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- Ελληνικά
Today we honour a hero of the resistance, a child of Kallepeia, Andreas Michaelides, who at the age of 28 gave his life defending democracy and the then President Archbishop Makarios, against those who tried to overthrow the legitimate state by carrying out the traitorous coup d'état in black July 1974.
The resistance activity of Andreas Michaelides began in 1971. He was constantly receiving death threats, which is why he often moved with his family, who lived in constant terror of losing him. He was injured on the grounds of the Police Headquarters on the morning of 15 July 1974. He fought bravely with death for 22 days, until he finally breathed his last in the corridors of the Nicosia General Hospital, where, although wounded, he was held under inhuman conditions of detention.
Andreas Michaelides was born in Kallepiaia on 17 August 1946. He was a member of a large family of eleven children. In 1968 he married Anastasia Avgusti with whom he had two children, Effie and Stelios. Since 1966 he had been employed as a special police officer and served as a guard at the Moni Power Station. In 1973 he was seconded to the Reserve Corps, defending President Makarios. He died with the rank of constable. He was wounded at the Police Headquarters during the coup on 15 July 1974 and died on 6 August in hospital.
Andreas Michaelides participated in the last month before the coup in investigations and operations conducted by the Police in Famagusta and Larnaca. On the day of the coup, he went to Nicosia with a colleague to transport a prisoner to the Central Prison.
They stopped to refuel at the Police Headquarters, where they were attacked by the coup plotters. Andreas was injured and taken to Nicosia General Hospital. On 20 July, with the Turkish invasion, his wife Anastasia Michaelidou went to the hospital as a blood donor in order to meet her husband. The meeting took place at gunpoint.
Michaelides was lying on the floor of a corridor and, as he informed his wife, was operated on, but without X-rays and the necessary care.
On 25 July Andreas Michaelides was discharged from the hospital and appeared to have escaped danger. However, after two more surgeries had to be performed, he did not survive and passed away.
Andreas resisted, fought and fell, remaining loyal to duty to the end.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The traitorous coup of 1974 left Cyprus at the mercy of the conquering ambitions of Turkey, which invaded on July 20 and since then has occupied 37 percent of our country's territory. Scattering death and refugees and consolidating, 49 years later, the occupation, with the usurpation of our territories and properties and war crimes such as ethnic cleansing and colonization.
Almost half a century later, the Turkish side remains as defiant, talking about two states and sovereign equality, positions that will not be accepted from our side.
The Greek Cypriot side and President Christodoulides remain committed to a solution within the framework of the UN resolutions and with provisions guaranteeing the European acquis, human rights and the withdrawal of occupying troops. At the same time, a necessary condition for the solution is the abolition of guarantees and ensuring the normal functioning of the state so that the solution is viable.
49 years later, the Cypriot people continue to experience the consequences of the double crime committed against them by the coup and the invasion. The sacrifices of our heroes, such as that of Andreas Michaelides who fell for the ideal of democracy, have not yet been vindicated. We have a responsibility not to forget these sacrifices but also to learn the necessary lessons. The actions of the coup plotters in Cyprus and the Junta in Greece that led to the destruction of Cyprus are an example to be avoided. Only in this way will the struggles and sacrifices of Andreas Michaelides and the other heroes of both the resistance against the coup and the heroes of the Turkish invasion be vindicated.
Thank you very much.
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