberate and reunify our country and people.
6. We call upon Turkey not just remaining in rhetoric declarations over its willingness regarding the efforts for a solution on the Cyprus Problem and to support actively the process for a solution of the problem. At the same time, we call upon Ankara to stop the new settlements and the alteration of the demography of the island, those policies that led the Turkish Cypriot youth to immigration and threaten the cultural identity of the whole of our people. We call at the same time Turkey to withdraw its occupation troops. We express our solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot compatriots in their struggles against the efforts of the big Turkish capital to be imposed within the Turkish Cypriot community and the neoliberal measures that Turkey attempts to impose on them.
7. The positions of EDON on rapprochement is an extension of our class approach and ideology. The rapprochement stems from our joint class, social and political struggles and it is expressed through the struggle for a joint homeland; for federation; and the safeguarding of the human rights of our people; against imperialism. Only within the mutual comprehension for the necessity of safeguarding the basic principles for reaching an acceptable solution we will achieve it. Today, it is our duty to intensify even further this struggle. This is essential for enhancing the relations of the two communities that are challenged by the acceptance of the current situation and for isolating politically nationalism and chauvinism. The continuation of the Turkish occupation and the perpetuation of the status quo is unacceptable and harmful. At the same time, we highlight that the partition of Cyprus not only cannot be a choice, but in the contrary it is a destruction for our country.
8. We reaffirm all our previous declarations and our commitment for a peaceful solution on the Cyprus Problem in the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship, as this is described in the two High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979, from all the relevant resolutions of the UN and from the international law. A solution based in political equality, as it has been agreed by Christofias and Talat and as it is described in the UN Security Council’s resolutions. A solution of a single state, with a single sovereignty, single international personality and a single citizenship. A solution that respects the human rights and the basic freedoms of all Cypriots, that rejects guarantees of any foreign country and safeguards the full independence of Cyprus, far from NATO and its branches. We fight for a reunified, independent, demilitarized Cyprus, a homeland of peace and prosperity for all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins. In this joint struggle EDON will remain a protagonist.
JANUARY 2019, NICOSIA