I am particularly honoured by the invitation to deliver the commemorative speech and for this I express my thanks and appreciation to the organisers.
In every important historical event there are those people who are distinguished through their action, through the greatness of their soul, through their ideals, through their self-sacrifice.
Fulfilling a due moral and national duty of honour and remembrance and with feelings of deepest emotion, but also of national pride, respecting our history, we commemorate today in the holy church of St. Neophytos, in the settlement of Makarios, here in Kato Polemidia, the hero of EOKA 1955-59, Theodosis Hadjitheodosiou, to whom we reverently bow our heads, for the services he offered to our tested homeland, with self-sacrifice and unparalleled heroism.
Theodosis Hadjitheodosiou was born in the village of Stiloi, in Famagusta District, in 1923.
He graduated from the Primary School of his village and then worked as a pharmacist's assistant with the prospect of becoming a pharmacist, but his poor and large family could not provide him with the opportunity to study. His father George Hadjitheodosiou (who had been arrested and imprisoned after the 1931 uprising) died early.
Theodosis Hadjitheodosiou, as one of the eldest children in the family (there were six in total) was forced to work as a farmer, even helping to educate his younger brothers.
Theodosis was by all accounts endowed with many external but above all with rare internal gifts. Modest, philanthropic, philanthropic, daring and discreet.
He has rightly been described as the modest martyr of Cypriot freedom, because throughout his short life he was a model of a virtuous man, a pure Greek patriot, a tireless and selfless fighter.
Combining boldness and discretion, firmness and irrevocable faith in ideals, he was next to be appointed in charge of the area, with primary concern for the dangerous missions of guarding and transporting arms, and the concealment and movement of wanted persons.
Theodosis Hadjitheodosiou was among those who stood out during the armed liberation struggle of EOKA 1955-59.
In the hideout of his house, which was never discovered despite all the investigations by the conquerors, because it was masterfully camouflaged, he hosted most of the most wanted fighters of the region and many others, including Kyriakos Matsis, even at a time when a "curfew" was imposed on the village and the English soldiers were literally combing the area.
He joined EOKA at the beginning of the struggle along with his mother and all his brothers and sisters. The guerrillas and the EOKA cadres met in their house, and the polygraph where the EOKA leaflets were printed was also kept.
On 18 October 1957 the English interrogator Deir, who was later killed by the hero Alekos Konstantinou, went to their house for an investigation. His mother, intending to throw food to the animals, managed to mix into their food the documents of the struggle which the animals ate. But the polygrapher was found in the house and Theodosius was tortured on the spot to death, refusing to reveal anything. He was then dragged into the street and under the pretext of attempting to escape was shot by his English torturers.
The death interrogation proved that Theodosis Hadjitheodosiou was killed on 18 December 1957, by a bullet that hit him in the chest and pierced his heart. He was buried with honours in his village.
His brother Kyriakos was sentenced to life imprisonment, while his other brother, Vasos, was already in prison serving a seven-year sentence for his actions.
The entire population of the region accompanied the funeral and a forest of Greek flags were flown over his grave as a sign of honour, while the national anthem was sung. Hadjitheodosiou stood up with heroism and self-denial, earning a golden and glorious page in the pantheon of the immortals and sealing with his name and action the timeless struggles for freedom and justice. His blood continues to irrigate the tree of freedom, until it blossoms and bears fruit.
Aware of our debt and debt to those who sacrificed for the homeland, we express our gratitude and respect, assuring our determination to continue the struggle until national vindication, until the reunification of our homeland, until the end of the Turkish occupation.
Aware of our debt and debt to those who sacrificed for the homeland, we express our gratitude and respect, assuring our determination to continue the struggle until national vindication, until the reunification of our homeland, until the end of the Turkish occupation. The struggles of our heroes make our own debt even heavier and this is not repaid with words, but with deeds worthy of their sacrifice.
The sacrifice of our heroes constitutes a valuable legacy that inspires today and guides the future. The historical lessons that we must all learn from yesterday are our compass for the course of tomorrow. In the pool of their sacrifice we must baptize ourselves, drawing strength until final vindication.
Eternal be his memory.
(MX)
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