HE the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos and the military leadership of the Ministry of National Defence received the relics of the Greek combatants of Cyprus who were on board the NORATLAS of the Hellenic Air Force in a ceremony held at Dekeleia Air Base.

     After returning to Greece’s air space the aircraft which carried the relics of the Greek combatants of Cyprus was accompanied by Mirage 2000 of the Hellenic Air Force.

     The Minister of National Defence stated the following:

     An owed tribute is being paid today to the 16 heroes of “NIKI 4”.

     With respect and emotion, we receive the heroes who gave their own lives for the freedom of our nation.

     The horoes:

     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,

    They will now rest in peace in their birth land.

     Our heroes showed us what is self-sacrifice, solidarity and bravery.

     They fell and each of them undertook the burden of History; of a History which since the times of Thermopylae, Marathon, Salamis and Mesolongi educates us and make us familiar with the manner in which we ought to pretend to our freedom and defend our fatherland. These are very important in our dire times.
    
     Let us not forget also another hero of this historic period who died recently, their fellow combatant and only survivor of “NIKI 4” Raider Athanasios Zafeiriou. He had one grievance before while he was alive; that our homeland had forgotten them over all these years. They were not taken back to the homeland to be buried with honours. They were not returned to their brothers or sisters and parents many of whom are no longer alive and had been expecting for the country to take action over all these years.

     With the permission of HE the President of the Republic, I would like to express my apologies to all of them for every action that was not taken and tell them that we will make amends for this wrong and for the violation of history in any manner that we can as Ministry of National Defence. Our main duty – this is a commitment – is to open all the files related to Cyprus, regardless of how painful they might be and deliver them to the Greek people and to Greek Cypriots via the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus.

     At this crossroad of East and West, North and South and in a sea area with huge geopolitical and geostrategic significance.

     Besides, the provocative statements of the president of our neighbouring country and the opinions of some of Europe’s officials which contradict history are not purposeless.

     We ought to defend our country’s interests and to achieve it all the institutions of our country, such as education, religion and Armed Forces, must cooperate.

     Dear relatives of our heroes,

     I express my admiration to you, because you do us the honour to be here with us today and I wish to assure you, being aware of the concern and pain you have experienced over all these years, that we will continue our struggle to find the relics of all the fallen heroes.

    Your people’s self-sacrifice is the moral base on which we must breed a new generation of Greeks who will believe in the absolute value of the offer, the struggle and the sacrifice for their families, for our land and for the Greek people.

     I would also like, from the depths of my heart, to wish the Cyprus’ Republic and to Greek Cypriots to be liberated soon; it is the freedom that those whom we receive today fought for.

     The Defence Minister of Cyprus Christoforos Phokaides stated the following in his address:

     “The moment when a hero returns to his land is sacred, whether he is dead or alive; to be awarded the laurels of eternal glory.
 
     In delay of 42 years, the moment has come for us to receive these courageous men of the sublimely brave yet tragic operation “NIKI”.  

     The time has come for us to lay wreaths for our eternal gratitude to the stalwart raiders – we will always remember them like this – who responded to our land’s call with courage and sense of responsibility and got on board the fatal NORATLAS to a deadly mission.

     The devastating end of this mission hurts even those who did not fulfil their duty, who were not worthy of history. At the same time, for 42 years, we have been depriving these deceased heroes, as well as their families, of this sacred moment, with insubstantial arguments and subterfuges. This is why we ought to re-express today our deep apologies for what we omitted to do, for our mistakes, for everything that hurt you for years long.
    
     The decision for the excavation of the Tomb of Makedonitissa was taken after a delay of several decades. It was taken however because some answers should be given, even in delay. It was taken because the owed tributes should be paid to the heroes, as it is appropriate for heroes like those described by Pericles in his Funeral Oration.

     We bend our knee with respect to this encounter with our deceased heroes and their families, to the encounter with history itself. From today on, a new bright page is added to the golden books of our nation’s history; a bright page on which the names of the heroic raiders of the operation “NIKI” are engraved with indelible letters.

     Their supreme sacrifice will always be a memory of our common struggles and sacrifices for freedom. It will confirm our national bonds and it will remind us of our debt to vindicate their sacrifice, to end the unreasonable occupation of territory of a European country and to reunite Cyprus in conditions of freedom and security because, as Pericles teaches us, who was proven brave by his actions must be paid honour in action too. And the greatest honour would be the freedom of Cyprus.

     Memory eternal and glory to accompany them for ever.”