It is with pain that we attend the funeral of the remains of another hero of our compatriot, the reserve soldier of the 306 Battalion Infantry Nicholas Nikolaos Nikolaos of Chrysanthos and Mυροfora who fell fighting defending the freedom and territorial integrity of our homeland.
Nicholas chose the path of duty and national dignity. He responded without a second thought to the call of his country to defend its right and did not flinch for a moment in the face of death.
With his remains before us, we reverently close our eyes to his sacrifice and express our deep gratitude for his tremendous contribution.
I thank the family for the honor of being here with them today. It is a great honor to speak for a hero.
Literally like a nightmare, the suffering of the tragedy of Cyprus, the betrayal of the coup, the invasion, the occupation, the drama of the missing, parade before us when we say goodbye and honour our heroes.
But however much our pain, however much our anguish, we must look back to those sad events that marked our course through time and draw the right lessons. We should reflect and set an example. Because, apart from paying tribute and gratitude to the martyr-heroes of our people, we draw lessons from their accent and renew our faith in the continuation and glorification of a struggle that has not yet been vindicated.
Nicholas Nikolaou was born here in Psimolofos on 26 March 1947 to parents Chrysanthos and Myrofora. He was active and loved by his fellow villagers and with his good character as a beacon, he secured a position at the Nicosia Post Office. His father passed away before the Turkish invasion while his mother passed away on September 12, 2003, carrying on her shoulders the full weight of their loss, along with the pain and anguish that marks every mother of a missing person for life. In the calvary that kept climbing she was supported by her three daughters, Evangelia, Stella and Eleni, while another tragic aspect of the family that cannot be overlooked is the loss eight years ago of Nicolas' only child, named after his grandfather, Chrysanthos. When the Turkish invasion broke out, Nicholas was living with his wife Irene and their child, who was only two years old at the time, in Agios Dometios. On the morning of 20 July 1974, Nicholas enlisted as a reservist in the 306 Infantry Battalion, whose headquarters were located in Neo Horio Kythrea.
With the completion of the enlistment of the reservists on the same day, all the men of the battalion, reservists and conscripts, were transferred to the area of Agios Georgios Kyrenia - Glykiotissa, to reinforce the National Guard forces there.
This, in an intense war scene where, under the cover mainly of their air force, Attila's troops were constantly reinforcing their presence with tanks and other heavy equipment, as well as with new army units.
Having achieved their initial objective of landing, shortly before noon on 22 July the Turkish forces attacked with ferocity the National Guard positions in the area of Glykiotissa - Agios Georgios, where the 306 Infantry Battalion was also defending. Turkish warships were also firing at the National Guard positions
Fierce but uneven fighting ensued and before the National Guard men were in danger of being trapped, they were instructed to disengage towards the area of Kyrenia - Pella Pais.
The National Guard men moved in groups, either by marching across Agios Georgios towards Kyrenia, or outside Agios Georgios, approaching the Turkish Cypriot village of Templos, where it eventually became apparent that there were Turkish ambushes in the area just outside the village.
The militiamen fought through an inferno of fire with unparalleled vigour and bravery and by the method of covering each other a number of them using adjacent ravines managed to get away from the ambushes and reach Kyrenia and then Pella-Pais, where they regrouped, while the rest fell heroically fighting in the exchange of fire. Their names are inscribed in indelible letters in the Pantheon of the Immortals of Cypriot Freedom.
His few remains were found in the area of the Turkish Cypriot village of Temblos, where it was discovered that he fell in heroic combat as part of the exhumation and identification of remains programme of the Cyprus Missing Persons' Committee under the auspices of the United Nations.
Greeks, Greeks,
Many relatives of our missing persons are still going through the great drama of the disappearance of their loved ones. It is our duty to succeed in solving the last case of our missing person. Turkey's responsibility for this is immense and it should finally comply with the decisions of the European Court of Justice and other organizations in order to fully resolve this humanitarian problem. Nor can the same tactics continue on the part of the occupying power, a tactic of attempting to incapacitate it, which clashes with every concept of law and morality and cannot be tolerated by anyone.
In a very difficult period for our national issue, which is characterized by the rise of intolerance on the Turkish side and its aggression, our occupied territories, our ecclesiastical and cultural heritage, the graves of our ancestors, our dead and missing persons, cry out within us the great need for the rallying and unity of all in the struggle for the liberation of our land, for the reunification of our homeland, for the end of the occupation and for the safeguarding of the rights and basic freedoms of each and every one of us.
In a totally unacceptable and provocative manner, the Turkish side is making the acceptance of a solution of two separate states a precondition for the resumption of talks, while at the same time it is committing new acts on the ground, especially in the Famagusta region, in violation of United Nations resolutions and resolutions.
We call on the entire international community to demand that Turkey respect international law and abandon its provocative rhetoric and revisionist attitude.
Only in this way will the conditions be created for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem which also does justice to those who gave their lives for the freedom of our homeland.
Greeks, Greeks,
Today here in Psimolofou we are writing the epilogue of the tragic story of another worthy child of our Motherland.
The parents of Nicolas, Chrysanthos and Myrifora, as well as his son Chrysanthos, who passed away, would feel proud of their heroic son today.
Dear sisters of our hero, Evangelia and Helen,
Dear and respected relatives,
Words can give, only for a short time, balm to your painful soul. Behind today's ceremony, they project years of untold pain and suffering, years that have passed with many questions and great regret.
Cyprus bows before you. And for you it prays for God's consolation and for your man, your hero, the peace of his soul. Today you should feel proud of the unfailing heroism and the greatness of your dear brother's soul as we all feel.
Today we bid farewell to Nikola Nikolaos and we gratefully honor his memory. Nicolas fell in the line of duty and to him and all his fellow warriors, as well as to all those who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Cyprus, we owe much to him. We owe our existence as the Republic of Cyprus as well as our dignity as free people.
Eternal be the memory and glory of the Reserve Soldier of the 306 Infantry Battalion Nicolas Nikolaos of Chrysanthos and Mυροfora.
Eternal and Honored.
(PM/IK)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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