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- Ελληνικά
Sunday, 24 September 2023 - St. George of Kelokedara Church, Paphos
"Whatever men think is modest and divine, Patrice is their cause and teacher, born and nurtured and educated", the great sophist and philosopher of antiquity Lucian quotes in his "Patrida Encomium".
For the homeland teaches people all that they consider respectable and divine in their lives, since it gave birth to them, raised them and educated them.
Continuing, he concludes that in battles the highest order from the generals to the soldiers is that which calls them to fight for their country.
"In battles the greatest order is that of the soldiers, as the war is for their country".
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with feelings of deep emotion and national pride that we are gathered here today, in the holy church of St. George in Kelkokira, to pay with due respect the minimum tribute to the fallen of the community, who were killed or fell fighting during the national struggles of the homeland for freedom.
To pay due tribute to those brave men and women who, through their deeds, valour and sacrifice, resisted the foreign stallion and indelibly stamped historical moments of Cyprus.
To those who put above themselves and their families the homeland and the defence of its territorial integrity.
To those who put above themselves and their families the homeland and the defence of its territorial integrity.
To the ordinary, everyday people of toil and breadwinning, who, as genuine patriots, in the hour of crisis, proposed their selfless and unadulterated love for their land and gave their lives as a libation on the holy altar of its freedom.
We remember and honour today the worthy children of the community of Kelokeda, who gave their lives in the call for resistance against fascism during World War II, the national liberation struggle of 1955-1959, the bloody intercommunal conflicts of the 1960s and the brutal Turkish invasion in the tragic summer of 1974.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Britain's entry into World War II in 1939 also marked the direct involvement of Cyprus in the great war as a "Crown Colony" from 1925. The British call for volunteers to enlist in the British army in exchange for financial compensation on the one hand and favourable treatment of their national aspirations after the end of the war on the other, attracted the interest of the Cypriots.
The participation amounted to about 37,000, an unprecedented number for the population of the period, since it represented almost 10% of the population. The volunteers fought on many fronts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Many were killed and are buried in 49 military cemeteries in 18 different countries.
From the records of the World War II Veterans Association we find that 58 of the 684 inhabitants of Kelokeda in the 1940s volunteered and participated in any way on the side of the Allied forces.
Kostas Dimitri[/B] is reported to have fallen on 30 November 1946 in combat operations in Egypt. His name is inscribed on a tombstone in a military cemetery in Fayid, Egypt, where he was buried.
Alexandros Chrysostomou[/B] enlisted in June 1940 and was reportedly killed in Athens on 19 April 1945. His name is inscribed on a monument in Alimos, Attica.
Soon after the end of the World War, the British reneged on their promises to Cypriot Hellenism. All diplomatic initiatives by Cypriot politicians and Greek governments alike were met with British refusal to discuss the future of the island. The culmination of British intransigence was the statement of the Colonial Secretary, Henry Hopkinson, in the House of Lords, when on 28 July '54 he mentioned the infamous "never."
The EOKA struggle from 1955 to 1959 was one of the most crucial, but also one of the most admirable periods of Cypriot history. The military successes of a dragon of inexperienced young guerrillas, without sufficient means, against a powerful military superpower, aroused world admiration on the one hand, and on the other hand activated the international factor to seek a solution to the issue.
The end of the Cypriot struggle may not have justified the goal of union with Greece, but it did lead to the granting of the island's independence and the establishment of the state of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960.
During our liberation struggle, EOKA fighter Panagiotis Diomedous[/B], in the early morning hours of 30 May 1956, breathed his last outside his home in Paphos under fire from a British patrol. Due to the disturbance caused by the English during searches, Panagiotis, despite being under house arrest, was forced to go outside his house to see what was going on. For no apparent reason he was shot, resulting in his death in front of his terrified wife.
From the very first moment of the newly established Republic of Cyprus, several intractable problems emerged. Problems that were due first and foremost to weaknesses in the Constitution and which hampered the proper functioning of the state, posing serious and often insurmountable obstacles to the government's work.
Moreover, the heterodox provisions of the Zurich Agreements on the one hand and the policy of undermining them by Turkey on the other, created an intensely divisive climate between the two communities.
Thus, three years after the establishment of the state, at Christmas 1963, armed inter-communal clashes broke out, first in Nicosia and then throughout the island, resulting in the withdrawal of Turkish Cypriots from the government and public service, and their isolation in enclaves.
In the following period, until the summer of 64, and while the bloody incidents continued, Turkey, which was working on plans to partition Cyprus, proceeded to establish a bridgehead in the Kokkina-Mansoura area for the transfer of military personnel and equipment.
The armed clashes of August '64 and the barbaric bombardment of the Tilliria region by the Turkish air force constituted the first armed raid against the Cypriot state.
The events in Tillyria and Ankara's ongoing machinations further aggravated the climate in relations between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, creating intense uncertainty about the future of the Republic of Cyprus and its people.
During the grim period of inter-communal unrest, the Kelokedar community mourned the murder of three of its own people.
Kostas Georgiou[/B] Fotiou, who was one of the victims of an unprovoked attack in the well-known events in Muttallos on 7 March 1964, when for no apparent reason Turkish Cypriot rioters opened fire on civilian Greek Cypriots who were at that time shopping in the town's bazaar.
Three years later, on 24 July 1967, Pantelis Purou, who was serving in the National Guard as a Ranger, went home on leave because his mother Antigoni became seriously ill and had to be taken to the Paphos hospital for treatment.
