Patriotism, superhuman crowns and “patriotic” fanaticism very often marked the public life of our country.
At best, they simply distracted the public debate and prevented the real serious problems from being dealt with.
At worst, they contributed to major national tragedies.
This observation takes on special significance this year, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus which led to the division of the island and continued illegal occupation of its northern part.
Because we must never forget that the main culprit in the tragedy of 1974 could have been Turkey, which never recognized the independence of the Republic of Cyprus and chose to invade, which it had been waiting for a long time, but it was the choice of the junta in Greece and its allies in Cyprus to continue the state coup against the democratically elected President of the Republic of Cyprus Makarios G. The coup that gave Turkey a reason to intervene as a “guarantor power”. With the Athenian junta and its boring employees in Cyprus who want to present real “patriots”.
This means that extreme right-wing patriotism at a critical moment led to one of the greatest tragedies of modern Hellenism and a wound that remains open to this day. The story of betrayal.
And of course, the same people who claimed that the coup would open the way even for the Union when the Turkish invasion began, found that they could not repel it, despite the call for conscription, and ended up handing over power , adding a sad reckoning and a national tragedy.
All this always makes us wary of those who are always ready to offer “proud” lines that may end up perpetuating the problem.
Because at some point, we have to accept that “national is what is true”, that is, what is attacking reality and the true interests of the people for peace and progress.
Remember how much patriotic ink was spilled about the “Macedonian”. How careers were built on an allegedly steady line. How for years there has been a substantial refusal to even discuss this issue, lest those who would do so be accused of endotism. But how disappointed were those who decided in 2018 that it was possible reach a mutually beneficial compromise between the two countries and took over. To sign the agreement, which was criticized by many then, and today everyone is for its exact implementation.
And all this is not only about the past. Because there is a great temptation throughout Europe to resist the rise of the extreme right by adopting their policies. And that means the real temptation of “patriotic” discourse, which can only create problems as a result.
For nations and peoples, history is, after all, a great school. And they are judged by whether they know the lessons and whether they draw conclusions from it.
And the Cyprus tragedy will always remind us of the cost when patriotism becomes politics.