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- Ελληνικά
Although half a century has passed, the pain is profound and the anguish indescribable every time memory returns to the events of 1974, the Turkish invasion, the catastrophe of 1974, which is the unshakable point of reference for every citizen of this land, which 50 years later is still - no matter how much some people try to downplay it - suffering from the traumas caused by the unspeakable tragedy of the Turkish invasion and the ongoing occupation.
From this historic place, very close to the barbed wire of partition, I want to reiterate that, despite the challenges, difficulties and problems we face, we do not accept the occupation; the present state of affairs cannot be the future of our country. We have no choice but to continue the effort to overturn the fait accompli for the liberation and reunification of our country. We are therefore working in this direction with actions and not with words, in order to create the prospects for the resumption of substantial negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, always on the basis of the agreed framework and on the basis of European principles and values. We encourage the efforts of the Secretary-General and the efforts of his personal envoy. It is, after all, after our efforts that this new effort was launched. June is a crucial month, taking into account the preparation, by the personal envoy, of the relevant report. We hope for positive developments. We are aware of a lot that is going on, particularly from some countries that are showing a particular interest towards the resumption of talks, and I hope that June will be a month with positive developments in that direction.
The photographs exhibited in this space, as well as the anniversary short film "Operation Museum", referred to by the Director of the Press and Information Office (PIO), Mrs. Aliki Stylianou, are nothing but the mosaic of our collective memory of a period that remains deeply engraved in our minds 50 years later. They are authentic documents of the era, recording in the most vivid way the pain on the faces of tens, hundreds, thousands of people, our compatriots. These people are not unknown. Some of them are still with us today. They are our parents, our grandparents, our relatives, our neighbours. They are all those who had the unparalleled fortitude, will and faith to rise from the ruins of destruction and walk again. With a thousand and two hardships, they rebuilt their lives from scratch, thanks to their hard work and patriotism, never, ever forgetting where they started, never forgetting their roots. On behalf of the state, allow me, on the occasion of today's event, to express my immense gratitude to everyone.
The film entitled "Operation Museum" is a shocking account of the gigantic effort to save the exhibits of the Cyprus Museum during the Turkish invasion of 1974. It is a tribute to the then Director of the Department of Antiquities and the Cyprus Museum, the late Vassos Karagiorgis, as well as to the staff of the Museum for their efforts to rescue the cultural wealth of our country.
Among the objectives of the film is to raise awareness not only among the Cypriot people, but also among everyone, especially the younger generation that did not live through the events, bringing to light unseen aspects of our country's history that are not known 50 years later.
I therefore congratulate the Director of the GMP and of course the staff for organizing today's event, and for the very methodical work they are doing on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our accession and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion. There is a wealth in the GMP that we ought to tap into and we support this effort. I also thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Ministry of Culture, political superiors and staff for their assistance in this effort and all those who worked on the event.
(PM/GC/EP)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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