It was with deep emotion that I accepted the invitation of the President and members of the Arsos Community Council to be here with you today, the ceremony of the unveiling of the busts of two worthy children of the community, the heroes Andreas Stivaros and Eleftherios Theodosiou, who died fighting during the Turkish invasion of 1974.
Pericles, in his epitaph speech for the first dead of the Peloponnesian War, left as an eternal legacy the need "to show by deeds our honour to those who have shown their bravery by deeds".
The Heroes' Monument, whose unveiling we are celebrating today, is the eternal appreciation of the inhabitants of the community, but also of the whole of Cyprus, for the lads of Arsos, who did their duty in full by sacrificing their own lives during the Turkish invasion of 1974. To these brave compatriots who declared "Present" to the call of the homeland and stayed to guard Thermopylae is the minimum return.
Friends,
Events like today's should serve as a springboard for awakening.
Events like today's should serve as a springboard for awakening. The threat from the Turkish invader to partition our island is greater than ever before.
As Cypriot people, in unison, we must unequivocally declare that the current situation is unacceptable, illegal and in no way an acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem. We must continue to resist with all our strength against the provocations, threats and accomplishments of the Turkish invasion and we must signal to all directions that we will continue the struggle, firm in our positions, until the just solution and reunification of the homeland based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the principles and values of the European Union.
This is our debt to all the heroes who gave their lives as a sacrifice on the altar of freedom and democracy of Cyprus.
Eternal be the memory of the worthy sons of our homeland Andreas Stivaros and Eleftherios Theodosiou and all our heroes.
Thank you.
IK
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