The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Giannis Amanatidis and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Vasileios Tellidis attended the official takeover ceremony of the relics of Greek soldiers in Cyprus who were on board the NORATLAS of the Hellenic Air Force, which was held in Nicosia.

The Minister of National Defence, stated the following in his speech:

“Allow me to address firstly the families and relatives of the fallen. As representative of the Greek state, please accept my condolences for the death of these young Greek people, for the sacrifice of your people for our homeland and nation.

Please, accept also our expression of awe, respect and pride for the Greeks who gave the last drop of their blood and their last breath for only one ideal, the Greek nation.

Accept also my apologies for what had not been done until today.

For the government, for the Ministry of National Defence and for me personally, the acknowledgement of the struggles of those who gave the battle and fell, as well as of those who survived and remain forgotten until now under the responsibility of us all, is a priority.

Your children, your brothers proved that Cyprus is not far from us.

42 years ago, at the night of July 21 to 22, the 1st Parachutists Squadron received the order to support the unequal combat that the Greek forces gave in Cyprus.

The legendary commandos got on board with enthusiasm, with a spirit of self-sacrifice, solidarity and bravery, according to testimonies, in order to demonstrate that freedom is not a stable condition and a permanently ensured good, but it requires virtue and courage.

At 01:52, when the first transportation aircraft “NIKI 2” was landed, the tragedy of the mission begins and the brave men of the 1st Squadron passed to the pantheon of heroes.

Many children from Greece are buried in the holy land of Cyprus. They were loyal to our homeland’s call and fell heroically at the combats of Greek Cypriots. They fell and each of them undertook the burden of history.

They did not fear death, honouring their ancestors.

Their sacrifice on the altar of the freedom and independence of Cypriot people underlines the common course of Greek people, is an example of unity and cooperation and stresses the importance of our common effort once more.

Greek women and men,

Our geography and history have placed Greece and Cyprus at an important geopolitical location, among Europe, Asia and Africa; at the crossroad of East and West, North and South and on a sea area with huge geopolitical and geostrategic significance.

Our countries are in the core of the developments.

In this sense and given the continuous unrest and instability in the wider area of the Middle East it is necessary to maintain all the power factors of our countries at a high level.

We ought to readapt our common strategy and policies for our security as well as for promoting our national issues.

Greece and Cyprus have been facing and will be facing security and defence issues in a single manner.

Greece will remain always at the side of Cyprus as a constant supporter. Cyprus’ security is also our security.

Our common goal is the Turkish occupation to end and the island to be reunited in the framework of a mutually accepted, fair, complete and permanent solution of the Cyprus’ issue.

It is a solution for which the President of the Republic, the Cypriot government and Greek Cypriots are struggling.

This solution must conform to the decisions of the Security Council of the United Nations and to the property of Cyprus as full membership and equal member-state of the European Union. This Europe cannot tolerate the presence of an occupation army in one of its member-states.

The Greek people owe a lot to those whom we honour today. It is from them that we must learn that international interests and geopolitical correlations cannot prevail over international legitimacy.

We must learn that we do not bow to the law of power, yet to the power of law. For us, sacred values do exist, history exists, symbolisms and common sacrifices exist too. There are living and immortal values.

Finally, I would like to thank HE the President of the Republic of Cyprus, my personal friend and Defence Minister of Cyprus Christoforos Phokaides and everybody who worked for the return of our heroes to their families and to their homeland, expressing also my deep appreciation for their work and the preservation of our nation’s historic memories.

Captain Ilias Anthimos,

Warrant Officer Evangelos Tsakonas,

Warrant Officer Athanasios Christopoulos,

Warrant Officer Stefanos Giannakos,

Warrant Officer Ilias Dalamagkas,

Warrant Officer Kosmas Gianakakis,

Warrant Officer Andreas Anastasopoulos,

Warrant Officer Antonios Zisimopoulos,

Warrant Officer Christos Ligdis,

Warrant Officer Aimilios Monias,

Warrant Officer Georgios Nakos,

Warrant Officer Stylianos Prinianakis,

Warrant Officer Nikolaos Skiadaresis,

Warrant Officer Sotirios Tzouras,

Warrant Officer Christos Chatzopoulos,

Warrant Officer Vasileios Maniatis,

Words are too poor to describe your offer to all of us.

You principle was to not spare your lives.

At this point I would like us all to honour your fellow combatant, the only survivor of “NIKI 4” who “left” some months ago, Raider Athanasios Zafeiriou, as well as the Commander of the heroic 31st Raiders’ Squadron.

Let them never be forgotten!”