A True Friend of the Armenians

By Vartkes Sinanian

MONTROSE, CA--With the untimely passing of the former President of Cyprus, Spyros Kyprianou, the people of the island republic lost a powerful voice opposed to Turkish intransigence. The Armenian nation will sorely miss his presence as a true friend of our people.

Kyprianou was the protégé of the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, who invited the young British-trained lawyer to become the foreign minister. Kyprianou was a strong defender of international human rights and an ardent supporter of the Armenian Cause.

No political figure has put more effort in promoting the Armenian Cause than him. In 1965, he was the first senior diplomat of international standing who, as the foreign minister of Cyprus, brought the recognition of the Armenian Genocide to the United Nations General Assembly.

Because of his ease and friendly manner, he was a respected figure in international affairs. He came to play the role of consoling our nation, which had still not recovered from its mortal wounds suffered at the hands of Turkey. Once when I thanked him for his courageous stand and consistent effort for our cause, his response was: "I did my duty as representative of a people who have long-standing ties with the Armenian people."

The year 1965 will go down in our history as a critical milestone in the struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Until that year there was a sense of betrayal and real anger because the Turks had never come up to grips with the dark past of their history. Armenians were demanding attention and recognition. There was a passionate and spontaneous outpouring to make the horrors and suffering of our people publicized. The essential goals of restitution and reparations had not been realized. Suddenly the voices had become louder and more resonant, the energy of the people more palpable, and the passions more intense.

It was the year when a delegation comprising of Dr. Papken Papazian and Berge Missirlian, both members of the ARF Bureau, together with the Armenian National Committee's representatives in Cyprus, Anania Mahdesian and myself, handed Foreign Minister Kyprianou a memorandum on behalf of the Paris-based Armenian Republic's representation urging his support for our cause. The focus of the delegation's meeting was to internationalize the Armenian Genocide issue by raising it at the United Nations and also strengthening and coordinating the ties of both nations.

Later, Kyprianou granted me an interview at his office at the Foreign Ministry, where he spoke about his close ties with our people. He said, "I am personally well acquainted with the drama of the Armenian Genocide and had wanted to bring it before the world forum. The more one becomes acquainted with the details of the crime, the more he or she becomes abhorred by its enormity."

In this interview, which was published in the Armenian press worldwide, Kyprianou had very warm words to say about the ARF leadership in the US, who had impressed him as fully conscious of their responsibilities.

Reiterating the notion that our peoples shared the moral values of the civilized world, he particularly mentioned the plight of the Armenians, and stated: "A people who have suffered the cruelty and murderous action by a country reputed for its criminal methods, Armenians have faced extermination and genocide in its worst form. The Armenian people are asking for justice. They expect the world to stigmatize the culprits of one of the most uncanny crimes in history. They have a right to be heard. They have a right to a place under the sun. I am certain that all those who believe in the high principles of justice and freedom will support wholeheartedly the struggle of the Armenian people."

Noting that reconciliation with Turkey would not be possible as long as the Armenian Genocide was not recognized, Mr. Kyprianou's wish was that from the intense grief for lost ones, there would emerge the determination of the Armenian nation to unite together all its resources, to reassemble its ranks, and stand before the world demanding justice. His encouraging words at the time raised a ray of hope for our struggle. We knew it then and we still know that we are facing an uphill battle, but justice is on our side.

Vartkes Sinanian was born in Nicosia and was a correspondent for the Hairenik for many years from Cyprus. He has profiled Adlai Stevenson, Senator Bob Dole, Archbishop Makarios, Spyros Kyprianou, Charles Aznavour, and others. His family moved to Chicago in 1974 after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. He wrote the column "One-Liners from Chicago" for the Armenian Weekly, Nor Gyank, and other papers. His article on TARC, "A Step in the Wrong Direction," appeared in the August 4, 2001 issue of the Weekly.