-
.
- Ελληνικά
I walk along the road the edge is far away
blurred tear, blood dripping from the heart
loneliness you are as vast as a lake
desert without a shadow
mother you have sorrow
silence for company
I could not begin this event without starting with the lyrics of Stelios Chiotis, who is among us and honours us with his presence, which are a hymn to Famagusta. When you hear them, you dream of the city you have in your heart, the soil you have walked on, the land you long for, the land that fifty years later we all continue to long for.
It is a special moment for me to be here with you today and I thank the Nicosia Onasagoras Lions Club for the invitation. It was with great pleasure that I accepted the honorary invitation, considering that this event on the black anniversary of the fiftieth anniversary of the occupation of Famagusta, as well as the rest of our occupied territories, is fully in line with the objectives of the Office for Humanitarian Affairs of the Missing and Internally Displaced Persons of the Presidency of the Republic.
I would also like to extend special thanks to Anna Marangou, who is among us and is not only a pioneer, but also a guide for the return. A woman fighter whose name is inextricably linked to Famagusta and the struggles for return. Tireless and unstoppable all these years, she never stopped fighting and being on the front line for Famagusta, for our Cyprus. Her dedication and unceasing action are a source of inspiration for all of us, as a beacon of hope and determination. That is why I personally want to congratulate her for her work and unceasing efforts to keep our town alive. The least we can say to this woman is a big thank you.
The occupation of our homeland is not a one-dimensional issue. It is not just politics in trying to find a solution. It is above all about the people and the humanitarian consequences. It is the souls lost during the invasion, the people who remain missing to this day, the people who remain trapped, living under occupation, and those people who for half a century have been living as refugees, all carrying the humanitarian wounds and implications of this tragedy.
This is why I firmly believe that events and initiatives such as today's, coming from civil society, keep the flame of hope alive and strengthen the will to return to our lands. They revive memories, fight oblivion and give breath to our national issue, reminding us that we cannot and must not forget.
Famagusta has been and remains the flag of our struggle. The way it was lost and the times it came so close but remained so far from its inhabitants make its return a priority for all of us in the context of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. For the younger ones, it is an ominous day when the Turkish invaders desecrated the town of Evagoras. A modern European city for its time, a global tourist resort and a destination for George Seferis and other scholars. Half a century of misery and uprooting. Half a century that the reigning, cosmopolitan, bright corner of our island turned into a ghost town, while with the recent unilateral actions of the other side, it looks like an ugly caricature to satisfy the intolerant plans of the occupation regime.
Famagusta is not just a city. It is the soul of our struggle, the memory of an era of prosperity and civilization, a place full of memories and aspirations. It is customary to say that time is the best doctor. How the more time passes, the more the wounds heal. The case of Famagusta is here to disprove this. The wound of Famagusta deepens with each passing day, not only for its legal residents, but for the entire Cypriot Hellenism, proving that the traces of history neither fade nor are erased.
The wound, of course, is even deeper for those who, in that black summer of 1974, apart from their soul, which remains trapped in its enclosed part, lost loved ones. The city of Famagusta, like the rest of our Cyprus, paid a heavy price in 1974.
In the list of those who died in the Turkish invasion, six of them came from the city of Famagusta, four of them women. The list of missing persons from the Turkish invasion is much longer, including 45 residents of the town whose fate is still unknown for half a century, and 35 missing persons who have been identified. They include children from 9, 12 and 14 years old to elderly women aged 85 and men aged 80. The innocent victims of the barbarity of the Turkish invasion.
A few months ago, a few kilometers from here, we inaugurated in Strovolos the Park of Missing Children of the Turkish invasion. In this park, the names of the three minor children of the Andreou family are inscribed in embossed letters. The names of nine-year-old Christakis, twelve-year-old Koula and 14-year-old Tasos. Three children from Famagusta who, together with the rest of their fellow citizens, complete the long list of victims of the Turkish invasion. A list that includes young people, soldiers, families, workers and elderly Varosians, who did not have time to leave the city and whose souls remain trapped in the ruined houses of Famagusta. Even when the invaders dragged her out of her home by force, Kyriakou Frangou cried out that she would not leave and would not abandon her place, clutching the bars of her house with her hands as hard as she could, falling from the Turkish invaders' gunfire into the bowels of the land that gave birth to her and that she loved so much. The soul of Mrs Kyriakous is there, trapped in her city, in the city of all of us, waiting for us.
There are countless, touching and special stories revolving around Famagusta, full of events and incidents that touch the heart. Each of these stories brings to light human suffering and the unceasing demand for return.
Our commitment is deep and unwavering. As far as the humanitarian aspect is concerned, the determination of the fate of all our missing persons, we will make every effort and devote all our resources. The struggle for the return to our occupied territories will continue with undiminished determination. Nikos Christodoulides's efforts to break the deadlock and resume negotiations, the same tactics are also prevailing on humanitarian issues, since Turkey refuses to cooperate and give us access to records that would shed light on the fate of our missing persons. Every story that remains untold is an open wound and we will not stop fighting for truth and return to justify the struggle and sacrifice of so many people.
With the conclusion of my brief greeting, I would like to congratulate once again the organizers of this important event of remembrance and honour for Famagusta and to convey our unceasing readiness to work with consistency and determination to determine the fate of all our missing persons, for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the return of Famagusta to its legitimate inhabitants.
In conclusion, I extend a warm invitation to all Famagusta residents, and not only, to become a militant leader in the struggle for the return to our city, for the return of the enclosed city to its rightful owners. We are accompanied for 50 years by memories, pain, sorrow, anger and indignation. And in our minds the lyrics of Yannis Theodorakis: "Beautiful city, voices, music, endless, streets stolen glances", leading to "you will be mine before the night comes".
(PM/NYAN/AF)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
