Cyprus’ political parties on Tuesday commemorated the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the founding of Eoka, which fought against British rule on the island with the aim of uniting it with Greece.

Disy described Eoka’s founding as “the brightest moment in modern Cypriot history”, adding that it “pays tribute and offers gratitude to the heroes and the fighters … who, following the example of our ancestors, gave their lives for the freedom of our homeland”.

“It is for these reasons, which remain unchanged over time, that April 1, 1955 constitutes the most important milestone in the turbulent course of Cypriot Hellenism. It was the epic culmination of the efforts to shake off the English yoke and its lessons constitute timeless values for us,” it added.

Akel said it “honours the heroism and the fight of the children of Cyprus who fought against the British colonial yoke and gave their lives on the battlefield … for the freedom and self-determination of our homeland”.

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“The Cypriot people’s anti-colonial struggle against the British Empire constitutes a separate page in modern history. In contrast to a small portion of the ruling class, the Cypriot people never reconciled with colonialism,” it added.

It also accused the British Empire of “breaking the promises of self-determination that it gave to the Cypriot people”, “escalating oppression and repression”, and “inciting the confrontation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots”.

“British colonialism was a dark era in the course of Cyprus’ history and its remnant – the British bases – was and will be a wound in the body of our homeland. Particularly in today’s circumstances, when the British bases are used as a war foothold and are openly involved in the genocide in Gaza, the demand to rid our country of them becomes more urgent and timely,” they said.

Diko, meanwhile, described the day as “one of the most important and defining milestones of Cypriot Hellenism”.

It said Eoka’s fight “recorded one of the most glorious pages of our history and led to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus – our strongest shield against the constant provocations and the dichotomous methods of Turkey”.

It added that the day serves as “a reminder, especially for the Greek Cypriot community which is still experiencing the consequences of the Turkish occupation, that freedom and democracy are not always a given and that constant vigilance, resistance to injustice, the assertion of justice, and unwavering faith in national ideals are needed”.

Edek described Eoka as “the vanguard of the Cypriot people in the fight for freedom from the anachronistic, cruel British colonialism”.

“Today, we honour those who defied the tyrants by fighting to the death in narrow hideouts, walking proudly to the gallows, enduring the most horrific torture,” it added.

Dipa said the day is “undoubtedly the greatest milestone in modern Cypriot history, as the beginning of the national fight for liberation from British colonialism”, and added that the day was “a springboard for the independence and freedom of our country, as well as for the proclamation of the Republic of Cyprus”.

“We believe that these lessons should guide and inspire our homeland’s contemporary fight against Turkey’s machinations. We have a duty to prove ourselves worthy of the sacrifice of our heroes,” it added.

The Green party said the day was one on which “the Cypriot people rose up against a superpower and demanded their freedom and self-determination”, but that “the vision of the Cypriot people’s struggle was not realised”.

It said that attempts to “promote nationalist slogans” on April 1 is “unacceptable”.

Meanwhile, Elam said Eoka “wrote the most heroic pages of the history of Cypriot Hellenism in the struggle for freedom and the union of Cyprus with Mother Greece”.