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- Ελληνικά
The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Christodoulides attended today the memorial service for those who died during the coup, which was held at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Nicosia.
In his statements to journalists after the memorial service and the laying of wreaths at the graves of those who died during the coup, the President of the Republic said: "We are here to honour all those who fought to defend what is most important to us, which is the Republic of Cyprus."
We are here to condemn in the strongest possible terms the treasonous coup. There are no excuses. At the same time it is important to get the messages: All of us who are involved in the public debate in our country, at least at this time, should be particularly careful so that with full respect for different opinions, different approaches, we do not unwittingly, I want to believe, create any conditions at a time when we all know that polarization, toxicity, the questioning of everything is what prevails. So, we who are involved in the public debate have a responsibility more so to ensure that there are never again those kinds of conditions."
Asked if there was a government wreath "on the other graves," the President said: "Look, I am not here to pardon anybody. Absolutely no one. At the same time, 50 years later, as the first President of the Republic of Cyprus born at that time, I want to be absolutely honest. Of course there are responsibilities and, I repeat, I am not here to absolve anyone.
But at the same time, I have to be honest and bold towards the Cypriot people. I come from the young generation of the country, the new generation, meaning that I was born during that difficult period. I have no party identity. So, I can speak more openly and more boldly.
And I want to tell you something today because we have to look ahead in this country. In the context of the olive branch, let me remind you, as Archbishop Makarios very rightly suggested, the real perpetrators of the coup, the collaborators of the Junta in Cyprus have not been punished and we all believe that by this behavior we are punishing the real perpetrators. We all know who the real perpetrators were. The olive branch was used to protect them. And the ordinary people, these children, who I am not excusing, there is no excuse, I tell you again, not to hear anything, but I believe that I have a responsibility as President of the Republic, as someone who comes from the 1974 generation, as someone who has no party identity, to be honest, to be bold and not to hide behind words.
If we really want these days to teach us a lesson, we must look the Cypriot people in the eye and not hide behind repeated slogans, because they are slogans. So, if we want to move forward we have to be honest as well."
(PM/PC/GC)
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