On the plains of the boundless, the heroes we honor today were born and raised with the manna of philanthropy and self-sacrifice.
Ranger Sergeant Anastasis A. Pitta, Ranger Savvas N. Malekkidis, Corporal Christoforos S. Yatrou, Kostas Moiranthi, Teacher and Linguist, Civil Defence volunteer, are the heroic account of the heroically fallen of Agios Ioannis Pitsilia during the Turkish invasion of 1974. Reserve Demosthenous Demosthenous fought in the battles defending Kyrenia and his fate is still unknown.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is alarmist to reflect on the history of the small community of Agios Ioannis Pitsilia when it reflects on the heavy price it was asked to pay in the black summer of '74.
The tragic account wants the community of Agios Ioannis to count many victims, compared to the small number of its inhabitants.
The unquenchable flame of patriotism, the desire for freedom, led the heroes of the community of Pitsilia to walk with unparalleled courage, sacrificing their lives on the altar of freedom and the national restoration of our homeland, writing their names in gold letters in the Pantheon of Heroes.
Is this the breath of the wind at the foot of Papoutsa that imbued its children with such vigour and loyalty to their homeland?
Is it still the hum in the valleys that stirred them with such selflessness and purity?
Is it still the light of the earth, the colour, that formed them with ideals and values?
"......from the East, they came to humiliate Cyprus and enslave its people," the poet wrote.
Our heroes rose up with bravery and self-sacrifice for their homeland, facing the myrians. They fought with dignity, in hand-to-hand battles, and fell heroically fighting their way to immortality. They did not bend, they did not kneel, but courageously and asymmetrically fought up there on the impenetrable rocks of the Cypriot land.
Greeks,
It is with strong feelings of emotion and pride that we are here today to pay tribute to the heroes of the community of Agios Ioannis Pitsilia who, in that black summer of 1974, left their indelible mark on the pages of the struggles for freedom.
It is difficult to recount their manliness or to articulate the greatness of their fortitude and daring. Besides, no sacrifice can fit into any description, nor can pain and marazi be quieted by the echoes of loss. Tears cannot be dried, nor expectation appeased.
In the list of the tragic account of the 33rd Commando Squadron, the name of the hero Anastasis Pitta is mentioned. He was the third of nine children in the family of Andreas and Anna Pitta. He was born on 22/09/1956 in Agios Ioannis Agros where he resided until the Turkish invasion of 1974. On 20 July 1974, he was serving his military service with the rank of Sergeant in the 33 Commando Squadron, whose headquarters was located in Pella Pais Kyrenia.
Anastasis took part in the night operation of 20 July to occupy the perimeter fortification lines of the fortress of Agios Hilarion. The hill was subsequently abandoned due to insufficient support and his group was ordered to hold the defensive line at Agios Georgios Kyrenia.
The cruisers were surrounded by the Turkish invaders. Anastasis was killed by machine gun fire while trying to help his wounded comrade. His traces disappeared on 22/07/1974 near the Turkish Cypriot village of Templos after a battle with the invaders. His remains were found in a mass grave in the same area, and were reburied on 15 November 2014 in his hometown.
Savvas Malekkidis, the second of five children in the family of Nikola and Elli Malekkidis, was born in Agios Ioannis Agros on 19/10/1956, where he resided until the Turkish invasion.
At the beginning of the invasion he served his military service in the 21st Company of the 32nd Commando Squadron, based in Agios Chrysostomos.
In the tragic days of the invasion, his unit occupied the "White Moutti", which he was then forced to abandon. On 22 July the unit was established on a defensive line on the Alonagra hill, a few days later it moved to the Tympos airfield and then to Pachyammos where the commandos held the defensive line until 14 August. When the defense line at Mias Milia was broken, the unit was ordered to withdraw due to a circular movement by the Turks. The cruisers split into small groups and moved towards the reconstruction point which Savvas and his small group failed to reach. His traces disappeared on 15/08/1974 in the area of Agios Amvrosiou. Savas was missing until recently. 41 years later, Savvas' remains were found in a mass grave in the area of the Turkish Cypriot village of Tziaos. He was buried on 28 October 2015 in his hometown with due honours.
Christoforos Yatros, born on 13/10/1954, was the fifth of six children in the family of Savvas and Anthousa Yatros.
On 20 July, he answered the call of his homeland and joined the 316th Army Reserve in Syrianochori.
On 20 July, he answered the call of his country and joined the 316th Army Reserve in Syrianochori.
That tragic day in July finds Christoforos on the front line of fire at the Turkish invaders' landing point, in the area of Karava - Pente Mili. Wounded during an exchange of fire, he barely reaches the village of Elia in Kyrenia, where, according to testimonies, he manages to find shelter in the house of Rita Madoles. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards the village is surrounded by Turks and Christoforos is captured as a prisoner by Turkish troops.
