First of all, I would like to congratulate you for the organization of this event and the preparation and screening of the film that we will watch next. Any event or project that contributes to keeping intact the memory of our occupied territories and the lands that are full of the sweat and blood of our ancestors, as well as those of our compatriots who defended with unparalleled courage and heroism the freedom of our homeland, writing their names in indelible letters on the Pantheon of our Immortals, is a service to our homeland and the struggle that we continue to wage with the primary goal of the survival of Hellenism in Cyprus.
History is not only a witness and judge of our actions and attitudes, but also our advisor on the course we must follow in order to vindicate those who sacrificed with a vision for a free homeland.
Undoubtedly, the title of the documentary "Prisoners of a Betrayal" with its shocking testimonies of the suffering experienced by the prisoners of war at the hands of Attila reminds us of the historical reality which we must not only never forget, but also draw lessons from it.
In their faces we honour all those young people of the time who responded with enthusiasm and love for their homeland to its call to defend its freedom and territorial integrity from the invasion of the barbarian Attila the Barbarian, we honour all our compatriots who were captured and suffered the horrors during their captivity, looking forward to the hour of their release; we honour, in general, the heroism and self-sacrifice shown by our young people, and even older people, during that bitter summer of the great ordeal for our homeland and our people.
Yes, Cyprus was betrayed in 1974 and since then we have been experiencing the tragic consequences of the betrayal which brought about the destruction by the Turkish Attila. What happened in 1974 was not a bolt from the blue, but the evolution of the conspiratorial plans that emerged during the colonial period, when Turkey was promoting the reconquest of the island by creating conditions of destabilisation and partition.
These, based on the plan of the Turkish constitutionalist and then adviser to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Nihat Erim, who was a member of Turkish delegations to talks on the Cyprus issue during the EOKA struggle, as well as the Turkish delegation to the Zurich negotiations which resulted in the well-known agreements.
It was on the basis of these plans that after independence the Turkadarsia manifested itself with the forced displacement of Turkish Cypriots and the organization of enclaves, while at the same time there was the merciless bombing of Tilliria by the Turkish Air Force in support of the bridgehead it created in the Kokkinin-Masoura enclave.
As a second act of conspiratorial planning against Cyprus, the junta's withdrawal of the Greek Division from Cyprus in December 1967. The Greek force, consisting of three infantry regiments, two cruiser squadrons and two tank companies, had been sent by the late George Papandreou in the autumn of 1964 as a measure of protection against Turkey's then declared intention to invade Cyprus.
With its withdrawal, and the commission of the treasonous coup seven years later, which disrupted Cyprus' defence capacity to an even greater extent, the Nihat Erim plan with the dividing line from Morphou to Famagusta was implemented on the ground.
If we consider that the thousands of our young people who stood up to Attila in 1974 in defence of the independence and territorial integrity of our homeland, largely knowing that they were participating in a betrayed struggle, nevertheless stood and resisted, fighting the Turkish hordes with heroism and self-sacrifice. This despite the fact that they were outnumbered and out-equipped. But they were fighting for their country, their families and their history. Their courageous attitude and their dedication to the defence of their homeland and freedom fills us with confidence in the philanthropy and bravery of the Cypriot people.
The last day on which the last prisoners were released by the Turks was the 28th of October. The next day, 29 October, was established in April 2010 as Missing Persons Day by a unanimous decision of the House of Representatives, on the recommendation of the Pancyprian Organization of Relatives of Captured and Missing Persons.
In the first period after the invasion, the relatives of the missing were desperately searching for evidence, such as personal testimonies, photographs or images from foreign agencies and TV channels, and were anxiously awaiting their return. A large number had been traced in these ways but their families were waiting for them in vain on buses carrying prisoners from prisons in the occupied territories and Turkey in September 1974. Very vivid are the images of the tragic figures of the relatives who carried during those days the photographs of their wives, children and fathers who gave no sign of life. They are images that will forever remain vividly etched in the memory of each of us.
We pay special tribute, reverently bowing our heads to their memory, to our heroic dead who defended the homeland by offering themselves on the altar of Cypriot freedom and writing their names in gold letters in the Pantheon of our Immortals.
Together we honour our missing who are the most tragic aspect of what our country experienced in 1974. 800 so many Greek Cypriots and Greeks are still missing. For 48 years now, Turkey has refused to cooperate in goodwill and sincerity to determine their fate, despite the decisions of international courts. The tragic nature of the problem of the missing persons is magnified, considering that one by one their relatives pass away without receiving answers to the agonizing questions about the fate of their loved ones, and without even being able to pay their last respects to them by embracing the coffin with their bones with their love. Undoubtedly, it is unacceptable that 48 years later we still have missing persons. Despite the difficulties and problems, however, we continue and will continue our efforts to clarify the last case of our missing person.
All the hell of war was experienced by those of our compatriots who were captured on the battlefields and subsequently experienced all the brutality and savagery of Attila.
They were confronted with death. They experienced torture, hardship, and the murder of their fellow soldiers. Many of them fought the enemy without orders or help from anywhere and ended up without hope in the hands of Attila. Their liberation, with what they experienced, was literally a return to life.
From November 1974 onwards, liberations were few and far between and were achieved only thanks to fortunate circumstances and with the help of the International Red Cross and the UN, while since then there has been silence on the part of Turkey and delaying tactics in the establishment and operation of the Committee of Inquiry on Missing Persons, which was decided by the UN General Assembly in 1981.
The documentary with their testimonies is a historical document, an important weapon of memory which we must preserve in order not to forget and set an example. Particularly as Turkish plans with Ankara's revisionist and neo-Ottoman approach and tactics continue to be underway not only with regard to Cyprus, but also the wider region.
I warmly congratulate the initiators and initiators of the documentary, Michalis Georgiades and Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, the Pancyprian War Prisoners Association 1974 and Michaelangelo Cinematographic Services Ltd for the production of the film and all others who contributed to it, the Press and Information Office and the RIK Archive.
Their work is an invaluable contribution that we embrace with love and respect. To the families of all of them we express our deep appreciation and deep gratitude for all that their loved ones have offered. Let us hope that their sacrifice will soon be vindicated.
Note: The speech was read by Mr. Ioannis Adamou, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens.
(PM/IK)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
Source
