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- Ελληνικά
It is with feelings of emotion, respect and pride that we are here today to pay our last respects to the worthy, brave son of our homeland, ranger Elias Toulis, of Athanasios and Maria, from Marathos, Heraklion, Crete, who watered the soil of our country with his blood, sacrificing himself for altars and hearths. To accompany to his last residence a HERO, who did not count on death and sacrificed his life on the altar of freedom for his homeland, defending the freedom and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. Elias returns today to his birthplace, to the land that gave birth to him, to be buried with the honours befitting a commando, who was present at the call of his homeland without a second thought. His name is written in indelible ink in our history and in the pantheon of heroes of Cypriot freedom.
Tooulis Ilias was born in 1953 in Marathos, Heraklion, Crete. His mother Maria raised her only child, Elias, by herself after losing her husband early in life. Elias' grandfather and uncles were executed by the Germans in 1944. Lieutenant Commando Ilias Toulis was aboard one of the Noratlas transport aircraft of Operation Victory, which was hit by friendly fire on 22 July 1974. His name was placed among the heroes who, with self-denial and unprecedented heroism, participated in a mission of immense risk.
In 2005 and 2009 his remains were identified, which have since remained at the Anthropological Laboratory of the Republic of Cyprus. On another level, the Office for Missing and Trapped Persons Humanitarian Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus is currently closing wounds that have remained open for decades. After consultation with the family, we proceeded with the General Staff of the Hellenic Army to repatriate the hero's remains. On 30 May 2024, all due honours were paid by the State to the presence and, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, a triumphal ceremony was held at the Holy Church of St. Panteleimon in Makedonitissa, Cyprus. The next day, the remains of our hero were repatriated to Greece by military aircraft.
Today, for the hero's family, for all of us, is a day of pride. Today, the state reverently bows its head to a worthy son of the fatherland and pays him the honours befitting a freedom fighter. To a true hero who, at a time when our homeland was in need, was present and selflessly offered the courage of his soul in defence of altars and hearths, in defence of our freedom, offering what was most precious - his own life - selflessly, on the altar of freedom and the greatness of Hellenism.
Half a century of agony is unbearably unbearable. We are exemplified by the lofty visions of the brave man we are burying today, destined for national vindication and dignity.
The legacies of Elias Toulis and the other heroically fallen of 1974 require a promise from all of us. That their sacrifice, and the pain of half a century of their families, will not be wasted. We are called upon to keep their memory unquenched and to pass on to future generations the enormity of their sacrifice. We as a state must continue to strive to determine the fate of the last of our missing persons. We have a duty to strive for the liberation and reunification of our homeland.
To these glorious men, of daring and virtue, all honors and the rendering of infinite gratitude for their sacrifice are due. Heroism, daring and self-sacrifice are not general and vague notions, but acts coming from brave, bright and blessed men like Elijah.
We stand in awe and pride, not before you, but beside you, and assure you that it is our duty to continue the struggle, for duty is first and foremost a matter of the soul. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Christodoulides, supports and stands by the families of our heroes. I am here to convey his clear message that, regardless of the difficulties and problems, we are continuing the struggle to determine the fate of our last missing person and to locate our fallen. It is our commitment, obligation and duty towards our heroes and the relatives of our heroes.
In conclusion, I refer to the great Greek philosopher Socrates, who said this: 'More honourable than mother and father and other ancestors is the fatherland and more modest and holier and in a greater fate and than gods and men have in mind'.
Toulis Elias, Ranger, brave, valiant, our hero, today we all humbly and modestly bid you farewell. Our respect, admiration, appreciation and pride will accompany you forever.
Eternal and honored is the memory of our Ilia, Athanasios and Maria, and light the soil that will cover you.
(PM/AF/MS)
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