Ergatiki Dimokratia (Worker’s Democracy) from south Cyprus crossed to the north

 As a guest of YBH Youth (Patriotic Unity Movement Youth), a four member delegation from Ergatiki Dimokratia (Worker’s Democracy) from south Cyprus crossed to the north on the 8th of April 2001.

Despite all the obstacles and difficulties created by the Foreign Ministry, the delegation of Ergatiki Dimokratia crossed to the north and met members of YBH Youth and exchanged views about the development of bi-communal relations and joint projects. The delegations agreed on various projects.

Ergatiki Dimokratia delegation met members of YBH Youth and Sosyalist Gerçek (Socialist Reality) at the Kyrenia branch of YBH and after  the meeting and dinner, returned to the south.

YBH Youth General Secretary Murat Kanatlı, issued the following press statement about the meeting:

“New restrictions and obstacles are being enforced on bi-communal contacts during he recent period.

For YBH Youth, reconciliation activities have an important role in the solution process for the reconciliation of the communities. The meeting and exchange of ideas among the communities will contribute to the solution of the problem. Communities must also be freed from chauvinistic and nationalistic elements. That is why the Cypriot youth must develop their common struggle for their common homeland and expand this to masses.

While doing this, the youth must struggle against chauvinistic and nationalist elements within its own community and show its trust to the other community.

Bi-communal activities must be taken up with their two aspects. The first aspect is the youth getting to know and communicating with the other half of their country and the other community. This does not carry any negative aspect so long as it stays at a certain level. The second aspect is  for the Cypriot youth to search for common working ground for their future and this must be the main aim.

The Cypriot youth must now create concrete projects and work together on subjects concerning their future. It is also time for the creation and development of common structures.

We have a lot of tasks for our future. We must get our own communities ready for a federal solution, struggle against chauvinistic and nationalist elements and intensify our efforts for the elimination of mistrust and lack of communication against the other community.

Noone can build the future in our name, except us.  A solution will open the way for the future in Cyprus but we, ourselves will build peace anyhow.

With these in mind, YBH Youth tried to contact all structures in South Cyprus and used all its resources in order to include as many structures from the north as possible.  Our principle is that all Cypriots must come together and create projects and expand these efforts to masses, for the future of Cyprus.

We would like to refer to the decision taken at the 1st conference of YBH Youth:

“Bi-communal 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 have a positive effect for the solution of the problem. Common projects to be created by NGOS for the solution and the period after, will also bring positive contributions to the solution of the problem. For these reasons all oblstacles must be removed from the organisation of bi-communal activities and conditions must be created for their expansion.”

With these ideas, just as we had supported activities at Pyla, we also gave our support to the bi-communal youth festival organized by EDON and CTP Youth Branch at Ledra Palace Hotel on the 31st of March 2001.

But the restrictions and obstacles against bi-communal contacts during recent times, also showed that the efforts of those who are playing the “democracy” game are futile, that there is no sense in their boasting about the reorganisation of the Ledra Palace check point or the claim that there is an increase of bi-communal activities during their period of government.

In our previous statements we had stresed that while the Foreign Ministry were taking new arbitrary measures against bi-communal contacts, there was no way they would not know that the Greek Cypriot youth organizations would not accept such procedures. We also stressed that those who were playing the game of being the “government” were taking orders from above and were in fact stopping the reconciliation activities under these orders.

We refuse to accept these recent obstacles but we shall also show our struglle against the prevention of these activities.

Despite difficulties, restrictions and obstacles these activities are continuing and YBH Youth will use all its resources for their expansion.

On the anniversary of the death of Kavazoglu and Mishaoulis, on the road of struggle opened by progressive, partiotic Cypriots who had a common struggle for a common homeland at that period, we call on all Cypriot youth to raise our common struggle for a common homeland. We would also like to stress that we shall take all necessary initiatives with the international public opinion at every opportunity.

Once again we reiterate our dmand that all obstacles must be removed from the organisation of bi-communal contacts and conditions must be created for their expansion.”