Speech by Stefanos Stefanou, Political Bureau member of AKEL, at the funeral service of the missing person Andreas Theodorou Angeli

Ayios Stylianos Church, Linopetra

AKEL C.C. Press Office, Saturday 18th March 2017

Andreas Theodorou Angelis was an honest toiler who lived a quiet and modest life in the village of Ayios Giorkoudi of Famagusta, together with his wife Athinoula and his two daughters, Christina and Irini.

His origins were from the Pano Lakatamia suburb in Nicosia. Born into a working class family he was the oldest of four children. He ended up in Ayios Giorkoudi where he met Athinoula during his military service, whom he married in 1968. He was then just 23 years.

Andreas was a welder and worked hard to make a living and sustain a humble home.

This description of the life of Andrea fits the picture of the life of the overwhelming majority of young people in Andreas’ era. Poverty and the struggle for survival characterized life back then. That’s how our youth and people made ends meet, through their hard work and sweat, charting the path of progress and dignity. They were the first difficult and turbulent years of the Republic of Cyprus.

While Andreas – and every young person like Andreas – was working hard to better his life and household the tragedy of 1974 came. The fascist coup d’état of the Greek junta and EOKA B was subsequently followed by the brutal Turkish invasion and occupation that changed everything in our country.

Refugees, dead, wounded, disabled, prisoners, enclaved people, missing persons…

Blood, tears, pain and suffering…

A tragic and painful history entered Cypriot homes.

This tragic and painful history also affected Andreas’ family. Uncertainty prevailed and Andreas’ whereabouts were unknown. His family were longing for his return, but this longing was increasingly being postponement.

The unknown of Andreas’ fate lasted for forty-three years. That’s how long it took for Andreas to return to his beloved ones. He did return, but he returned dead in a small box. He returned as a refugee, here in Limassol, where his own family live.

Andreas’ journey was long. His family’s hard journey was long and painful, which lived in an even harshest way all the suffering of the missing person and anticipation all the families of the missing persons are going through.

Andreas belonged to a group of 126 persons for whom there was no evidence as to where exactly they had enlisted during the call to join the army and where they were sent to fight.

Andreas, loyal and fulfilling his duty, instead of Karaolos which was near him, enlisted in Nicosia. In retrospect it was concluded that Andreas fought and fell in the battles to defend the village of Trachonas and the wider area of ​​Nicosia, along with many other of his fellow young combatants.

Because there was no evidence about the tragic whereabouts of Andreas in the war, around 20 years ago his family were informed by the Office of Missing Persons that the investigation of Andreas’ fate would be difficult due to the lack of evidence. In May 2016, in a certification requested by the Office of Missing Persons Andreas’ daughter Christina, got precisely the same answer.

That was until Andreas’ remains were found in a mass grave in the village of Trachonas and this fact was announced to his family in November 2016.

Esteemed family of our hero,

Compatriots,

The funerals of our missing persons awaken memories.

They open wounds that have not healed and it is doubtful if these wounds will ever heal, especially for those homes which the Cypriot tragedy has brought the loss of their loved ones.

They awaken memories recalling the responsibilities of all those forces who caused the Cypriot tragedy, who brought tears, pain and anguish.

But it wasn’t just the foreigners who committed this crime.

It wasn’t only the NATO imperialists, who conspired against our country and people.

It wasn’t only the militarists of Ankara, who attacked our homeland spreading destruction and death, and the Turkish chauvinists who participated in committing this crime.

Greeks and Greek Cypriots, who were exploiting and sloganeering about the homeland, Greece and Hellenism, also participated in committing this crime.

It is with the slogan of Enosis that the Greek junta and EOKA B brought the Turkish army of Attila to Cyprus.

It is nationalism, empty rhetoric and misleading slogans that pushed Cyprus to the disaster of 1974.

The funerals of our missing persons force us into a journey back in time to draw lessons. Unfortunately, the progressive forces and sensible people weren’t able to prevent the tragedy of 1974. The fanaticism of a minority of extreme Right-wing and obedient tools brought the disaster, the consequences of which we are still suffering from through the Turkish occupation, de facto division, and the drama of the missing persons, refugees, enclaved people and war-stricken people.

The occupation and the de facto partition aren’t just an open wound. They pose a constant source of dangers to our homeland and people.

The occupation and partition threaten the very future of our children and grandchildren. We must solve the Cyprus problem. Turkey must leave Cyprus.

And the solution can’t be achieved through empty and dangerous slogans. It cannot be achieved through adventurist actions, inconsistent policies and extremities.

This goal can only be achieved through seriousness, responsibility and reason; only with realism which of course must be based on principles and the agreed framework of the solution of the Cyprus problem.

We must remain serious, especially now that the current period is crucial for the further course of the efforts to achieve a solution. Our thoughts, efforts and policy must be guided by our concern about how to safeguard the future of the next generations and not about how we will get elected to the Presidency.

This is what patriotism demands.

This is what the duty towards our homeland implies.

This is our obligation towards the sacrifice of the sons of Cyprus, such as Andrea, who left his wife, children and parents behind, to defend the freedom of Cyprus, in a war that was betrayed and uneven.

The vindication of Andreas and the sacrifice of all those who fought and sacrificed their lives for freedom, will be achieved through the vindication of our people.

Honour and glory to Andreas Theodorou Angeli!

Honour and glory to the heroes of our people!