I cannot hide my joy, emotion and pride for the invitation I have received and the honour to greet, by putting under my auspices the presentation of the book "Lost Expectations" by my fellow citizen, my Scoutmaster, friend and brother by choice, Andreas Morphitis. Tonight, here at the Famagusta Cultural Centre in Deryneia, I am sure that I will experience with you a special evening, with strong emotions, being a breath away from the beautiful, but occupied, Famagusta, the city that gave birth to me and raised me. The city that for 48 years remains ruined and mute, with the occupying forces refusing to return it to its rightful inhabitants, who continue to claim their right of return.
Fellow compatriots,
The city of Famagusta may have been silent for 48 years, but we are not silent. We claim our right, even though we know very well that we are facing a ruthless conqueror. Turkey is not only displaying the same intransigent attitude and defiantly aggressive behaviour, but is also attempting to impose new fait accompli. President Nicos Anastasiades and his Government are opposing these new challenges with all means at our disposal, making use of international law and Cyprus' position in the European Union and the UN. To this end, the President of the Republic is ready to engage in an honest and sincere dialogue for a just, workable and therefore viable solution. With regard to Famagusta, we continue our strong efforts for the protection of the enclosed area and its return to its legitimate inhabitants, on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions.
Friends,
My emotion tonight is not only due to the fact that I am a breath away from my hometown, but also to the opportunity to welcome the presentation of the new book by my brotherly friend and fellow citizen Andreas Morphitis. Andreas, six years after the publication of his book "With Pain of Soul: For Society, Homeland and Hellenism", delivers his new book with selected, published articles and essays of his own from the period 2015-2021. Paraphrasing Charles Dickens' novel, he gives this excellent creation the title "Lost Expectations", calling, as he writes, "for a revolution of souls and consciences, of each of us, in every step of our life, in every step of our day".
The problem of his semi-occupied homeland is always at the centre of the author's thought, concern and reflection, with particular and apt references to both the onslaught of migratory waves from Turkey and the attempted colonialist takeover of his hometown Famagusta. With evocative exhortations, with detailed chronological records of experiential testimonies and official statements, as well as with revealing interviews that have been published from time to time, the author attempts a decisive touch on our souls, a different intervention in our way of thinking, in an attempt to make us partakers of his own radical ideas, aiming at awakening our conscience.
Andreas, with his always incisive and eloquent public discourse, as well as with his characteristically sharp wit, addresses in this book a wide range of issues, inextricably intertwined with the survival of Cypriot Hellenism. Through the presentation of selected articles and essays, he attempts, as he himself notes, to restore the lost dignity of our compatriots and aspires to give the starting signal for a change in what our country has been experiencing for decades. The author deals, among other things, with burning issues that concern our country, such as the need to fight corruption, the lack of controls on the movement of citizens at the roadblocks that threaten the security of the country, the migratory burden, the invasion that Cyprus is essentially experiencing, the practice of exploitation of migration by Turkey and its conscious effort to alter the demography of the island.
I am sure that critical voices such as that of my friend Andreas Morphitis, through the proposals they put forward and the demands they boldly, courageously and courageously put forward, contribute significantly to improving policies, but also to better addressing the serious issues that concern every conscious citizen of this country.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am one of those who have the privilege of knowing Andreas very well.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am one of those who have the privilege of knowing Andreas very well. A multi-faceted personality, with particular sensitivities. A man successful, altruistic, with an enormous contribution to his fellow man. A man who came of age amidst hardship and adversity, having lost his father when he was only eight years old and his mother a few years later. A man who was forced to take his life in his own hands and abruptly come of age on his own, through a constant struggle for a living and survival. A man of extreme fighting spirit, with a sense of responsibility and leadership skills. A man who, when in 1974 he was forcibly forced to take the path of refugeeism, armored himself with even more stubbornness and strength, believed in himself and, with dignity and pride, charted his own prosperous course.
Andreas does not declare himself a politician, but stresses that he is concerned with politics as a means of managing our national issue, as well as the political and social problems of our country. He remains a romantic Ammochastrian and succeeds in combining and highlighting, in a perfect harmony and complementarity, the spiritual and mental dimension of human nature. With a genuine and profound concern for his homeland, the future of Hellenism in Cyprus, the prosperity and progress of society, the prospects for the liberation of our occupied territories and the return to his homeland, he immediately captivates the reader and wins his respect, even if he disagrees with him on something.
Friend and brother Andrea,
I have no doubt that this book of yours will also have a beautiful and successful journey. After all, your whole life has accustomed us to such journeys. I am sure that your book will contribute to a creative and fruitful dialogue, to a healthy reflection, and to a more complete understanding of issues that have always plagued our society. I warmly congratulate you for this work, but also for all your persistent and painstaking efforts to turn any lost hopes into hope for a better tomorrow. You can be sure that the goals you have set with the writing of this new book will not be in any way lost expectations.
Friends,
I would be remiss if I did not congratulate and thank the Cyprus Centre for Studies and the Institute of Hellenic Culture for supporting today's presentation, as well as all the sponsors.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Cyprus Centre for Studies and the Institute of Hellenic Culture for supporting today's presentation, as well as all the sponsors.
Let me close my greeting with the "Akroteleution" of the book that some of you are already holding in your hands, the concluding wish and request of its author, Andreas Morphitis:
"May our love and affection for our children and grandchildren, as well as our anxiety and responsibility for the society and homeland they will live in, always guide our steps, thoughts and actions. Even our reactions. To carve out for them the future that belongs to them, the future they deserve. Otherwise we will all be accountable to future generations."
My Andrew, good luck!
PM/SX
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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