It is with great pleasure that I responded to the invitation to attend and greet the presentation of my friend Andreas Morphitis' book "Lost Expectations". A man who is admittedly characterised by his selflessness, his contribution, but above all his philanthropy.
The work of our friend Andreas, which today begins its journey, is nothing but the diary of a man who is characterized and recognized for his contribution to the public and who, with courage and courage, dares to point out the shortcomings of our society, the distortions and mistakes of politics and all of us politicians, putting the common good and the well-intentioned public interest above all else.
This collection of valuable articles and essays, more than six years old, is a source of written wealth, which aspires, both upon their first publication and by preserving them through the pages of this book, to be the kick-start for a change in the distortions our country has been experiencing for decades: From the corruption it detects in areas of public life, to the inadequacy of controls, but especially to the migratory abomination that our semi-inhabited country is experiencing as a result of the thousands of illegal immigrants that are flooding it, like a flood.
Particularly with regard to immigration, the author eloquently points out what, let me say, I have made the flag of my briefing to all decision-makers. The shameful practice of Turkey's instrumentalization of the migratory issue which is evolving into a new hybrid threat against Cyprus with the obvious purpose and objective of a conscious effort to alter the demography of the island by channeling all these migratory hordes from our occupied land through the blind spots of the Green Line to the Republic-controlled areas.
It is part of human psychology, when man feels lonely to look for the oasis that will cool or at least comfort him. So I want to share with you that a small number of our compatriots, including dear Andrew, have become a refuge and support for the speaker, in the difficult times we are going through and in the unequal struggle we are fighting, whether against the fifth column of the home front or Attila himself. He shares with us the same concerns and has always supported us in every possible way in the effort we are making to tackle immigration, realising that it is not just another problem. It is, unfortunately, a national issue and we must manage it as such. It is a never-ending problem with multiple facets. Visible, but also unseen. With a humanitarian face on the one hand, but also with dimensions that confirm the action of migrant trafficking rings that instrumentalise human suffering and their need for a better life.
I will refrain from reproducing from the lines of the book itself, not so much because I would reveal details worth discovering by reading the book yourself, but because I would do them an injustice.
Andrew's authorial character is such that he cannot but draw you into forming a personal opinion of what he records. In a strict but at the same time very comprehensive style, he makes accessible to the ordinary reader the complex aspects of each issue he deals with.
I must admit that I identified with this straightforwardness of the author through the lines of the book. In reading it, I vividly experienced many of the agonies he experiences and became one with the hopes he intimately seeks.
Much more, however, I must praise the author's clear voice that emerges from his writing. This legacy is a great legacy because it will remain mortgaged in the archives of history, contributing significantly to the improvement of our policies, through the author's unflinching criticism.
And his concerns and worries for the better treatment of many serious issues that concern our country are presented in the form of proposals accompanied by assertive positions that are boldly put forward to the decision-making centres.
Dear Andreas,
I would like to thank you warmly for the honour of inviting me to address the presentation ceremony of your book today.
I would also like to congratulate you for your boldness and your unparalleled contribution to your country, from whatever angle you were called upon to do so. I bear witness to your dedication and your endless love for our country.
I am sure that your new ship that sets sail today will be well launched and will find the expectations it seeks.
For my dear friend, as long as there are voices of criticism and reaction, voices imbued with patriotic spirit, voices of philanthropy like yours and I want to hope many others, who strive for the future of this country, then yes. There will be hope for this martyred homeland.
Without wasting time, let me take this opportunity to share with you my own analysis of the statement we managed to extract last Friday in Luxembourg from the meeting of EU Home Affairs Ministers that dealt exclusively with the tragic situation in which the frontline countries find themselves with regard to migration, one of the dominant themes of the document we are introducing today.
After three years of painstaking efforts, exhausting meetings, against the views of extreme politicians and some parasitic NGOs, and after we had to raise our voices, put our hands assertively on the table and walk out of meetings in protest, for the first time, the European Commission recognised the need for practical support for Cyprus both for the relocation of a number of migrants from our island, the guarding of the Green Line, but also for financial assistance to help us manage the migrant overpopulation that has exceeded 5% in our semi-inhabited country.
Dear friends, my dear Andreas,
I contrast what I said about the change in the attitude of the Europeans with the title of your book, which talks about lost expectations.
My dear friend, along with my intense reflection, allow me to refresh myself by reflecting on Heraclitus' saying "If you do not hope, you will not find the hopeless".
I wish you first and foremost health and all the best and many more writing successes.
Thank you.
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