Since 2010, we have been organizing the Anti-Militarist Peace Operation in the northern part of Nicosia in order to raise awareness on the issues of anti-militarisation, freedom and coexistence. The 14th of August, 1974, is the day of the second wave of the invasion of the Turkish state in Cyprus, following the famous quote “Ayşe can go on holidays” by the then Turkish Prime Minister, after a coup d’etat by the Greek-cypriot nationalists in a bid to take over power and achieve “enosis” with Greece. Ironically, the invasion was “misrepresented” as a “Peace Operation”. We reclaim the true concept of a Peace Operation. One that does not include weapons, hatred, force and death.
The turkish army remains on the northern side of the Green Line until today, since the leaderships of both communities have not yet managed to find a way to reach a reunification agreement. We continue our struggles to reunite our island nevertheless. And this is a struggle for an island which is free of armies, nationalism, racism, sexism, and any kind of fundamentalism.
Cyprus has been in a state of emergency since 1963. This state of emergency continues and moreover, due to the economic crisis in the south and in the north due to the coup in Turkey, the administrative forces on both sides found a chance to intensify this state of emergency, finding excuses to limit freedom and human rights and curtail democracy.
We, the people of Cyprus, from both sides of the Green Line, are calling for all those who want to stand up and resist against all armies on the island and reclaim the true meaning of a Peace Operation. Let’s join forces and resist against all types of oppressions. Let’s demand the demilitarization of the island from all armies – Turkish, Greek, British, UN, and the two Cypriot ones- and support each other in solidarity.
