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en:digital:platypus:platypus_cyproblem [2024/12/24 11:05] no_name12en:digital:platypus:platypus_cyproblem [2025/04/20 19:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 Phedias Christodoulides Phedias Christodoulides
  
-Despite the production of several generally left-wing analyses and positions on the so-called Cyprus problem in recent years, a Marxist approach to the problem is absent. The Greek Cypriot left approaches the Cyprus problem almost entirely from either a liberal or a nationalist point of view, being at the tail end of the intra-bourgeois dispute on the issue between liberals and nationalists. The vast majority of the left is on the liberal side of the dispute, supporting a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF) as the best possible solution to the problem. BBF is presented as a necessary condition for national peace on the island, and sometimes also as a necessary condition for future class struggle. (The latter is the attitude of some far-left groups such as [[en:groups:antifalefkosha|Anitifa Lefkoşa]], [[en:groups:sispirosiatakton|Syspirosis Atakton]] and the [[en:groups:stasis|Stasis]] group.) On the nationalist side of the dispute, we find the Greek Cypriot supporters of KKE (Communist Party of Greece), along with a few former anarchists. KKE rejects BBF, considering it a solution that originates from and serves the NATO imperialism of the US, UK and Turkey. Instead of BBF, it supports a unitary Cypriot state. +Despite the production of several generally left-wing analyses and positions on the so-called Cyprus problem in recent years, a Marxist approach to the problem is absent. The Greek Cypriot left approaches the Cyprus problem almost entirely from either a liberal or a nationalist point of view, being at the tail end of the intra-bourgeois dispute on the issue between liberals and nationalists. The vast majority of the left is on the liberal side of the dispute, supporting a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF) as the best possible solution to the problem. BBF is presented as a necessary condition for national peace on the island, and sometimes also as a necessary condition for future class struggle. (The latter is the attitude of some far-left groups such as [[en:groups:antifalefkosha|Anitifa Lefkoşa]], [[en:groups:sispirosiatakton|Syspirosi Atakton]] and the [[en:groups:stasis|Stasis]] group)On the nationalist side of the dispute, we find the Greek Cypriot supporters of KKE (Communist Party of Greece), along with a few former anarchists. KKE rejects BBF, considering it a solution that originates from and serves the NATO imperialism of the US, UK and Turkey. Instead of BBF, it supports a unitary Cypriot state. 
  
 Neither side of the controversy is Marxist, despite some claims to the contrary. KKE supporters in particular claim to be orthodox Marxists who base their analysis of the Cyprus problem on Marxism, but are simply Stalinists who misrepresent Marxism to justify their unconscious Greek nationalism. Their minimization of the responsibility of Greece and the Greek Cypriot community for the problem is indicative. Since their nationalism clearly contradicts Marxist proletarian internationalism, I will not examine their approach to the Cyprus problem in this paper: their approach is clearly non-Marxist. On the liberal side of the controversy, only one organisation, Stasis, has attempted to base [[en:brochures:stasis:stasis_kipriako|its support for BBF]] directly on Marxism. Below, I refute Stasis's analysis, and also examine some of the more important recent left and far-left analyses.  Neither side of the controversy is Marxist, despite some claims to the contrary. KKE supporters in particular claim to be orthodox Marxists who base their analysis of the Cyprus problem on Marxism, but are simply Stalinists who misrepresent Marxism to justify their unconscious Greek nationalism. Their minimization of the responsibility of Greece and the Greek Cypriot community for the problem is indicative. Since their nationalism clearly contradicts Marxist proletarian internationalism, I will not examine their approach to the Cyprus problem in this paper: their approach is clearly non-Marxist. On the liberal side of the controversy, only one organisation, Stasis, has attempted to base [[en:brochures:stasis:stasis_kipriako|its support for BBF]] directly on Marxism. Below, I refute Stasis's analysis, and also examine some of the more important recent left and far-left analyses. 
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 Finally, as far as the so-called federal consciousness is concerned, I disagree that this consciousness is by definition anti-national and therefore desirable. A federal consciousness that recognises Cyprus as the home of many communities will not necessarily overcome the national consciousness of each community. In fact, support for a federal consciousness is similar to support for cultural-ethnic autonomy. It is a consciousness that does not transcend nationality as such and does not promote the fusion of different nationalities. It is of importance that in a BBF the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities will have separate educational systems, which is a key feature of cultural-ethnic autonomy. In any case, a federal consciousness does not go beyond civic nationalism, i.e., political identities built around common citizenship within the state. Marxists advocate the cultivation of class consciousness and do not believe that there is a need for a transitional consciousness between the existing popular consciousness and the class consciousness. Federal consciousness will be another obstacle that Marxists will need to overcome to cultivate class consciousness and there is no need to create this obstacle. The effort spent on replacing the dominant Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot consciousnesses with a federal or so-called "Cypriot" consciousness should be spent on cultivating class consciousness. Therefore, it is absurd to argue that a BBF is the ideal solution to the Cyprus problem from a leftist point of view.  Finally, as far as the so-called federal consciousness is concerned, I disagree that this consciousness is by definition anti-national and therefore desirable. A federal consciousness that recognises Cyprus as the home of many communities will not necessarily overcome the national consciousness of each community. In fact, support for a federal consciousness is similar to support for cultural-ethnic autonomy. It is a consciousness that does not transcend nationality as such and does not promote the fusion of different nationalities. It is of importance that in a BBF the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities will have separate educational systems, which is a key feature of cultural-ethnic autonomy. In any case, a federal consciousness does not go beyond civic nationalism, i.e., political identities built around common citizenship within the state. Marxists advocate the cultivation of class consciousness and do not believe that there is a need for a transitional consciousness between the existing popular consciousness and the class consciousness. Federal consciousness will be another obstacle that Marxists will need to overcome to cultivate class consciousness and there is no need to create this obstacle. The effort spent on replacing the dominant Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot consciousnesses with a federal or so-called "Cypriot" consciousness should be spent on cultivating class consciousness. Therefore, it is absurd to argue that a BBF is the ideal solution to the Cyprus problem from a leftist point of view. 
  