He was last seen on 21 July 1974, and his fate was unknown for 34 years. His remains were found in the area of the village of Elia and were returned to his hometown on 2 August 2008.
Today, ladies and gentlemen, we also honour Kostas Moiranthi, a teacher and linguist, a Civil Defence volunteer, who heroically fell while trying to carry food to National Guardsmen in the area of Glykiotissa in Kyrenia, wanting to help in the difficult hours of the ordeal. On 22 July 1974 his vehicle was hit by Turkish fire and Kostas was mortally wounded, taking his last breath at the age of 70. Both his important works and his body became one with the soil of Kyrenia.
Along with the heroically fallen and murdered, the community honors another of its children, whose name remains on the tragic list of the missing in the Turkish invasion for 48 years.
Demosthenous, the eldest of seven children of Christoforos and Eleni Demosthenous, was born in Agios Ioannis Agros on 12/09/1950 and resided in Famagusta before the Turkish invasion of 1974.
Born into a family with a tradition of fighting for freedom, he too gave his presence to the call of his homeland in 1974. On 20 July 1974 he was enlisted as a reservist and transferred to the 32nd Commando Squadron. From Agios Chrysostomos he was sent with other reservists to Kyrenia, where his traces were lost in the Pella Pais area on 22 July 1974. Since then his fate has been unknown.
Greeks, Greeks,
The heroic land of the community of Pitsilia honours today its worthy children who did their duty to their homeland in full.
Their heroic figure will forever serve as a springboard for defending the rights of our people, illuminating like an unquestionable light the difficult path of honour and duty for the struggle we are waging to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. A struggle that must be common and determined, because only with unity and unanimity will we succeed in defending the Republic of Cyprus, transforming it into a reunited, federal, modern European state, free of armies of occupation.
In a few days the black memories of Attila's invasion will awaken. Each time another year is added to the burden the island carries, with the occupation already counting 48 bitter summers. Years full of anguish, unbearable memories, bloody images that will not be lost to oblivion. The dominant emotion is anger, rage but above all the longing for return and hope.
And while the Greek Cypriot side remains steadfast in its efforts to build a peaceful future based on the principles of respect for democracy and human rights, the clouds of Turkish provocative behaviour and rhetorical tension are getting thicker and thicker. Turkey and, unfortunately, the Turkish Cypriot side are deliberately choosing to trample on the prospects for a solution and the reunification of the country, deviating from the relevant Security Council resolutions and the principles and values of the European Union.
Turkey continues to choose the path of boasting, proceeding with the creation of new fait accompli in the occupied areas, brazenly violating international law and the law of the sea, and with its outrageous actions against the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus.
Despite the President's declared commitment to the resumption of the negotiation process, unfortunately, Ankara's illogical ambitions and the unrealistic Turkish demand for a two-state solution are dynamiting relations between the two sides and creating an end to the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem.
In addition to its systematic colonization policy in the occupied part of Cyprus, Turkey has in recent years also engaged in an "alien type of colonization" of the free areas through the illegal channeling of irregular migrants, thousands of whom are pushed through the Green Line to the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.
It is both clear and obvious that Turkey's purpose is to demographically alter the country and to cause economic, social and political problems for the Greek Cypriot community. In the face of these nascent problems of alteration of our demography, risks to our stability and security, we are responding in a concrete way. We are intensifying ways of stopping illegal crossings on the Green Line and maximising returns and deportations of those who are not entitled to stay in our country.
For those who do not grumble and set false objectives for the guarding of the Green Line, we refer to the escalating reactions of all the European countries, which one after the other, realizing the need to limit the migratory flood, are intensifying their protection measures.
Greeks,
In this small community of Agios Ioannis Pitsilia, with feelings of appreciation and respect we pay the minimum tribute to all those heroically fallen, murdered and missing, who defended the democracy, territorial sovereignty and integrity of our homeland against the incursions of Turkey, under the banner of its ominous fate. Our heroes fell on the battlefield to the arrows of the barbarians, but won by their valour and sacrifice the battle towards the path of immortality.
They are accorded the appropriate praise and due recognition, as the Cavafy verse dictates: 'And more honour to them must ...'
The figures of our heroes will always be a source of courage, patience and struggle until the liberation of the homeland.
As the Government, we bow to the heroically fallen and assure the relatives of our missing persons that we will continue our efforts to determine the fate of the last of our missing persons.
We are committed to the struggle for national vindication. We owe it to our heroes and to the future generations of our particular homeland and of the nation of Greeks to which we belong.
Eternal may the memory and the glory that will accompany them be eternal.
(EFYs/SX)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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