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We are gathered tonight to honour two brilliant children of the EOKA 1955-'59 generation, the heroes brothers Andreas Karyos and George Karyos. Paying tribute to those who fought and gave their lives for freedom, sacrificing their own lives, is a tradition for Hellenism. Above all, however, especially at the present juncture, it is a historical duty and proof of respect and gratitude. And before anything else, I would like to congratulate the Teachers' Movement "Change" for the initiative of organizing tonight's event. No matter how many presentations by state officials can not repay the sacrifice of all these brave men and women who, thanks to their struggles, the Republic of Cyprus exists today.
Andreas and George were the sons of a large family which, despite the difficulties of daily agricultural life, managed to pass on to their children the values and ideals of Freedom and Philopatry and Greece.
Andreas and George were the children of a large family which, despite the difficulties of daily farming, managed to pass on to their children the values and ideals of Freedom and Philopatry and Greece. And it is no coincidence that the family became a breeding ground for fighters, and has the sad privilege that two of its children, our heroes honoured today, died fighting on the field of honour during the most glorious struggle of Cypriot Hellenism, the struggle of EOKA. Another child of the family, their brother, Nikiforos Karyos, also lost his life during the Turkish invasion in 1974, defending the homeland from the ranks of the 361 Infantry Battalion.
Andreas Karyos was born in 1926. From a young child he stood out for his philanthropy and erudition, and was admired by his contemporaries, but also by later historians and researchers, as an ideologist, visionary, profound, intellectually very gifted. His brother, Antonis Karyos, bears witness: "He left no book for book, literary, historical, religious. He studied mathematics and later accounting. He was proficient in English, keeping a diary in English. At the same time he was learning French'. He had such breadth and depth of education that made him a great conversationalist with people even with university degrees. His excellent knowledge of the Greek language enabled him to speak and write fluently. He was theologically trained, so that the Homeric battles he fought, while still fourteen years old, with members of the religious sects of his time are deeply engraved in the minds of his contemporaries. The diploma he obtained was the result of his long and untiring efforts.
He was a restless nature, energetic, always in the midst of developments. He developed a rich trade union, social and cultural activity. He was a pioneer in the establishment of the Pancyprian PEK and contributed dynamically to the establishment of the branch of the rural organisation in Avgorou.
He emerged as a leading figure of the PEK in Kokkinochoria. and also contributed to the establishment of the Pancyprian PEON. With his brother George Karios he founded, in 1952, the association THOI Avgorou. The central theme of the national and religious events of THOI during the colonial period was the national yearning of the Cypriot Hellenism for union with the motherland. Regarding the national question of Cyprus, he was one of the "initiates" of his time: an associate of the National Archbishop Makarios III, a fellow traveller and competitor of the leaders of the PEK, the SEK, the OCHEN and the PEON, he knew long before 1955 about the impending uprising. The period 1950-1955 was one in which the ardent patriot devoted himself to the cause of the Union. At the same time, these were the years when he showed his leadership skills by developing a multi-level activity: dense correspondence on many issues, petitions to the authorities and the Greek Consulate, speeches, lectures, organization of national holidays, addresses at conferences, letters to newspapers, tours throughout Famagusta province for enlightenment and participation in conferences. The irrefutable evidence, among others, is his signature on the Unitarian Referendum of 1950.
The beginning of the struggle found Andreas Karios all ready. He was one of the nuclei of EOKA in the Famagusta region and the first person in charge of the organization in Avgorou. On 1 April 1955 he participated with Modesto Pantelis in an expedition, during which the first martyr of EOKA died of electrocution. He was soon arrested, together with his brother George, by the colonial authorities. They were interrogated for 15 days at the Famagusta police station.
After his dismissal he came back with a vengeance, recruiting more members into the ranks of the organisation. More importantly, he led the armed action of the EOKA Avgoros echelon against British military targets. In 1956, in the midst of the struggle, he married Despina Gialouri.
