To the CC of the AKEL,

Dear comrades,

We received your letter dated November 4 2016 and we consider it necessary to put the following issues for your consideration. At the time when there is an attempt to finish with the Cyprus issue via a dichotomous solution, as the course of the talks between Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akinci demonstrates, we would say that the deeper study and utilization of the KKE's positions by AKEL and other Cypriot and Greek parties can contribute, even at this stage, to impeding and confronting the negative developments, with a simultaneous strengthening of the struggle for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

The positions of the KKE pose certain basic facts concerning the developments in the region, informing the peoples of Cyprus and Greece that a new "Annan Plan" is being advanced, which is leading to the legitimization of the results of the Turkish invasion-occupation.

We remind you that also in 2004 it was the firm stance of the KKE which took initiatives and contributed to the exposing and final rejection of the "Annan Plan" by the Cypriot people in the relevant referendum.

The danger of the partition of Cyprus being legitimized and finalized is a crucial issue. This is what has been adopted in essence in the joint statement of Anastasiades-Eroglu on the 11th of February 2014, which is the basis of the talks.

It refers specifically to two constituent states, which will have their own borders, their own Constitution, their own governments, parliaments, national anthems, their own separate policies for education, health, welfare etc., which are factors that will divide and split the working people of Cyprus, maintain or introduce new economic-social forms of discrimination in terms of their living conditions, factors that will lead to antagonisms and not to the unity of Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot workers.

This is the prospect that marks the solution being promoted and cancels out the reunification of the island.

On this basis, we consider your reference to the examples of the USA, Russia and Switzerland as examples of federal state entities that can justify the support for a federal state of Cyprus to be at the very least misguided and out of place. Even more so when the problem of invasion-occupation did not exist in any of these examples. These examples have absolutely no relationship with the conditions and the course of the creation of the Cyprus problem, which has its own dramatic history, a fact that you can clearly accept, confronting this objective reality with greater calmness.

In reality, the longstanding imperialist intervention in Cyprus, the activity of nationalist forces, the junta-style coup under the responsibility of the Greek Colonels' dictatorship as well and with the guidance of the USA, and also the Turkish invasion-occupation created the terrain for negative developments. These were later accelerated by the fait accomplis caused by the creation of the false state, the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983, which seeks to constitute the basis today for the Turkish-Cypriot "constituent state".

The experience from the perpetuation of the Cyprus problem 42 years after the invasion is something that must make us reflect more about the non-mobilization of the people and their passive expectation of a "solution from above", from powerful capitalist states and imperialist unions (NATO-EU) that bear responsibilities for the creation and perpetuation of the problem.

The compromise that has been made, the  "painful compromise" , which both AKEL and the other parties in Cyprus and Greece talked about, which led to the position for a Bicommunal-Bizonal Federation and was mainly  the longstanding position of the bourgeois class of Turkey and the Turkish-Cypriot "state",  reached the point of being considered a divine law, a position of principle. And indeed it is not just this, but today it is developing in essence into a dichotomous solution, into two constituent states.

In reality, we are not talking about a federation, as it is being promoted to the Cypriot workers, but a confederation of two states, which, we repeat, will each have their own state apparatus, their own organs, i.e. their own sovereignty, their own domestic and foreign policy, negating the principle of one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality.

For these reasons, the KKE, studying the developments and particularly the painful positions of the "Annan Plan", the content of the Anastasiades-Eroglu joint statement of 2014 about two constituent states and the issues that were raised during the recent negotiations, decided to speak openly, publicly, to explaining to you now, before it is too late, its position about a bicommunal, bizonal federation, which it had also in the past adopted as a compromise, expressing in this way its support for AKEL, and which it defines in the current conditions after deep and detailed study of the developments that were collectively discussed by our CC.

Specifically, our party insists that:

The Cyprus problem is an international problem of invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey, which bears the mark of NATO's intervention and the more general imperialist plans in the region.

That the occupying and other foreign military forces must depart, that the British bases must be closed. It defends the principles for one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality and takes a specific position on the problem of the refugees and settlers.

These principles constitute the content of the KKE's positions for a united independent Cyprus, for one and not two states, without guarantors and protectors, which provides the right for the free movement, residence and stay of working class-popular families in all areas of the Island, without conditions and commitments, regardless of whether they are Turkish-Cypriots, Greek-Cypriots, Armenians, Maronites or Latins.

Safeguarding of labour, social-security, social rights without discriminations. Respect for the right of all people to speak their language and for their children to be educated. Respect for the religious choices and cultural traditions

This proposal truly fights against nationalism, respects (in practice) the rights of the Turkish-Cypriots, Greek-Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins, is based on the class interests of the working class of Cyprus and strengthens the common struggle of the working people, in opposition to "bizonality" and "ghettoization" which are included in the solution being promoted by the Cypriot government, with the joint responsibility of the Greek government, the USA, the EU.

In Cyprus, during the management of bourgeois power, multifaceted alliances amongst the political forces of Cyprus have taken place and continue to take place, also with the participation of your party and it is your responsibility to identify and substantiate which forces you consider to be nationalist in your country.

What we want to note is that the directed and guided talk, which attempts to claim that the positions of the KKE nourish nationalist forces, is at the very least ridiculous and underhand. Every rational person can understand that nationalism is only really damaged by the political line that opposes ghettos and retrenchment, which are being formed by the policy of two states that reproduces all forms of discrimination and also obstacles for the joint struggle of the Cypriot people.

Clearly the Cypriot people carry and will carry the main burden as regards the solution to the Cyprus problem and it is they who will be called on to decide. However, we must take into account that this is an international problem and its consequences will affect the Greek people and the other peoples of the region. Even more so when the Greek governments and the political forces of our country are involved in the Cyprus problem, and so the KKE has the obligation, as it did in all the previous years, to take a stand and make its positions known. We assert nothing more than our right to have our own view on issues which in the final analysis concern all of us so that the people of our countries and region do not pay the price once again.

Our view is that there is no room for dismissive characterizations when examining such a complex problem. Who is right or wrong will be demonstrated by the course of the events themselves.

The KKE has always taken positions in a responsible way over the course of its long and heroic history. The developments themselves in relation to the Cyprus issue and other issues have up to today confirmed the predictions and positions of the KKE.

Dear comrades,

We reserve the right to publish the letter we sent to you on 19/10/16 and also our current letter, as you have proceeded to publish your response to the letter we sent you on the 19/10/16.

Honouring the struggles of the thousands of members of AKEL and EDON,

Comradely,

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the KKE.