At that time, the Kelokedara-Pafos road was blocked by armed Turks, at the height of the village of Stavrokonnou. Pantelis and his mother boarded a taxi and took an alternative route to avoid Stavrokonnou. They were intercepted by the Turks at the intersection of the Nikokleia-Holetria roads and were murdered cowardly and senselessly in the vehicle they were in.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the 1960s, apart from the intercommunal conflicts, the situation was further aggravated by the civil division on our side.
It culminated in the treacherous coup of 15 July 1974, which crushed democracy and legitimacy in Cyprus and opened wide the door for Attila to invade five days later and wreak death, destruction and havoc.
The community of Kelokedara, during the Turkish invasion, mourned the National Guard officer, then Captain, Andreas Arrestis, who was one of the first Force officers to perish on the battlefield that black summer.
Andreas Arrestis, dedicated to the service of his country, fought in all the struggles of Cyprus, showing admirable courage and self-denial.
As a student, he participated in the EOKA struggle, during which he was arrested and imprisoned for transporting explosives.
In 1961, he joined the newly formed Cyprus Army, along with other fighters, with the rank of lieutenant. He took part in the battles of Nicosia at Christmas '63 and the battles of Tillyria in the summer of '64.
In 1974, with the rank of captain, he served as deputy commander of the 70 Engineer Battalion.
Although he belonged to the Engineers, on 19 July he received an order from the General Staff to be detached to the 261 Infantry Battalion in the village of Galini. The unit was given a mission to act to neutralize Turkish Cypriot pockets and prevent the creation of a strong front in the rear of the National Guard.
On the 21st of the month he was ordered, together with the few men of the Unit, to carry out an attack to capture the village of Limnitis, which was a strong Turkish stronghold of the Kokkina enclave, and in which superior in means and numbers forces were camped.
Andreas Arrestis knew in advance that the mission he was undertaking was extremely difficult. Some described it as impossible.
Fully aware of the situation, with courage and daring, disciplined and conscientious he obeyed orders.
During the operation the following day, the heroic captain was mortally wounded by enemy fire. He passed into immortality fighting, honoring the oath of the Greek officer to defend the sacred and sacred of the homeland, until "n the last drop of blood". He was taken to the Battalion Command Station and from there to the hospital in Morphou, where his death was confirmed. He was buried in the new cemetery of the town.
His remains were later exhumed from the Morphou cemetery, transported to the free areas and identified as part of the Missing Persons' Committee's exhumation programme. They were buried with honours at the Mound of Makedonitissa, in 2019.
After his death he was awarded the rank of Major, then the rank of Colonel, in 2020 the rank of Lieutenant General and in 2022 the rank of Lieutenant General.
On 22 June 2016, by decision of the Council of Ministers, he was awarded the military military medal "Gold Medal of Valour", as he demonstrated unparalleled heroism on the battlefield, above and beyond the call of duty, sacrificing himself for the defence of freedom and the territorial integrity of the Republic.
Fellow countrymen and women,
The homeland was the highest ideal for our glorious ancestors.
"Mother and father and of all other ancestors, Patris was the most honourable and the most modest and pure", Plato quotes Plato in Socrates' dialogue with Crito.
"There is no sweetness in the homeland", Lucian also mentions in his "Encomium".
Acts of patriotism and self-denial are recorded throughout the historical course of our homeland. From antiquity to modern times when many conquerors have passed through the island.
The fallen of Kelokedara, whom we commemorate today, are rightly ranked among the golden deltas of the heroic martyrs of Cyprus.
They are, in turn, mosaics that make up that glorious mosaic of Hellenism, which depicts themes of philanthropy, bravery, courage, daring, self-denial and heroism.
Today's memorial service is also a reminder of self-consciousness, of our responsibility towards our heroes and towards history.
We stand with emotion, gratitude, but also with contemplation before the greatness of their sacrifice.
We want to understand its meaning in order to determine our own debt and our own responsibilities.
Our country has been experiencing the consequences of the Turkish occupation for almost half a century.
We are experiencing the systematic destruction of our property and our culture. We are experiencing the illegal dehumanization of every Greek element in the occupied areas.
Turkey, having adopted a revisionist policy, is attempting to create new fait accompli on our territory.
It is attempting to impose its policy, destroying every concept of law and morality and violating international treaties.
The latest events in Pyla, with the unprovoked attack against members of the UN peacekeeping force, which is condemned by the international community, confirm once again that Ankara stubbornly refuses to respect what has been agreed, which will lead to the process of talks with the ultimate goal of resolving the Cyprus problem.
As the Government, despite the adversities, despite the challenges and despite the negative attitude of the other side, we have the duty and obligation to exert all our efforts with the aim of lifting the occupation, liberation and reunification of our homeland. Nicos Christodoulides in his speech at the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, the only effective way to address the risk of instability created by the absence of a peace process is to promote the resumption of negotiations.
In this context, the UN, as a driving force, will play a decisive role by initially appointing an envoy for the Cyprus problem, who will investigate and prepare the ground.
Clearly, the European Union can also contribute to this effort, acting decisively with all the means at its disposal, as an organisation that promotes peace, with the aim of restoring legitimacy and human rights in Cyprus.
Dear friends,
We carry the unpaid historical debt of the liberation of our homeland and the restoration of our historical continuity in our native land.
We owe it to the heroes of Kelokeda whom we commemorate today, we owe it to all our heroes who from above await the vindication of their struggles and sacrifices.
Only in this way will we be able to repay our debt to those who, by their example and sacrifice, showed us the path of responsibility and struggle.
Eternal be their memory and the glory that accompanies them.
Thank you.
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