Defence minister: national survival of Cyprus at stake

We owe it to Grigoris Afxentiou to continue fighting for freedom, Defence Minister Michalis Giorgallas said on Friday.

With Hellenism driven to its limits, the physical and national survival of Cyprus is at stake, the minister said while speaking at the unveiling of a bust of the national hero at the Eldyk camp in Malounda.

In his speech, the foreign minister said that in addition to being a sign of honour and gratitude towards Afxentiou and EOKA, the unveiling of the bust also serves as a reminder of our own responsibilities, our debt towards our heroes and the history we carry.

Giorgallas spoke of Afxentiou’s course in the Greek army, which he joined as a volunteer in 1949, serving until 1953 when he was discharged and returned to Cyprus, after which he joined EOKA.

“We owe it to the young men of the 1955-59 generation, who carried on their backs the fate and the trials of Cypriot Hellenism, who fought for our ideals and did not submit to the forces of gross injustice,” he said.

Giorgallas expressed the sincere gratitude of the Cypriot state and Greek Cypriots towards Greece, which “constantly supports the Republic of Cyprus and the struggle we are waging for the liberation of our occupied territories and the restoration of justice in our martyred homeland.

“For almost half a century we have been experiencing the consequences of the Turkish invasion, while Turkey questions our national borders and directly threatens the existence of Hellenism throughout the Aegean,” he added.

The presence of Eldyk on the island is a factor of security and deterrence for the tested Cypriot people and proof of our timeless, stable, and unwavering relationship, the minister said.