Please allow me to overstep the etiquette.

Filippos Iliakis, brother of the Captain and Hero Konstantinos Iliakis, the Greeks have come here to do more than honour your brother.

Your reverence,

Mister Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament,

Mister President of the political party “Anexartiti Hellenes” (Independent Greeks),

Delegates of the Parliament and the local Administration,

Chief of the Hellenic Air Force,

Dear fellow Officers,

It is with great emotion that I am here today, in my quality as caretaker Minister of National Defence.

I feel like nothing has changed. A soldier has come to pay homage to a Hero. This fact alone evokes awe. Awe, since the memorable child of Crete has set an example for us all. And whichever financial circumstance can never allow to any among us have any thought for slippage; any kind of slippage on matters concerning national sovereignty and, above all, our dignity.

Since, we may have losses in the financial sector, yet any loss in the geopolitical and geostrategic sector cannot be recovered.

For this reason, we pay homage to the Hero, the wasted, Konstantinos Iliakis, our Kostas, feeling great respect forwhat he did and which is, for the future and also the present servicemen in the Armed Forces, a bright example.

Long live the Immortal Hero Konstantinos Iliakis.