The Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis attended the reception ceremony of the relics of the Greek Combatants in Cyprus, which was held at Dekeleia Air Base, on Thursday 5 December 2019.

The reception ceremony was also attended by the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Kampas, the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis, the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Mplioumis, and the General Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Mr. Antonios Oikonomou. The ceremony was also attended by the MP of New Democracy Party Mr. Evangelos Liakos, representing the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, the MP of SYRIZA Party Mr. Ioannis Amanatidis, the MP of Greece’s Communist Party Mr. Nikos Papanastasis, the representative of the Elliniki Lysi Party Mr. Michail Christodoulidis, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Greece Mr. Kyriakos Kenevezos, the Mayor of Papagou – Cholargos Municipality Mr. Ilias Apostolopoulos and the General Director of the General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments of the Ministry of National Defence Lieutenant General (ret) Theodoros Lagios.

The Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Alkiviadis Stefanis stated the following in his speech:

“As a representative of the Greek state, I feel particularly touched and exceptionally proud to have this chance to attend the reception ceremony of the relics of six Greek combatants of Cyprus, in a humble ceremony, as is appropriate to these heroes we honour today. I am addressing to the relatives of the six combatants and I ask them to accept my warmest condolences for the loss of their people who sacrificed their lives for the supreme ideals of freedom and independence. Accept also the expression of the respect and pride that we all feel, of our dead Greek heroes, who shed the last drop of their blood and gave their last breath for the most valuable ideals. Their sacrifice is recognized as a symbol of value which reminds the eternal commitment of the Greek people to defending freedom and democracy.

The Greek combatants of Cyprus honoured the Greek flag, through their combat against the Attila, they fulfilled their national duty and defended the ideals of the Greek people, thus becoming, for all of us, a bright example and a source of national dignity and pride. Their sacrifice offers us lessons of virtue, courage, self-sacrifice and self-denial, knowing that only if we have sound faith, free spirit and high morale we will be able to deal with the security challenges of the modern world.

Today’s ceremony helps us recall overwhelming and unique memories, draw examples, looking forward to awaking Greek people’s inexhaustible force to achieve future progress, prosperity and development, and, on the other hand, to assure our immortal heroes that their sacrifice still waters the roots of the tree of our national dignity and honour. Today, through the repatriation of these relics we restore a great national commitment, since burying the dead, and mostly the warriors, is not a simple obligation for us, for the Greek people, it is not just a formal procedure of taking care of the dead bodies, but a religious and national call, a supreme duty coming from the depths of our cultural heritage.

The heroic combatants of Cyprus, today, 45 years after the tragedy in Cyprus, return to their homeland, and their souls and bodies may rest in peace and their relatives may feel some “redemption”. For us, Greeks, the tragedy in Cyprus did not end in 1974, but there is still a common objective for both states of Greek people, to have a definite solution to the Cyprus issue, to end the discreditable Turkish occupation and to finally reunite the island, in the context of a mutual, acceptable and permanent solution based on the principles and values of the European Union, the relevant United Nations resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council. Because the Greek people have never got used to tolerating the injustice of power, but only the power of justice, which strengthens the will and intensifies our struggle for a definite release of the island from the Turkish occupation forces.

As a conclusion, I would like to thank the government of Cyprus for all its efforts, as well as everybody who worked for our heroes to return to their families and their homeland. I wish the relics of the Greeks who were killed in action to be collected, identified, repatriated and buried with every due honour, suitable to our history and our Western culture.

General Georgios Papalabridis,

Colonel Konstantinos Kourlios,

Warrant Officer Pavlos Pavloudis,

Warrant Officer Konstantinos Kateros,

Warrant Officer Konstantinos Ilias,

Warrant Officer Vasilis Panagiotou

We thank you all for everything you offered to our Land, You lived your lives according to Thucydides’ maxim: “They again are bold beyond their strength, adventurous above their own reason, and in danger hope still the best”. May you rest in peace. May you always be remembered!!!

I would also like, as a conclusion, to convey you the warmest wishes of the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who could not be here with us, due to service commitments. But his thoughts are here.

Let them always be remembered.”