The laying of wreaths in honor of the paratroopers who attacked the Presidential Palace during the coup of July 15, 1974, sparked strong reactions within AKEL.

In a statement, the party emphasized that “laurel wreaths are reserved only for heroes.”

The statement reads as follows

The Christodoulides government, DISY, and ELAM once again laid, on the anniversary of the coup, laid laurel wreaths for the commandos who attacked the Presidential Palace on July 15, 1974.

There is no other modern state where heroes’ honors are bestowed upon individuals who acted against the Republic, whose actions have been proven to have led the country to ruin.

Unfortunately, to this day, the right and the far right—instead of engaging in courageous self-criticism and offering an apology for the sake of the unity of our struggling people—continue to provoke.  They honor those who carried out the orders of the Junta and EOKA B’ and glorify the architects of treason and fascist violence, as well as the principal perpetrators of the dual crime that plunged our homeland into bloodshed in 1974.

This stance of theirs outrages every rational and democratic person and brutally insults the memory of hundreds of heroes who resisted the coup and the invasion.

AKEL will never accept this provocation, nor the distortion of history regarding the tragic events of 1974. There is no betrayal without traitors, nor crime without criminals. No matter how many years pass, we will continue to speak out against crime and treason. We will continue to fight so that history becomes our conscience and our compass for the future.