-
.
- Ελληνικά
It is with feelings of deep emotion that we remember and honour today the two heroes of Alona, Panagiotis Panagiotou and Georgios (Kokos) Kyriakou, who died fighting during the invasion of 1974.
The struggle and sacrifice of the heroic children of Alona and all our heroes are outstanding examples of bravery and self-denial and a beacon of selfless service to the homeland for present and future generations.
We honour and commemorate today the hero Panagiotis Panagiotou, of Andreas and Stavrou, who was born in Alona in 1952. He attended Alona Elementary School and then went to Agros High School. After graduating from high school, he went to Nicosia to become a car mechanic.
At the age of 18, he joined the army and served in the 23rd EMA in Kokkinotrimithia.
At the age of 18, he joined the army and served in the 23rd EMA in Kokkinotrimithia. When he was discharged from the army he worked briefly as a mechanic and then was employed at the Poulia and Koniaris Press Agency as a newspaper distributor. He worked hard, doing difficult routes.
When the Turkish invasion took place, he was only 22 years old. He was one of the first to respond immediately to the call to enlist in the National Guard. So, on 20 July 1974, Panagiotis joined the Kokkinotrimithia camp. From there they were transferred to the area of Trachona to fight. From the testimonies of his comrades-in-arms we were informed that, on 23 July and while there was a ceasefire, Turkish soldiers and paratroopers attacked the outposts of our militiamen in the area.
Based on the testimonies of his comrades-in-arms, on 23 July 1974 the Turks attacked the outposts of our soldiers and suffered heavy casualties, including a high-ranking officer. The Turks arrested and captured Panagiotis' comrades-in-arms and with the threat of executing the prisoners they attempted to break the resistance of Panagiotis' group and its surrender. In the face of the Turks' threats and in an attempt to save his comrades-in-arms, Panagiotis came out of the outpost to surrender. The Turks threw a grenade towards him which did not explode. He immediately returned to his position.
Then, under the weight of intense threats to his comrades, he surrendered to the Turks along with other comrades-in-arms. The Turks captured some and shot others in cold blood. Panagiotis was among them. His remains were found in a mass grave in 2016. The hero's funeral was held on 11 December 2017 in his hometown.
The hero George (Kokos) Kyriakou of Andreas was born in Alona in 1954, from a poor rural family, who like all the families of the village struggled with the "mother" land to make a living and feed the family.
He spent his early school years at Alona Primary School and subsequently attended the then private Frederick School. In the fourth year of high school he entered the apprenticeship system at the Technical School of Nicosia, learning the art of plumbing.
After finishing the Technical School of Nicosia, in the summer of 1972 he joined the National Guard at the recruit training centre in "Karaolos" of Famagusta district and continued his military service as a Corporal at 286 M.A few days before the traitorous coup, Kokos was in our village on leave. I was acting as an assistant in the plumbing work he had undertaken. I remember that we installed the water supply from Fotistra to the house of Andreas Michaelides and then repaired some pipe that was leaking water near Sophia's café where we sat down for some rest. It was the last time I saw him alive because he was called urgently to return to his unit.
Shortly before the events of '74, Kokos expressed to his cousin his concern about what was to come and whether he would be able to return to the village
On Saturday 20 July 1974, at the start of the invasion, his battalion was ordered in the early hours of the morning to advance towards Kyrenia. While he, along with other soldiers, was in a tank convoy and advancing towards Kyrenia to confront the barbarian raider, near the village of Kontenos, they were attacked by Turkish planes.
Kokos, along with Athos Skoutella, upon disembarking from the BTR, noticed a short distance away an anti-aircraft gun, mounted on a tripod, which appeared to be ready for use. Duty, bravery, loyalty to their country, led them to seek every means to strike the barbaric invader, so they attempted to put the anti-aircraft into operation. Unfortunately they did not succeed due to an engagement. Wasting no time, Kokos sought to strike the enemy in another way and used his personal weapon, an obsolete automatic Sten, suitable only for clearing populated areas. He then tried to cover himself and his friend and fellow soldier Athos from aircraft fire. In that fracas, the two friends were hit by a Turkish plane. When the planes left the spot Athos looked for his friend. He had a very serious wound in his leg. Athos, as he told us and told us again, looked for his friend and saw him dead next to him, hit in the arm and head.
