THE president and political parties yesterday criticised the presence of British High Commissioner Peter Millet at the unveiling of a memorial in the Turkish-occupied north dedicated to British soldiers killed during the anti-colonial struggle.
The memorial, dedicated to 371 British servicemen killed during the ‘Cyprus Emergency’ between 1956 and 1959 was unveiled in Kyrenia as part of a Remembrance Sunday commemoration this weekend.
Paid for by donations to an organisation calling itself the British Cyprus Memorial Fund, the erection of the monument in the northern coastal town has angered Greek Cypriots, in particular those who fought to oust the British from the island.
Cyprus won its independence in 1960, partly as a result of the civil unrest led by EOKA.
Millet attended the commemoration and unveiling, laying a wreath at the base of the new monument on behalf of the British government.
Millet said he did not inaugurate the monument adding that he laid a wreath as a sign of respect to the dead.
“Every nation has a duty to remember its dead soldiers,” Millet told the Cyprus News Agency. “During the Remembrance Day in Britain we remember all those who lost their life in conflict, not only British but Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”
Around 280 veterans of the ‘Cyprus Emergency’ were in Cyprus last week to attend the unveiling.
President Demetris Christofias expressed his displeasure over the memorial and the presence of the British high commissioner.
“I am not happy. The British have every right to honour their people who lost their lives to EOKA fighters during the struggle for freedom,” Christofias said. “They could just as well create monuments in Britain instead of Cyprus.”
The president said he was saddened about Millet’s presence at the event.
“It happened, we took it into consideration and we will discuss it further with the British,” he said.
EOKA fighters said the whole affair showed the mentality of British colonialists and proved “once more the cooperation between the British and Turks from 1955 until today.”
Government partners DIKO said Millet’s action was unacceptable and should receive a necessary reprimand.
DISY spokesman Haris Georgiades said there is no objection to the creation of monuments for the dead even during the EOKA freedom struggle.
“The EOKA struggle was fair but it is the right of the British to honour the lives, which were lost,” Georgiades said.
“What bothers us is the erection of this monument in our occupied areas,” he added.