In 1956, in the midst of the struggle, he married Despina Gialouri. However, the militant's married life was not to be a prosperous one: in the autumn of 1956 he was arrested again by the British. He suffered horrific torture during interrogations. Unable to extract any information about EOKA, its actions and plans, the colonial authorities decided to incarcerate him in Pyla prison. During the same period, in 1957, while he was still incarcerated, his son Panagiotis Karyos was born.
In March 1958, Andreas Karyos came full circle in prison. The organization's leadership approved his request for escape: the EOKA needed his skills in the Kokkinochoria area, where he would now take over the position of deputy chief. Together with other fellow fighters, they planned and executed an escape plan in almost fictional conditions, drawing inspiration from the story of the Trojan Horse.
From his new position as sub-sectoral chief of Kokkinochoria, he worked hard to revive the revolutionary action of the EOKA echelons in the communities of Avgoros, Liopetri, Xylofagou, Ormideia, Xylotympou, Achna, Makrasika, Kalopsida and Acheritou.
On September 2, 1958, the decision to end the hero's life was taken. After a betrayal, Andreas Karios and his allies Fotis Pittas, Christos Samaras and Elias Papakyriakou were surrounded by the British. To the colonialists' calls to surrender, the fighters countered with their own "Molon Lave". A fierce battle ensued, lasting more than four hours. The British, unable to break the resistance of the four Greek braves by conventional means, resorted to the use of fire. However, the EOKA fighters persisted in their decision not to surrender.
The tragic figure in the drama of the hero's sacrifice was his pregnant wife Despina, who a few months later would give birth to their second child, Androulla. Equally tragic was the case of the old woman Vlurezous, the hero's mother, who, upon hearing the shots of the battle, as many testified, cried out "Courage my son, may you die a hero."
According to the newspapers "Eleftheria" and "Ethnos", on Wednesday, September 3, 1958, house arrest was imposed on Avgorou. A crowd of people from the surrounding villages were blocked outside the village, without being allowed to pay their last respects to the heroic dead. When the British lifted the restrictions, thousands of people rushed to the burial site and paid tribute to the hero, expressing their love and gratitude. He was born in Avgoros in 1929, three years after Andrew's birth. The trials of Cyprus, due to British colonialism, did not leave him unmoved. From an early age he dedicated himself to the idea of Freedom and Union with Greece, developing national action. That is why he is rightly classified among the pioneering figures of the epoch of the Cypriot Struggle. He was a tireless supporter of the initiatives undertaken by his brother Andreas Karyos in the cultural, national and political affairs of their community. George Karyos was particularly beloved by the youth. He quickly emerged as its natural leader. He had the ability to impart an extreme idealism, which captivated the young fellows of Avgoros. In this way, when the National Liberation Struggle later began, EOKA was able to integrate into its ranks the already prepared young ferelpies.
The beginning of the struggle on 1 April 1955 found George Karyos ready to contribute to the national uprising. To this end, he took the sacred oath of EOKA together with his younger brother, Orthodox Karyos. Their inspiration was their brother Andreas. Very soon, George was called upon to complete his first mission: he undertook to deliver the bitter news to the family of the EOKA's first martyr Modestos Pantelis. For this action he was arrested together with his brother Andreas by the colonial authorities and as I mentioned earlier, they were detained and interrogated for two weeks at the Famagusta police station.
After his dismissal he dedicated himself body and soul to the EOKA struggle. He was the executor of the Organization's orders concerning the escort of wanted fighters, the transport of revolutionary proclamations, the concealment of arms and much more. Despite his disability, he persistently requested and even participated in ambushes against military targets. After Andreas' arrest in November 1956, he intensified his revolutionary activity even more.
In 1957 he was arrested with his brother Orthodoxos and other EOKA fighters, again for treason, and taken to the dungeons of Famagusta. The torture they suffered was terrible, but, like their brother Andreas, George and Orthodox remained unbowed to the end.
Subsequently, the two brothers were transferred to the Kokkinotrimithia detention centre and later, at their request, to the Pyla detention centre where their brother Andreas was imprisoned. According to the testimony of a living colleague, the idea to escape by truck, in a special crypt, Andreas Karios, Fotis Pittas, Frixos Dimitriadis and Christakis Tryfonidis, belonged to George Karios: "Something like the Trojan Horse" George would persistently say to his brother Andreas.
