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- Ελληνικά
It is with feelings of respect and pride that we commemorate today the anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution on March 25, 1821. Today's anniversary event has a special significance and value, as it is organised by people who, decades later, took up the baton of national dignity and raised the banner of the revolution again, seeking the liberation of our homeland Cyprus from British colonialism. I warmly thank, on behalf of the State, the fighters of EOKA, whose legendary action led to the creation of the independent Republic of Cyprus and the rights we enjoy as citizens today, despite the Turkish occupation. I congratulate the EOKA Fighters' Associations, which, through the initiatives they undertake, contribute over time to the cultivation of national consciousness and the stimulation of the fighting spirit of our people. Events such as today's highlight the decisive contribution of the ordinary people of our homeland to the acquisition of Freedom and the foundation of Democracy.
They also signal our responsibility and our moral duty to continue the struggle, while our homeland still remains under Turkish occupation, until the final vindication and liberation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Greek people, despite its comparatively small numerical size and its meagre resources, dared in 1821 to claim its freedom with great courage, defying against all reason the supremacy of the power to which it remained enslaved for almost four hundred years.
And it was then that in Greece, on this "stony promontory in the Mediterranean, which has no other good than the people's struggle, the sea, and the light of the sun", as Seferis wrote, moments of unparalleled heroism and glory were written. It was then that a handful of Romans rose up, proving to the world that Freedom is not given away, but conquered through sacrifice and struggle.
The Greeks' desire to shake off the Ottoman yoke smoldered for four centuries, keeping the flame of hope and faith for liberation burning in their hearts. The ideas of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the economic vitality of the Greek merchants who excelled and were active in the countries of Europe, the parallel creation of a remarkable naval potential from the Greek islands, and the weakening of the Ottoman Empire, created favourable conditions for the start of an armed struggle.
The rich and educated Greeks, together with the common rayas, who suffered the greatest oppression, never ceased to organize resistance against the conquerors. Inspired patriots like Athanasios Tsakalov, Nikolaos Skoufas and Emmanuel Xanthos, as pioneers of the revolution, founded the Society of Friends, whose concerted efforts organized the nation for the final showdown with the oppressor. The circumstances of 1821 seemed to be ideal for the uprising of the Greeks.
On 25 March 1821, the Bishop of Old Patras Germanos, together with the chieftains Andreas Londos and Andreas Zaimis, raised the banner of the Revolution at the monastery of Agia Lavra, near Kalavryta.
On 25 March 1821, the bishop of Old Patras, Germanos, together with the chieftains Andreas Londos and Andreas Zaimis, raised the banner of the Revolution at the monastery of Agia Lavra, near Kalavryta. Three days later, on 28 March 1821, a provisional government was formed in Kalamata, which had been liberated on 23 March by the Maniates and Messenians with Theodoros Kolokotronis and Petros Mavromichalis as chieftains. The Turks, in retaliation, hanged Patriarch Gregory in Constantinople, but all they succeeded in doing was to strengthen the faith and the will for freedom. From the Peloponnese the Revolution spread to the whole of enslaved Greece, with a single slogan: "
Messolonghi, Alamana, Dervenakia, Chios, Maniaki, Psara, became places of heroic deeds, examples of sacrifice and love for the homeland, glaring proofs of the courage, bravery and will of the Greeks for Freedom.
Messolonghi, Alamana, Dervenakia, Chios, Maniaki, Psara, became places of heroic deeds, examples of sacrifice and love for the homeland, glaring proofs of the courage, bravery and will of the Greeks for Freedom. Mavrogenous, Bouboulina, Papaflezas, Miaoulis, Kanaris, Diakos and hundreds of other known and unknown fighters fought their own battles on land and sea without any hesitation, inspired by the revolutionary verses of King Feraios: "Better one hour of free life, than forty years of slavery and imprisonment."
The heroic deeds of the Greek people and the particularly harsh reaction of the Ottomans aroused the sympathy of the peoples of Europe and forced their leaders to support the liberation of Greece. The Greek Revolution of 1821 emerged as a struggle that proved that the faith, militancy and strong will of a people can change their historical destiny. That is why it became a model, inspiring other peoples to claim their own freedom. Throughout history, the Church has been a constant and important support in their struggles.
Cyprus, as in every national struggle, declared its presence in the 1821 Revolution from the very beginning. It is characteristic of the heavy toll of blood that our island paid in the summer of 1821, with Archbishop Cyprian as a beacon of resistance. Of course, the violent reaction of the Turks and the exploits of the Greeks on the battlefields of metropolitan Greece increased the will and the unquenchable desire of the Cypriots for freedom. Decades later, the lads of Cyprus imitated the example of the fighters of the Revolution, through another struggle, their own great Struggle against a new oppressor, the mighty British Empire.
A noble Struggle, founded on unity and unanimity, to which we owe our national existence and pride, our progress and prosperity. Agia Lavra, the Hani of Gravia, Tripolitsa and the 9th of July prefigured the 1st of April 1955, the Prisoner's Memorials, the Mahara and the Barn of Liopetriou.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Paying due respect and honour to the people who determined the continuity of Hellenism through their struggle and sacrifice, we turn our gaze to their example and their unparalleled philanthropy. We have a duty to preserve the high ideals they bequeathed to us. We have a duty to walk on the path shown to us by all of you, the fighters of the heroic epic of EOKA, remaining committed to the preservation of our historical past and the struggle for the vindication of our homeland.
Particularly in this period of time, when our homeland is facing significant national challenges, remaining under occupation for 50 years after the Turkish invasion, we are called upon to defend the survival, the rights and the rights of our people. Our highest priority remains the liberation and reunification of our homeland, as well as its freedom from foreign troops, anachronistic guarantee conditions and the invasive rights of third countries. To this end, we remain committed to finding a just and viable solution that allows for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. A solution that will enable our people to create and progress in security and prosperity.
As the Ministry of Education, our goal is to cultivate in our young people those values and skills, creating citizens with philanthropy and critical thinking, who, drawing lessons from our history, live dynamically in the present with a creative and optimistic view of the future, in a reunited, free country.
For this goal we will continue to strive, exhausting every peaceful effort. We owe this to the present, past and future generations of our country. We owe this to those who fought and gave their lives for Greece and Cyprus. From this place, with feelings of pride and emotion, I address my sincere thanks to you for all your sacrifices for our country!
(AF/MS)
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