Addressing a concert entitled "Famagusta Odes"[/B], which took place tonight at the Famagusta Municipality Cultural Centre in Dherynia, Mr. Tsiolos said that the concert was held in Dherynia. Tsiolas said that "the golden historical city with its iconic landmarks, great spiritual development, bliss and cosmopolitan character, remains for more than four decades mute, deserted, a prey in the hands of the ruthless conqueror, waiting for its own people".
He added that "every form of artistic creation is a living testimony that unites its voice with the timeless and unceasing struggle of the Greeks of Cyprus for the reunification of our divided homeland and above all for the restoration of a sad injustice suffered by the island since the bitter summer of 1974 and ever since".
The Turkish invasion, he said, "brought tragic consequences to our land, which are still painful and visible, violating basic human rights, UN resolutions and decisions as well as every principle of international law."
"The souls of the people who so brutally lost their possessions, properties and their very lives either as soldiers on the battlefields or as defenseless and helpless civilian civilians, to this day they haunt Famagusta, the ruined ghost town, as well as every inch of our enslaved land, still waiting for vindication," he added.
As he said, "Turkey's stubbornly intransigent stance and its repeated provocative actions, positions and views limit the possibilities of establishing a state that respects human rights, equality and, ultimately, the principles and values espoused by the European acquis, which is a key element of our identity and statehood."
The Government, the Cabinet Secretary continued, "in any case declares its readiness and political will to work for the construction of a state that will not fall short of the principles and values of the other states of the European Union."
"The right basis for the solution of the Cyprus problem is agreed and recorded in the UN resolutions and aligned with respect for international law", he said, noting that "we are well aware that without a common, honest and sincere effort on both sides, the functionality, independence and above all peace and prosperity of the people as a whole cannot be ensured".
Referring to educator and music composer George Hadjimarkou, he said that his "spontaneous and highly emotional effort for the native land of Famagusta is a deposit of soul, that captures with love and respect thoughts and memories strong for his place of origin, whose enviable beauty, historical value and carefree everyday life were transformed from one moment to the next into an image of abandonment and destruction".
In his greeting, Theodosis Tsiolas made reference to the personal work of the artist "Famagusta Odes" and said that "the creator's conviction, with which we fully agree, is our duty to keep alive the hope of returning to the ancestral homes and unwavering faith, in order to perform, as far as possible, our duty to our homeland and future generations".
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