In a statement to the EDON congress, the General Secretary of the Patriotic Unity Movement (YBH) Youth, Murat Kanatli, called on the revolutionary and progressive youth movements around the world for joint action for an early resolution of the Cyprus conflict.

Kanatli, in his statement to the EDON Congress said:

`Dear friends, colleagues coming from abroad, comrades,

First of all we would like to welcome those delegates from abroad to the common homeland of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, as the Patriotic Unity Movement Youth.

We greet the 13th General Congress of EDON with our feelings of solidarity, patriotism and socialist ideas.

As the Patriotic Unity Movement Youth, we would like to stress that;

1. Socialism is still the only alternative to capitalism;
2. Struggle against all sorts of discrimination, be it religious, racial or gender, must be continued;
3. And solidarity must be shown to those who struggle for a better future.

The regime in the north has no intent concerning giving a secure future to the Turkish Cypriots. The regime is in fact destroying the Turkish Cypriots with unemployment, political discrimination and emigration as a result of similar policies followed. The main struggle of the Patriotic Unity Movement Youth is the political struggle against the regime.

Due to its own interests, Turkey does not want to solve the Cyprus conflict. The regime in the northern part of Cyprus is serving these policies of Turkey and is repressing those Turkish Cypriots who are against the regime. During recent times, court cases have been brought against articles written by the Secretary General and member of the Patriotic Unity Movement, opposition journalists taken into custody with the implementation of various conspiracies, printing houses being burnt down by `unknown` persons. The socio-economic situation is worsening due to internal and external factors and these are deepening the economic crisis. All of these are fastening the pace of emigration of Turkish Cypriot youth. This means that the Turkish Cypriots are becoming extinct very fast.

That is why the Patriotic Unity Movement Youth is demanding the reunification of our island immediately.

The Cyprus conflict must be resolved at the earliest possible time.

The Cyprus conflict must be resolved within the context of a federal solution. The federal context, must compile with thebi-zonality, bi-communality drawn out at the 77-79 High Level Agreements, it must be based on a single sovereignty and a single international personality. The resolution must ensure the full implementation of all basic human rights and freedoms. For a secure future, the EU opportunities must be used. One of the main conditions for the consolidation of the resolution is to demilitarisate the island after a solution.

Reconciliation efforts are important events for the reconciliation of the communities during the resolution process. Getting to know each other again and exchanging ideas among the communities, will contribute to the resolution of the conflict. For a resolution of the conflit, the communities must be freed from chauvinistic and nationalist elements. That’s why the Cypriot youth must develop their joint struggle and expand this struggle to the masses.

We are also calling on the progressive and revolutionary youth organisations throughout the world; let us develop our joint action for the resolution of the Cyprus conflict, with the ideas we have listed above.

And last but not least, we are calling on the Greek Cypriot youth:

`This island is enough for all of us but is too small to be divided. There still is hope for recreating a joint life on this island and this hope is with the Cypriots.`