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- Ελληνικά
The history of Hellenism is interspersed with glorious moments of courage, self-sacrifice, militancy and patriotism. It is therefore with feelings of special joy and pride that I accepted the invitation to deliver today's speech in the context of the celebration of the two greatest anniversaries in the history of the nation. March 25, 1821 and April 1, 1955.
The Greek people spent 400 years of slavery, oppression and tyranny under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire. But despite the efforts of the Ottomans to bring the Greek soul to its knees, to humiliate human dignity and to annihilate the Greek nation and Orthodoxy, the flame and the desire for freedom and the throwing off of the Ottoman yoke remained unquenched "Until when, lads, shall we live in the streets, alone like lions, on our backs in the mountains? To dwell in caves, to see branches, to flee from the world, for the bitter slavery." wrote King Feraios in his Thurion.
The spiritual awakening, mainly through the action of the Society of Friends and the secret schools, contributed to the uprising of the nation.With the foundation of the Society of Friends in Odessa in 1814 by the inspired Greeks Athanasios Tsakalov, Nikolaos Skoufas and Emmanuel Xanthos, the first preparations for the great national uprising began. And the day that the enslaved Greeks were waiting for with unquenchable longing arrived. The Old Patron Germanos raised the banner of the Revolution at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Kalavryta and the fighters under the flickering candlelight swore "Freedom or Death". Without any substantial military training, the heroes of the revolution, Kolokotronis, Kanaris, Botsaris, Papaflessas, Androutsos, Karaiskakis, Bouboulina, Mado Mavrogenous wrote glorious pages in the history book by managing to defeat the Turkish armies. By creating a philhellenic current throughout Europe, they forced the Great Powers that initially opposed the revolution to support "a handful of madmen", as Theodoros Kolokotronis said, and with the naval battle of Navarino they defeated the Turkish-Egyptian fleet, marking the creation of the first Greek state. As the Old Man of Moria aptly states "[/I] God has signed the freedom of Greece and has not taken back his signature"
Cypriot Hellenism actively participated in the struggle of 1821 and thousands of Cypriot volunteers stood under the command of leading figures of 1821 fighting heroically defending the ideals of the nation. The hanging of Archbishop Kyprianos and other bishops on 9 July is the crowning achievement of the sacrifice of the Greeks of Cyprus on the altar of freedom. The poet Vassilis Michaelides vividly depicts the love for the homeland as well as the self-denial and heroism of the Cypriots: "" Romiosity is a race of the world, no one has been sent to destroy it, no one, because my God is sorry for it. Romosity will be lost when the world is gone!"
One hundred and thirty-four years after the Greek Revolution, Cypriot Hellenism, inspired by the epic of 1821, rises up to throw off the British yoke. Amutiful students, family men, women, children, elderly people sacrificed everything to "find the steps that lead to freedom" They are not deterred by torture, imprisonment, they are not tempted but thunder "t is not about the money of the struggle but about virtue". On April 1, 1955, the desire of Cypriot Hellenism for freedom erupted like a volcano and the armed struggle of EOKA began. United clergy and people try to shake off the foreign yoke. And history repeats itself! The weak David defeats Goliath!
Machairas, Dikomo, Achiron, the historic battles in the mountains of Pitsillia became worthy of the battles of Tripolitsa, Alamana, Gravia. The pantheon of the immortals accepts heroes like Afxentius, Matsis, Lenas, Draco, Mouskos, Pittas, Tsiartas, Papakyriakou who offered their lives for their homeland. Karolis, Demetriou, Zakos, Patatsos, Michael, Koutsoftas, Mavrommatis, Panagidis and the 17-year-old Evagoras Pallikaridis headed boldly to death with a smile on their lips and with unwavering faith in God, singing our National Anthem .
Greeks,
The liberation struggle of 55-59 did not lead to the longed-for union of the island with the motherland. However, the independence of Cyprus was achieved with the establishment of the independent state of the Republic of Cyprus and the end of British colonialism. Unfortunately, the freedom of our coveted homeland was very short lived as the tragic events of 74 brought the Turkish invasion with 37% of Cypriot territory illegally occupied by Turkish troops with thousands of refugees, missing and dead. However, the heavy legacy of our glorious past and history keeps unquenched the desire of all for a return to our ancestral homes and a just solution to the Cyprus problem based on the resolutions of the United Nations. Their sacred legacies should be preserved as the apple of our eye in order to pass them on to future generations. It is our duty to be committed to our history, to its glorious moments, to Greek education and to the moral principles and virtues we have inherited. Education and faith in God have kept the flame of the desire for freedom unquenched for centuries and have preserved our national identity in our small homeland.
Friends,
The absolute concern and priority of the government of Nikos Christodoulides is the reunification of our homeland.
We hope that the appointment of Ms. Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar, Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, will contribute to our efforts to break the Gordian knot. The initiatives, consultations and pressure and the recognition of the clear political will on our side have led to a new effort and stimulated international interest. The role of the European Union and the international community should also be more active in order to curb Turkish intransigence.
We therefore expect that the international community will actively support the just struggle of Cyprus to end the Turkish occupation and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from our island.
Our duty to our ancestors is to continue without distraction the efforts for the reunification of our country.
Our duty to our ancestors is to continue without distraction the efforts for the reunification of our country. The vindication of the sacrifice of thousands of our heroes will come only when all refugees return to their homes, when the bells in our occupied churches ring joyfully, when we can pray unhindered in our temples.
This is our promise. No matter how difficult the struggle, with determination and courage, we will continue to strive for the liberation and reunification of our Cyprus. To find a just solution that will ensure conditions of security for all citizens. It is the least we owe to our heroes who gave their lives for a free homeland.
On this occasion, we reverently bow our heads to all our fighters and heroes who gave their lives "for faith and country", we express our deep gratitude for their sacrifice and our deepest admiration for the fortitude and greatness of their souls.
On this occasion, we reverently bow our heads to all our fighters and heroes who gave their lives "for faith and country", we express our deepest gratitude for their sacrifice and our deepest admiration for the fortitude and greatness of their souls.
(DK)
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