Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

Paphitis, my family from my mothers side were/are also leftists/communists. They supported the struggle against the British and my aunt (teenager at the time) was helping EOKA by transferring weapons.

Grivas was anti-communist, but this doesn't mean that everybody in EOKA was like him, or that the communists/leftists did not support the struggle for freedom and union with the rest of Greece, quite the contrary.

[denizaksulu]

EOKA had as an aim to get rid of the Colonialists and unite Cyprus with the rest of Greece, which was the 100% legitimate right of the Cypriot people.

Beyond that, it is true that Grivas and certain other members of EOKA (but not all, or most) were anti-communists and that they misused their position for aims irrelevant to the struggle of Cyprus for freedom.

However the struggle for freedom from the British and union with the rest of Greece was one supported by the vast majority of the Cypriot people. It was a revolution which had a level of support higher than most other revolutions (there will always be the "Royalists" and "Loyalists" in every revolution. 100% support in anything is not possible) and nothing can diminish this just struggle of the Cypriot people.

Also, although Grivas and a few other EOKA members might have misused their power to attack communists, the TCs were not the aim of EOKA, even Grivas. The TCs became the enemy of GCs (and therefore EOKA) when the TCs collaborated with the colonialists and they attacked innocent and unarmed GCs starting the inter-communal conflict. It is about time that the TCs realized this.

Finally, no EOKA or anything like that would be necessary, if the Turks and the British had accepted the right of the Cypriot people to peacefully and democratically decide the destiny of our own island.

[Bananiot]

Piratis, is it so difficult for you to accept that they committed horrible crimes? Grivas and Papadopoulos were instrumental in these committed murders in the Famagusta district. In Milia they even murdered a young girl for christ's sake.

On the other hand, the intercommunal strife did not start simply because the TC's joined forces with the Brits. This is a simplistic way of looking at things. By 1958, Grivas had already declared that in the struggle for enosis, the left and the TC community had no place. The left disagreed with the form of the struggle but did not object to enosis. It was a legitimate position for the GC majority. However, when EOKA excluded more than half of the population of Cyprus from this struggle, the seeds of conflict were sown. It was a divisive organisation headed by a couple of fanatics who could never inspire all the Cypriots.

So, if one needs to look for reasons for our present day state, one needs to look no further than EOKA and its leadership. Pallikarides and the rest of the boys that were killed are as much victims of EOKA as the rest of the Cypriots that were actually killed by EOKA.

One must not forget the extremist organisation within the TC society, TMT. In effect EOKA and TMT were the two sides of the same coin, in their aims. One wanted union with Greece and the other partition. Both organisations called upon respective members of their communities to even stop selling or buying from the other community.

If we really care about this tragic island, the blaming game needs to stop. It does not help our cause. We should be looking instead at the historical reasons that produce this calamity , study them and try to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Arguments of the type "you killed 10's more than we did" simply serve to destroy Cyprus forever.

[Paphitis]

Paphitis, my family from my mothers side were/are also leftists/communists. They supported the struggle against the British and my aunt (teenager at the time) was helping EOKA by transferring weapons.

Grivas was anti-communist, but this doesn't mean that everybody in EOKA was like him, or that the communists/leftists did not support the struggle for freedom and union with the rest of Greece, quite the contrary.

Well Grivas was a fierce anti Communist in Greece as he was a high level Officer of the Greek Army during the Greek Civil War. But could you attribute this to be 'anti communist' or just loyal to the Greek State which was under attack from leftist Guerrillas? I'm not too certain!

But I am certain that Grivas was no friend of communism, and even despised it. However things may not be as they appear in Cyprus, since you and I both know that many 'communists' not only supported the struggle but were also actively involved within EOKA under Grivas' and Lt Gregoris Afxentiou's leadership.

My previous post was directed to Bananiot who stated that EOKA had some secret agenda to exterminate communists. This is just a pure fabrication of fact, since at least 30-50% of EOKA may have had Left leaning affiliations at the time.

[boomerang]

you people are depriving milti of his 15 minute to fame...

[Paphitis]

So, if one needs to look for reasons for our present day state, one needs to look no further than EOKA and its leadership. Pallikarides and the rest of the boys that were killed are as much victims of EOKA as the rest of the Cypriots that were actually killed by EOKA.

You should be ashamed of yourself Bananiot....

Pallikarides fell singing, so you can keep your opinions to yourself for his life was never wasted to all those that simply wanted their freedom....

