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- Ελληνικά
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anita Demetriou, announced today at a special presentation event at the State Gallery of Contemporary Art - SPEL the actions of the House of Representatives to mark the 50th anniversary of the coup and the Turkish invasion of 1974. In the presence of only ambassadors, parliamentarians and media officials, the Speaker of the House of Representatives presented the trilingual publication of the House of Representatives "Cyprus 1974, memory is the only homeland of the people", as well as part of the large exhibition of the same name which will be officially inaugurated on 20 September 2024 at the same venue and which is co-organised by the House of Representatives and the Hellenic Parliamentary Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy. The event was opened by singer Katerina Paraschou, who performed the song "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" (lyrics by Michalis Fotiadis, music by Mariza Koch) and was accompanied by Angelos Heipeloglou on guitar.
The two interconnected actions, the title of which is inspired by Kyriakos Charalambides' composition "Aigialousis Visit", concern an attempt to outline the Cypriot land from the tragically pivotal 1974 and its timeless consequences, to the recovery in specific sectors, the evolution and the present as a trigger for reflection and hope. Beginning last summer, the relevant Research, Studies and Publications Service of the House of Representatives, in cooperation with the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy, together with the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Scientific Committee of this report, carried out a thorough research on primary and secondary material from public service departments, public and private archives, academic, intellectual and cultural institutions in Cyprus and Greece, occupied municipalities, communities and associations, religious, bicommunal and other bodies. The multidisciplinary material, part of which appears for the first time, is presented in the publication and will be exhibited at the State Gallery of Contemporary Art-SPEL between 20 September and 13 December 2024.
In her speech, the Speaker of the Parliament said that this year we are experiencing the most unbearable anniversary in the history of the Republic of Cyprus, as half a century of occupation is completed after the coup of 15 July and the Turkish invasion of 20 July 1974. This year's special condemnation of the coup and the Turkish invasion, he stressed, amounts to a powerful act of awakening our collective memory, but also a gesture of honour for all those who fell fighting in defence of the legitimacy and territorial integrity of our homeland. Demetriou noted that half a century does not mean that nothing changes, but that everything must change now. "The basis for a solution of a bizonal bicommunal federation based on the relevant UN resolutions is the constitutional framework to build a healthy common future for future generations of Cypriots." It is not easy, he said, because for fifty consecutive years we have been watching Turkey implementing a systematic policy of colonization and demographic alteration, because every day Ankara is creating new fait accompli, attempting to overturn the status quo in the enclosed area of Famagusta and the Dead Zone, while challenging the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in the EEZ. "The occupation leader's insistence on the two-state rhetoric is the culmination of Turkish intransigence, while the promotion of sovereign equality dynamites the resumption of meaningful negotiations," the Speaker stressed. She concluded by saying that although it is not easy to reach a viable and just solution to the Cyprus problem, it is not impossible, as the Republic of Cyprus has the UN Security Council resolutions and our presence in the EU as shields. We do not forget and we continue to fight, Demetriou stressed. For peace, reunification, one and indivisible homeland for us and our children, for all Cypriots. This is what we must deliver as a state and this is what we are fighting for, she concluded.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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