Kavazoglu and Misaoulis commemorated for the first time by YBH Youth

Dervis Ali Kavazoglu and Kostas Mishaulis, progressive trade unionists and political activists who were killed on the 11th of April, 1965 by fascists were commemorated for the first time ever in North Cyprus by YBH Youth. Kavazoglu and Mishaulis became symbols of the common struggle for a common homeland of the working class of Cyprus.

Dervish Ali Kavazoglu and Kostas Mishaulis were commemorated by YBH Youth, at an activity held at YBH (Patriotic Unity Movement) headquarters in Nicosia on the 7th of April 2001.

Kamil Tuncer, Hulus (İbrahim) Çağlar and Aziz Kutlay, who knew Kavazoglu and worked together with him at trade unions, namely the Turkish Workers Union (Türk İşçiler Birliği) and PEO Turkish Workers Bureau during the 40s, 50s and 60s were speakers at the event. Alpay Durduran, Kemal Aktunç, Mustafa Denizer and Özker Özgür also spoke. All speakers related their first hand experiences about this period.

This was an important event organized by YBH Youth, in the sense that Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu was being commemorated for the first time and the speakers spoke of their experiences in person.

His veteran trade unionist friends spoke of Kavazoğlu’s life, his struggle and how he was murdered, stressing many times his brave undertakings concerning the common struggle of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot working class.

Veteran trade unionists related their testimonies about how the building of Turkish Workers’ Union that had joined PEO Turkish Workers Bureau was given to the Turkish Education Club (TEK) with all its property. TEK was formed by the same trade unionists in order to serve progressive youth for cultural and sportive activities. They spoke of the common celebration of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots of the 1st of May, 1958 and how on that same night, the extreme right attacked and broke into the building of TEK, burning down everything and destroying the club. Attacks were aimed at the trade union leadership of the PEO Turkish Workers Bureau. In the following days, a lot of trade unionists were came under harsh attack being killed, shot at or beaten up. Some had to leave the island to save their lives.

Veteran trade unionists also gave information about the killing of Derviş Ali Kavazoğlu, together with Greek Cypriot trade unionist Kostas Misaulis on the 11th of April, 1965 between the villages Dali and Luricina.

In a statement about the commemoration event, YBH Youth Secretary of Organization Celal Devrim Önen said that the working class and common struggle of the working class has a long history and Kavazoğlu was an important symbol in this struggle.

Onen said that  deliberate and calculated policies were followed in order to keep the history of this common struggle in the dark and the young generation was only taught about the Cypriots conflicts. Young generations were never taught about the mine strike of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot workers in the 40s, that had lasted more than four months and was supported by the local people. Youth also did not learn about the common labour struggle in common trade unions for an 8 hour working day and other rights but most important of all, lack of information about the the presence of those who had died for a common homeland and a common struggle was a deliberate and calculated policy of the regime.  Onen said that YBH Youth was determined to use all its resources in order to eliminate this blackout policy of the regime.