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- Ελληνικά
It is truly with feelings of awe and deep emotion that I am here today, in the Holy Church of Panagia Chryseleousa, to pay the minimum tribute to the heroically fallen and the missing of Athienos during the Turkish invasion of 1974. To those patriots who participated in the struggle against the Turkish invader with self-denial, bravery and courage, offering themselves on the front line.
In the greatest struggles of our Cyprus, Athienou was present and paid a heavy blood tax. Not a few are the lads we commemorate today. There are not a few families of Athienou who lost their own and who today feel proud of the name they carry.
In that black summer of '74, the children of Athienou, along with the children of all of Cyprus, ran with courage and daring, regardless of the numerical superiority of the enemy, to defend our ancestral lands.
From Athienou, we commemorate today Theodoros Stavrou Fottiros, Panagiotis Matsoukas, Kostas Toumba and Kostas Papapavlou who fell heroically in the battles against Attila. At the same time, we address a prayer to determine the fate of the three missing persons of Athienou, Vassos Chimonas, Georgios Piki and Evangelos Lytras, whose traces were lost in that sad summer of '74.
The hero Theodoros Stavrou Fotiros was born in 1954 to Nikos and Euphrosini. When conscription was declared on July 20, 1974, he rushed to join his battalion and was placed on the front line of fire in the area of Agios Pavlos. On 23 July 1974 Theodoros was killed by a Turkish mortar shell. Tragically, he was buried in the military cemetery in Lakatameia, without his parents knowing anything. After 27 years his remains were exhumed and identified. In July 2001, he was buried with hero's honours in the cemetery of his hometown.
The hero Panagiotis Matsoukas was born in 1945 and was the son of Ioannis and Eleni. After the Turkish invasion he enlisted and together with other Athenians manned an outpost in the area of Kaimakli. Although a ceasefire had been declared by the afternoon of 22 July, the exchange of gunfire continued in the following days. On 24 July Panagiotis was killed by a Turkish sniper's bullet. His wife Lucia, six months later, gave birth to their daughter, who was named Panagiota in honour of her father.
Kostas Toubas was born in 1941 to Panagiotis and Eugenia. During the second phase of the Turkish invasion, he remained with other volunteers and soldiers to guard the village. On August 17, Turkish soldiers, violating the truce, attempted to take Athienou, but were repulsed. On the morning of August 18, Toubas went to his farm to take care of his animals. There he was shot and killed by Turkish soldiers who had advanced at night towards Athienou without being seen.
The hero Kostas Papapavlou was born in 1949, to parents Nikolas and Angeliki. During the first phase of the invasion, he took part in the battles that led to the capture of the small town of Lefka. On 5 August '74, he was taken from Lefka to the area of Lapithos-Karavas. On 6 August, the Turks, once again violating the ceasefire, occupied Lapithos and Karavas, trapping many National Guardsmen, including Papapavlou, who remained missing for 44 years. His remains were located and identified and his burial took place in 2019 at the Athienou cemetery with due honours.
Unfortunately, three people still remain missing. Vasos Chimonas was born in 1943, to parents George and Panagiota. Georgios Pikis, born in 1944, to parents Antonis and Anna. During the second phase of the Turkish invasion, the two missing persons served together with their compatriot Nikos Minas. On 14 August 74, their positions at Mia Milia were bombed by Turkish planes. With no contact with their command, the three Athenians boarded a bus to Athienou, but were intercepted by Turkish tanks. They got out of the bus and each tried to save himself in any way he could. Of the three Athenians, Nikos Minas was captured as a prisoner and taken to Turkey, where he was released shortly afterwards. The fates of Vassos Chimonas and Giorgos Piki have been missing ever since.
Evangelos Lytras, also missing, was born in 1955 to parents Loukas and Androniki Lytras. During the Turkish invasion, together with five other National Guardsmen, they manned an outpost in Omorphita, from where they repelled Turkish attacks. On 23 July '74, the Turks, violating the ceasefire, surrounded the outpost and threw a grenade into it, which wounded Lytra and another National Guardsman. The other four National Guardsmen came out of the house and surrendered, while the wounded Evangelos and the other wounded man remained inside. Since then no one knows what happened to them.
At this point let me mention that both Athienou and the State do not forget the heroes who sacrificed themselves in the 1955-59 struggle, namely Artemos Frantzeskou, Toumazo Toumazou, Christakis Vyzakos and Michael Tappi, as well as Andreas Loukas who was killed by the Turks in 1964.
Ladies and gentlemen,
These days we are reliving those moments of betrayal and destruction experienced by the whole of Cyprus. Our ardent desire remains the reunification of our homeland, the end of the occupation and the guarantee of human rights and basic freedoms, with the establishment of conditions of security and prosperity for all the inhabitants of our island.
Today, we remember again the brave defenders of the freedom of Cyprus and the victims of the Turkish invasion. Their memory does not stop after every memorial service. It lives as an immortal voice in our consciousness, so that we remain ready to fight for the salvation of our small homeland and the liberation of our betrayed people.
I would like to congratulate the Mayor and the Athienou Municipal Council for preserving the memory. I especially express to the families of the heroes the deepest gratitude of the State for the sense of self-sacrifice, heroism and great contribution of their loved ones.
We honour and commemorate our heroes, not only for the repose of their souls, but also to pass on to younger generations the principles, values and ideals for which they sacrificed themselves.
We honour and commemorate our heroes, not only for the repose of their souls, but also to pass on to younger generations the principles, values and ideals for which they sacrificed themselves. They wrote their names in indelible letters in the Pantheon of our Immortals.
We pledge to continue the struggle, in every way possible, with collectivity, unity and determination, while using the power of diplomacy and negotiation. We will remain on the ramparts and will not rest until we achieve a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, until our little country achieves redemption.
Glory and honour to the heroes of Athienou.
May their memory be eternal and honored.
Thank you.
(EFYs/MB)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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