EPILOGUE TO AN ANNIVERSARY

Along with the expiry of 2024, which is already behind us, the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion has also come to an end.

If the event contained a certain glamour -a concept that is not even remotely related to the phrase “the fire burns where it falls“- we would now be talking about the completion of the Golden Jubilee celebrations! And from the very next day, we would begin to focus on the Diamond Jubilee, that is, the 60th anniversary. In our case (and without having, despite the logic behind the thought, any reservations about the “useful idiots” who that summer were shouting “Away with Mouskos (Makarios), and let the Turks come”) the fact does not allow for any kind of celebration. Far from it.

The fact is, however, that the sad anniversary was duly “commemorated” with a plethora of events, not only within the island, but in many other countries as well. Scientific conferences, concerts, art exhibitions, book publications, broadcasts, documentaries and television series, long newspaper articles, ‘commemorative events’ and speeches infinite in number… With most of them – except for a few exceptions – moving in the expected direction, not going beyond the framework of “self-affirmation” of the correctness of their treatment of the situation, nor at least moving away from the role of the victim imposed by the school-type official narrative- if you disagree with the characterization “school type”, do me a favour and visit the page of any of our embassies and be enlightened by what is reported on our “national issue”. And just to be on the safe side, since “with the Greek ambiguity, talk a little and you are in trouble,” as a favourite phrase goes, I clarify to avoid misunderstandings that I am not implying a resort to self-flagellation. Which, given that the pain of loss still weighs indelibly on some people, the wounds remain unhealed and the wounds bleeding, it would be, at the very least, disrespectful to ordinary people who have paid the price and still “owe” the debts of others.

However, on the 50th anniversary of the Greek Cypriot tragedy, because that’s what it’s really about, that is, as a community of people who set out in one direction and were led elsewhere by life – clearly…with “poetic licence” as they say, because life took us precisely to the coordinates we naively set for it – in any case how far can a short-sighted person go? – With the result that our existence has been hooked onto that which we neither wanted nor loved, but hated and fought against with abhorrence, the independent Republic of Cyprus, I would have expected – along with everything else – the development of a meaningful dialogue beyond rigidities and fixed beliefs, a discussion reappraising the facts, situations and persons; introspection and reflection from which we could only emerge more mature. Of course, to be fair, I am not claiming that this was completely absent – at least not in terms of private initiatives and independent bodies, but it certainly did not exist on the part of the state and the polity. Because it is impossible that in all these scientific conferences held during the year, not one person hit the nail on the head.

I will not hide from you, however, that what I would most of all like to be informed about is the account of the Church’s actions.  I remind you that the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus had met on 16 January, on the day of the anniversary of the Unionist Referendum – in an “extraordinary session”, the announcement said – and after commemorating the anniversary of the “age-old desire”, discussed – “in detail”, the statement said – “ways to uplift the fighting spirit of the people and cultivate the desire to return to the ancestral lands, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the occupation”.

At this point, allow me a digression: I do not understand the reasons why the Unionist Referendum is celebrated as an… unfulfilled event. Obviously the new archbishop, despite the close ties he had with his late predecessor and the rapport they shared, will not remember what the latter had proclaimed in 2004. But what else are we here for, if not to refresh our memory a little? So the late archbishop said the following: “I am sure that on May 1, we will enter Europe and what we did not achieve in 55-59, union with the motherland, we are achieving through Europe. And I have already invited all the fighters of 55-59, men of Paphos, to come to the Metropolis after the church service, at 10 o‘clock, because the refrigerators of the Metropolis will be full of champagne and we will open them to celebrate the Union of Cyprus with Greece, through Europe”.

That is why I say to you that I do not understand why the Union is treated as an unfulfilled event. But to return our topic, yes, I would like to be informed of the wisdom of our Church’s actions during 2024. Particularly to what extent His Beatitude considers that “the cultivation of the desire to return to the ancestral lands” was enhanced and to what extent. And I pledge that, if and when we are informed of the fruits of their labours, then I will remind him of something he himself had referred to in 2017, which has to do with the answer someone used to give when asked if he was well.

This article was originally published on 29.12.2024

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