Saturday 26 March 2022, Ayia Napa Harbour
With feelings of emotion, I accepted the invitation of the President and Members of the Municipal Council of Ayia Napa and the President and Members of the "Perfume" Sculpture Park Association, who, in cooperation with organized groups of the local community, are celebrating the anniversary of the National Regression of 1821. As part of the celebrations they focus on and prominently highlight a historical aspect of the Greek Revolution, recording the contribution of the Greeks of Cyprus to the events of the war for Greek Independence and in particular the region of Ayia Napa.
The beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821 is the greatest event in modern Greek history, which founded the Greek state, delivering to the world wonderful examples of virtue, philanthropy and commitment to the values of freedom and dignity.
Cyprus, the extreme limit of Hellenism, which since 1571 had been groaning under the cruelties and atrocities of the Turks, participated in every way in the Revolution.
Many Cypriots had already been initiated into the struggle as members of the Society of Friends.
Many Cypriots had already been initiated into the struggle as members of the Society of Friends. Among them was Archbishop Kyprianos, who on 9 July 1821 was the first to be hanged in Nicosia, facing the impending end with a nationalistic and thoroughly patriotic attitude, demonstrating courage, composure and self-denial. He was followed by the metropolitans of Paphos, Kition and Kyrenia, who were beheaded, as well as a number of other prelates and clergymen, who became martyrs in a massacre that lasted for days, delivering lessons in morality and national greatness.
In addition, hundreds of Cypriots went to revolutionary Greece and gave their thunderous support to the chieftains, while others sold their property in order to contribute to the outcome of the revolution, proving that the throwing off of the Turkish yoke involved the whole of Hellenism and every inch of Greek land.
The blood tax paid by Cyprus, as well as the material aid and moral support given to the revolutionaries, despite the great risks they ran, constituted an undeniable contribution. Characteristic was the reply of Ioannis Kapodistrias, to the question of the representative of the British Foreign Office, what geographical boundaries of the Greek state the Greek side claimed, with him stating: "These boundaries have been determined since 1821 by the blood spilled in the slaughterhouses of Kydonia, Cyprus, Chios, Crete, Psara and Messolonghi."
Historical research has revealed important aspects of the struggle of the national rebellion, in which the revolutionary action and the participation of Cypriot fighters is confirmed by historical evidence.
On a local level, among other things, there is a notable reference to the unique battle on the coast of the main island, specifically in Ayia Napa.
The Greek citizen Vassilis Sfyroeras, in a lecture in March 1991 in Nicosia, organized by the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, revealed the victorious battle of Greek revolutionaries on Cypriot soil. It was a landing of a crew of a Greek fleet, for refuelling purposes, which clashed with the Ottoman garrison of Famagusta, in an area that today extends within the boundaries of Ayia Napa. Mr Sfyroeras had said that he had derived this information from a written documentary report by the Dutch consul in Cyprus, Mark Antony Sand, in 1826. According to the facts, a small fleet of ten Greek warships ran aground at Agia Napa in search of supplies and water, resulting in the mobilisation of a force of 200 men from the Ottoman garrison of Famagusta. The clash took place in a hilly area of Ayia Napa on 17 March 1826, resulting in a loss of 15 men for the Ottomans and their disorderly retreat.
The value of today's event is considered very important, precisely because in the context of the anniversary celebrations of the great uprising of the Nation, documents and unpublished sources from the local history are highlighted, which we ought to know, understand and preserve.
It is, after all, a common assumption that, by knowing his roots, man is not in danger of becoming detached from the source of his existence.
It is, after all, a common assumption that, by knowing his roots, man is not in danger of becoming detached from the source of his existence.
It is, after all, a common assumption that, by knowing his roots, man is not in danger of becoming detached from the source of his existence. Memory is the most reliable factor in preserving our historical and national identity.
All the more so at a critical time like ours, both in the Eastern Mediterranean region, where we are called upon to confront Turkey's provocative and outrageous actions, and on European soil, where the absurdity of war, with all its adverse and destructive implications, is raging.
I would like to express my warm congratulations to the organizers of today's event, as well as to the contributors whose participation in the artistic program contributes to its successful implementation.
Such initiatives allow us to feel national uplift, respect and admiration for the immortal heroic martyrs of our nation, and at the same time inspire us to remain committed to our duty and mission, which is none other than to continue our struggle for final liberation from the Turkish occupation and the achievement of a viable and functional solution.
(PM/MB/EXP)
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