After the great revolt of the prisoners and the burning of the slums in the Pyla Detention Centre, George and Orthodoxos Karyou were again transferred to the Kokkinotrimithias Detention Centre. There, George anxiously watched the progress of his wanted brother Andreas Karyou, who had escaped in March 1958.
Upon hearing of the sacrifice of the four heroes of Ahtironas on 2 September 1958, he sought ways to escape, even without the approval of the EOKA. The construction of drainage works in and around the detention camp finally provided him with this opportunity. After the section chief of the area investigated the identity of the stranger who claimed to be the brother of the hero of Haystack, Andreas Kariou, he joined the armed groups of the area. He was hosted in various communities and hideouts, took part in ambushes, but asked to be transferred to his home areas, Kokkinochoria.
Betrayal left his wish unfulfilled. On 19 October 1958, British troops placed Astromeritis under house arrest. Surrounded, the section leader and three fighters sought a way of escape. George Karyos stated unequivocally that he did not intend to be taken alive. True to his ideas, as well as to the orders of the EOKA leadership that "fighters do not surrender, but are sacrificed", he faced the British soldiers with his pistol. Badly wounded, he was taken by the British to the Pentagia Hospital and after a few days to the Nicosia Hospital.
On the day of the anniversary of 28 October 1958, he calmly surrendered his spirit to the Lord. He ascended to the heavenly dome to meet his loved ones, especially his much-loved brother Andrew.
At Avgorou, his mother was called to share in the death of another of her children. As attested in the press of the time, in front of her dead son's grave, next to Andrew's grave, she gave her fate like a Spartan mother.
April 1, 1955 stands out as the most beautiful and brightest page in the history of Cypriot Hellenism. The inactive soul did not recognize the English conquerors, it remained free. In the History of Hellenism there are always milestones that like beacons illuminate and guide us. The struggle of EOKA 1955-59 remains the most brilliant milestone in the history of Cypriot Hellenism for shaking off the colonial yoke and gaining its freedom.
Hellenism held on and survived through the centuries, based on the love for its homeland, language and roots. That is why we have a duty to honour and remember the periods that marked our course indelibly and to prove it daily in practice through our behaviour and mentality, which as a society should characterise us to ensure our collective survival.
We therefore have an obligation and a duty to tell our children and the new generation about EOKA, about the struggles and sacrifices of all those who gave their lives for a better Cyprus, for the Republic of Cyprus that we have today.
We therefore have an obligation and a duty to tell our children and the new generation about EOKA, about the struggles and sacrifices of all those who gave their lives for a better Cyprus, for the Republic of Cyprus that we have today. Because it is precisely virtue and courage that requires deep knowledge. And knowledge first and foremost of yourself, that is, of your real history. This in no way works negatively towards the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, since the viability of a possible solution passes to a large extent through the respect of one's historical identity and certainly not through self-abolition.
We also have a moral obligation and duty to support and maintain our spiritual faith and endurance. This debt is not only a remembrance, but a documentation of the importance of the Struggle itself and its justification. The heroes, martyrs and fighters of EOKA, who took on the Colonialists, call to us and show us the heavy historical legacies we carry. With unity and unanimity, therefore, let us stand upright and unbowed until the blessed hour of the liberation of our enslaved lands.
We fight for the liberation and reunification of our homeland and the reconciliation of its people. We seek, through the undertaking of specific initiatives, the resumption of talks for real peace and security on the basis of the agreed framework, international and European law, so that all the people can enjoy the benefits of a harmonious and prosperous coexistence and cooperation.
In the spirit of 1955-'59, we mentally live the greatness of our epic Struggle. We do not forget and do not submit. We must remain dignified towards the sacrifices of our heroes, towards ourselves, towards our history and our future. The only right we have is to continue the struggle until the final vindication, liberation and reunification of our land.
PM/EP/SX
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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