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Sunday, 4 June 2023, Lefkara
It is with great pleasure that I am here with you today to welcome the event organised by the Cyprus Centre for Studies in the Municipality of Lefkara, to honour the enduring contribution of the Hellenic Force of Cyprus, since the foundation of the Republic of Cyprus.
I wish, first of all, to express the sincere gratitude of the Cypriot State and the whole of Cypriot Hellenism to Greece, which in every way supports the Republic of Cyprus and the struggle for freedom and survival of our people.
Our fraternal and indissoluble ties have been forged over the centuries through our common course and sealed by the sacrifices of our heroes in the effort to defend the universal values and universal ideals of freedom, democracy and justice.
I remind you of the continuous and uninterrupted active involvement of the Greeks of Cyprus in the liberation struggles of the nation.
I remind you of the continuous and uninterrupted active involvement of the Greeks of Cyprus in the liberation struggles of the nation.
I remind you of the continuous and uninterrupted active involvement of the Greeks of Cyprus in the liberation struggles of the nation. In every armed conflict of Greece in defence of national rights from antiquity to modern times, the Cypriot Hellenism has resolutely declared its presence as a sign of practical support and national obligation.
"The Hellenic is, the homonymous and homolingual and homo-religious and homotropon" the "father of history" Herodotus suggests to us, in the saying you carry on your emblem, stressing that the existence of the Greek Nation - the unified national identity - consists in the same blood, the same language, the common religion and the same customs and traditions.
This exists regardless of borders.
Historically, Cyprus has always been at the centre of the strategic and trade routes of the surrounding empires and has experienced countless invasions and oppressors over the centuries. Nevertheless, it managed to preserve its Greekness unchanged and continues, to this day, to be one of the most powerful poles of Hellenism.
Friends,
In February 1959, after the end of the national liberation struggle of EOKA, with the Zurich-London Agreements, Cyprus became an independent state. Unfortunately, however, it acquired a donor constitution, with clear weaknesses, whose provisions and provisions called into question the very viability and functionality of the newly established state of the Republic of Cyprus.
On the basis of the "Treaty of Alliance", signed between the Cyprus State and the guarantor powers, Greece and Turkey, the obligation was undertaken to send to Cyprus "military detachments" consisting of 950 and 650 men from Greece and Turkey respectively, under the command of a "Tripartite General Staff".
Thus, on 7 November 1959, the formation of the Greek Force destined for Cyprus was ordered, the formation of which began a few days later in Agios Stefanos, Attica, and was completed on 10 December.
On 1 August 1960, King Pavlos presented the War Flag to the first Commander of the Force and on 16 August, in a climate of unprecedented emotion and pride on behalf of the Cypriots, the ELDYK personnel, who a few days earlier had boarded the tankers "ALIACMON", "CHIOS" and "LEMNOS", disembarked at the port of Famagusta and set foot on the sacred soil of Cyprus.
Since then, the ELDYK has been an integral part of the modern history of the Republic of Cyprus.
"The Greek troops that landed in Cyprus yesterday were received with praise" wrote the newspaper Phileleftheros and Eleftheria in a front page headline stated that "The brave soldiers under Colonel Arbouzin have been on the territory of the Cypriot state since yesterday".
It is worth standing in the critical period of the bleak summer of 1974 and noting the extremely important and decisive role played by the ELDYK, as well as the high degree of readiness and fighting spirit it demonstrated, despite all the difficult conditions under which it had to act.
When, unfortunately, the civil strife led to the events of the treacherous coup of 15 July 1974 and left the door open for Turkey to implement its plans.
The officers and soldiers of ELDYK, when and where they were called upon to act, carried out their mission with dedication and unparalleled bravery.
For the Turkish invaders, ELDYK was a formidable opponent and so on 20 July the first Turkish bombs that fell in Cyprus targeted the ELDYK camp, wreaking havoc and destruction.
During the invasion, ELDYK together with the National Guard participated in many battles, among which the most important ones were the offensive actions against the Turkish Cypriot enclave in Kioneli, the battle of the Vasilia crossing, the titanic effort to defend the ELDYK camp and the prevention of the encirclement of Nicosia.
Then, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Stavroulopoulos, the courageous ELDYKarians, like modern Leonids, repelled the fierce and largely uneven attack of the multiple Turkish forces against the location of their camp. Refusing to abandon the camp and their comrades-in-arms, they ended up fighting hand-to-hand when Turkish infantry and elite Turkish forces managed to reach the surrounding area and surround it.
The camp eventually turned into an altar of heroic martyrs and 16 August 1974 into one of the bloodiest and most glorious days in the history of the Greek Army.
The camp eventually turned into an altar of heroic martyrs and 16 August 1974 into one of the bloodiest and most glorious days in the history of the Greek Army. The dozens of fallen, missing and wounded are proof of this.
The uninterrupted presence of the Greek Cyprus Force on the mainland, apart from maintaining a strong national unity, is a factor of security and deterrence for the suffering Cypriot people and a resounding proof of our long, stable and unshakeable relationship.
Greek officers, non-commissioned officers and privates,
The sacrifice of the heroes of ELDYK, who served on the island during the Turkish invasion of 1974 and who, without wavering, proved beyond doubt that freedom is won through struggle and sacrifice, is reflected in the faces of all of you. You are their continuators.
Our presence here, therefore, is a reminder of our debt to our heroic Greek dead and missing and of our unwavering will to continue the struggle until final vindication. The long-awaited solution of the Cyprus problem and the liberation of our homeland.
Until the time when the bleeding wound of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus will cease to exist. To shake off the occupation and the presence of the Turkish army on the island, which causes destabilization of peace and security in the region and is at the same time a source of danger for the entire Hellenism.
I wish you all good health, every success in carrying out your mission and a good repatriation when your service is completed.
I am sure that in the future you will be proud to tell your children that you served your military service away from your homeland, in the heartland of Hellenism, your beloved Cyprus.
Thank you.
(NΓ)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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