[Piratis]

Piratis, is it so difficult for you to accept that they committed horrible crimes? Grivas and Papadopoulos were instrumental in these committed murders in the Famagusta district. In Milia they even murdered a young girl for christ's sake.

On the other hand, the intercommunal strife did not start simply because the TC's joined forces with the Brits. This is a simplistic way of looking at things. By 1958, Grivas had already declared that in the struggle for enosis, the left and the TC community had no place. The left disagreed with the form of the struggle but did not object to enosis. It was a legitimate position for the GC majority. However, when EOKA excluded more than half of the population of Cyprus from this struggle, the seeds of conflict were sown. It was a divisive organisation headed by a couple of fanatics who could never inspire all the Cypriots.

So, if one needs to look for reasons for our present day state, one needs to look no further than EOKA and its leadership. Pallikarides and the rest of the boys that were killed are as much victims of EOKA as the rest of the Cypriots that were actually killed by EOKA.

One must not forget the extremist organisation within the TC society, TMT. In effect EOKA and TMT were the two sides of the same coin, in their aims. One wanted union with Greece and the other partition. Both organisations called upon respective members of their communities to even stop selling or buying from the other community.

If we really care about this tragic island, the blaming game needs to stop. It does not help our cause. We should be looking instead at the historical reasons that produce this calamity , study them and try to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Arguments of the type "you killed 10's more than we did" simply serve to destroy Cyprus forever.

Here you go again saying nonsense about Papadopoulos

The left and the TC do not make "half the population" and as I said before most of the left supported the just cause of EOKA anyway.

The lesson that should be learned is that the Cypriot people should be left free to democratically and peacefully decide for their own island. Did you learn this lesson? Or do you continue to support foreign Imperialists?

[BirKibrisli]

Piratis, is it so difficult for you to accept that they committed horrible crimes? Grivas and Papadopoulos were instrumental in these committed murders in the Famagusta district. In Milia they even murdered a young girl for christ's sake.

On the other hand, the intercommunal strife did not start simply because the TC's joined forces with the Brits. This is a simplistic way of looking at things. By 1958, Grivas had already declared that in the struggle for enosis, the left and the TC community had no place. The left disagreed with the form of the struggle but did not object to enosis. It was a legitimate position for the GC majority. However, when EOKA excluded more than half of the population of Cyprus from this struggle, the seeds of conflict were sown. It was a divisive organisation headed by a couple of fanatics who could never inspire all the Cypriots.

So, if one needs to look for reasons for our present day state, one needs to look no further than EOKA and its leadership. Pallikarides and the rest of the boys that were killed are as much victims of EOKA as the rest of the Cypriots that were actually killed by EOKA.

One must not forget the extremist organisation within the TC society, TMT. In effect EOKA and TMT were the two sides of the same coin, in their aims. One wanted union with Greece and the other partition. Both organisations called upon respective members of their communities to even stop selling or buying from the other community.

If we really care about this tragic island, the blaming game needs to stop. It does not help our cause. We should be looking instead at the historical reasons that produce this calamity , study them and try to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Arguments of the type "you killed 10's more than we did" simply serve to destroy Cyprus forever.

I totally agree with all the sentiments in this post....Piratis says Enosis with Greece was the legitimate right of the Cypriot people...It is so evident that he doesnt consider the TCs as Cypriots...A despised minority then and a despised minority now...What a pity...I wouldn't use the word "right" together with "legitimate" to describe the GC ambition...I would say it wa a legitimate "ambition" for the GCs...But a very foolish one,given the presence of the TC minority,and how that would've been used by the British as a weapon to divide us...In any case i believe the idea of Enosis was supplanted by the British into GC minds,likewise Taksim into TC minds....It worked like a dream for the British...

But anyway,it is fascinating to hear all these different opinions about the EOKA from GCs...for the TCs EOKA was considered worse than the Black Death of course...

[miltiades]

you people are depriving milti of his 15 minute to fame...

In 1963 , I was , having gone through the ..motions , the UK Twist Champion !!! Come dancing was the show !!
So , I had my 15 minutes of fame 47 years ago , have you had yours yet ?

[Oracle]

... Pallikarides and the rest of the boys that were killed are as much victims of EOKA as the rest of the Cypriots that were actually killed by EOKA.

That's like saying Black people killed by the KKK were actually killed by the 'Freedom from Slavery' movements.

Bananiot, you are either a racist or a hypocrite ... or both of course, for your selection of bigotries knows no bounds ...