The next day, Sunday 21 July 1974, Commander Kontenou and his compatriots took care of him and he was buried with other comrades-in-arms in an open crater created by a powerful Turkish Air Force bomb blast.
No one knows what we went through in our house from the day Kokos was reported missing because we shared the same house and the same dreams, planning for our future and our studies in Nicosia. Dreams that were shattered on July 20, 1974. We had a hard time waiting for a testimony, a news, a good news for our man. His father passed away in unbearable pain before learning of his child's sacrifice.
Unfortunately, Kokos was reported missing until 26 June 2000 when his family was informed by the Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs that he had been killed according to compelling testimonies given by surviving soldiers who saw him dead.
The remains of the hero and his other comrades-in-arms were found towards the end of 2013 in a makeshift mass grave at the site where they were reportedly buried.
In April 2016, the hero's family was invited to the anthropological laboratory for an update and handover of his remains. I will not hide from you that it was one of the most difficult moments in my life.
After a thorough briefing we received from the team of the anthropological laboratory located at Nicosia Airport, we were confronted with the story of the hero. Entering the place where the hero was, we saw our man, assembled remains on a table, with a lit candle along with some of his personal belongings.
The burial of the hero took place in his hometown on June 5, 2016.
The children of Alona: Kokos, Panagiotis and Andreas Artemiou.
The children of Alona: Kokos, Panagiotis and Andreas Artemiou.
The children of Polystypus: Andreas Argyrou, who was married with three children, Panagiotis Pavlou, who was married with four children, the missing conscript Loizos Socrates Joachim, the missing conscript Renos Christoforou Hadjiloizou and Odysseus Spetsiotis, the hero of Platanistasa who was married with two children.
The children of Pitsilia, our children did everything they could to stop Attila's advance, they dared and took on the enemy in a fight that was betrayed from the beginning.
The children of Pitsilia did not faint in the face of the imminent danger and stood up with virtue and courage against the Turkish invader, Attila, sacrificing their lives for the freedom of their homeland.
The heroes of Alona and Pitsilia remained faithful to the eternal values of their country and nation with which they were nurtured, remained true to duty and fought bravely for what they believed in, with the few means at their disposal.
We admire their sacrifice, honour their heroism and are exemplified by their actions.
We admire their sacrifice, honour their heroism and are exemplified by their actions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Before the sacrifice of our heroes who sacrificed themselves defending our homeland, we pay the highest tribute and at the same time reflect on our own responsibility towards our history.
It is imperative to put an end to the absurdity that sustains and perpetuates the presence of occupying troops, the violation of human rights and basic freedoms and the ongoing colonization of our homeland.
We have an obligation to all those who have sacrificed for the justice and freedom of our homeland to join in the common effort, with vision, determination, but also with wisdom, in order to remove the current deadlocks.
We cannot and must not ignore the fact that Turkey continues to violate United Nations Resolutions, Security Council Resolutions and European Union Conclusions condemning the military invasion and prolonged occupation of our country's territories.
We also cannot ignore the defiant and intransigent attitude of Ankara regarding the unacceptable proposal for a "two independent states solution", which is not and will not be an option on our part for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Despite all Turkey's provocative claims, the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Christodoulides, with a strong will, is making continuous efforts to achieve enhanced involvement of the European Union in the process of dialogue for the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
As the Republic of Cyprus, we seek a just, viable and workable solution.
As the Republic of Cyprus, we seek a just, viable and functional solution. A solution that will liberate our country and allow our people, after 49 years of continuous efforts and through historic compromises, to live together in security and prosperity in a free and reunited homeland.
This is our unpaid debt and our debt to our heroes.
May the memory of our heroic dead be eternal.
(BG)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