-The Stasis Stalinist group (which no longer exists) is the only one that tried to explicitly base its support for BBF on Marxism. Specifically, it based its support for a federal solution on Lenin's writings on the national question that I summarized above[27] The Stasis group reiterates and agrees with Lenin's view that Marxists need to oppose "all national oppression or inequality" and defend the equality of the nations that make up a state entity. It also reiterates and agrees with Lenin's position that only the democratic elements of each nationality need to be promoted and that the fusion of nations on the basis of democratism and proletarian internationalism should be aimed at.+The Stasis Stalinist group (which no longer exists) is the only one that tried to explicitly base its support for BBF on Marxism. Specifically, it based its support for a federal solution on Lenin's writings on the national question that I summarized above[27]The Stasis group reiterates and agrees with Lenin's view that Marxists need to oppose "all national oppression or inequality" and defend the equality of the nations that make up a state entity. It also reiterates and agrees with Lenin's position that only the democratic elements of each nationality need to be promoted and that the fusion of nations on the basis of democratism and proletarian internationalism should be aimed at.
  
 It reiterates and agrees with Lenin's position that Marxists should "identify and support the most progressive practical It reiterates and agrees with Lenin's position that Marxists should "identify and support the most progressive practical
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 [25] The Marxist Platypus Group panel entitled "The Decline of the Left in the 20th Century" is an excellent summary of the failure of the Left. https://platypus1917.org/2013/09/30/h-%cf%80%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%b1%ce%ba%ce%bc%ce%ae-%cf%84%ce%b7%cf%82-%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%b9%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%ac%cf%82-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-20%cf%8c-%ce%b1%ce%b9%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%b1/ [25] The Marxist Platypus Group panel entitled "The Decline of the Left in the 20th Century" is an excellent summary of the failure of the Left. https://platypus1917.org/2013/09/30/h-%cf%80%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%b1%ce%ba%ce%bc%ce%ae-%cf%84%ce%b7%cf%82-%ce%b1%cf%81%ce%b9%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%ac%cf%82-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-20%cf%8c-%ce%b1%ce%b9%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%b1/
  
-[26] An indicative text of Syspirosi Atakton for Cyprus can be read here: https://syspirosiatakton.org/ne-re-omospondia/. The text of Antifa can be read here: https://antifanicosia.espivblogs.net/files/2017/04/kypriakokeimenuiweb.pdf.+[26] An indicative text of Syspirosi Atakton for Cyprus can be read here: [[en:brochures:sispirosiatakton:omospondia_gr|https://syspirosiatakton.org/ne-re-omospondia/]]. The text of Antifa can be read here: [[en:brochures:antifalefkosha:omospondia|https://antifanicosia.espivblogs.net/files/2017/04/kypriakokeimenuiweb.pdf]].
  
-[27] Stasis's position on the Cyprus problem can be read here: https://ia803108.us.archive.org/6/items/stasis_kipriako_tr/stasis_kipriako_gr.pdf+[27] Stasis's position on the Cyprus problem can be read here: [[en:brochures:stasis:stasis_kipriako|https://archive.org/download/stasis_kipriako_tr/stasis_kipriako_en.pdf]]
  
-[28] Dr Lambrianou's text can be read here: http://www.typos.com.cy/cat/14/article/15992+[28] Dr Lambrianou's text can be read here: [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150718231335/http://www.typos.com.cy/cat/14/article/15992|http://www.typos.com.cy/cat/14/article/15992]]
  
 [29] https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/01/cyprus-reunification-negotiations-akel-kke-greece-turkey [29] https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/01/cyprus-reunification-negotiations-akel-kke-greece-turkey
en/digital/platypus/platypus_cyproblem.1735038345.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025/04/20 19:44 (external edit)