Speech by the General Secretary of AKEL S.Stefanou at the Memorial Service of Athanasis Christoforos Georgiou and the unveiling of the bust of the missing person Giannakis George

 

7 July 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The stories of our country’s Heroes clearly illustrate the tragedy and consequences of the double crime that was committed against Cyprus.

One such case is the story of two brothers, whom we honor today – the hero Athanasios Georgiou and the missing person Giannakis Georgiou.

Athanasis fell defending democracy and the constitutional order/democratically elected Government during the execution of the fascist coup of the Greek Junta and EOKA B. Giannakis rushed to defend the freedom and territorial integrity of Cyprus after the Turkish invasion had begun and has been missing ever since.

This took a heavy toll on the family of Christoforos and Dimitra Georgiou, who raised ten children in suffering and deprivation. They lost their two sons in that tragic summer of July 1974.

Athanasis, a graduate of the Police Academy, had been transferred in 1973 to the Presidential Guard, assuming guard duty at the Archdiocese. It was then that EOKA B, in collaboration with the obedient tools of the Greek junta here in Cyprus, had intensified its activities, undermining the legitimate state and threatening the life of the elected President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios III. Athanasis was on duty on the morning of 15 July 1974 when the coup broke out and he defended the Archdiocese from the frenzied fury of the coupists. He was killed in the fierce battles waged by the anti-fascist resistance fighters to keep the Archdiocese free. He is the only casualty of the battles fought there.

“I want you in half an hour to prepare graves for 75 dead men…. Four trucks full of bodies came to the cemetery. I told the officer to bury them in equal numbers in each grave we opened. Then he started cursing “you filthy bastard these are communist dogs here, the soldiers will be buried with honors over here. The Makarios supporters will all be buried elsewhere”.

This is the testimony of the priest Papatsestos of the Constantine and Eleni Cemetery in Nicosia, who was forced by the coupists to bury the dead of the coup’s battles in a makeshift manner. Both attackers and defenders of Democracy. Papatsestou’s testimony is very revealing of how the coupists treated even the dead.

Those who insist on characterising the treasonous coup as a “civil war” and the resistance to the murderous actions of EOKA B by promoting the narrative “violence and anti-violence”, and in doing so equating treason with the defence of constructional order, should read this testimony. These claims are made by those who want to cover up the far right’s guilt and a section of the Right for the tragedy that Cyprus has experienced and is still going through.

It is Papatsestos who subsequently had to bury Athanasios with the rest of the dead heroes of the anti-fascist Resistance outside the cemetery in a mass grave. He was the one who brought the terrible news to Athanasis’ parents who were desperately searching for him. He remembered that he had buried a brave lad with an olive mark on his cheek and where exactly he had buried him.

When Giannakis, Athanasis’ brother, who was serving in the National Guard, learned that his brother had been killed in the coup d’etat, he ran to see his parents. In vain, the whole family begged him not to return to his military unit. He returned and after the Turkish invasion was underway he called his parents on August 11 to inform them that his unit would be transferred to the village of Palikythro. Three days later, on 14 August, his battalion was ordered to confront the invading Turkish army’s advance during the second round of the Turkish invasion.

No one has heard from him since then. Giannakis was lost in the turmoil of the fighting and has been missing ever since. His parents Christoforos and Demetra passed away with the grief and pain for their two brave young men.

Compatriots,

It is with the burden of vindicating their sacrifice that we stand here today, pilgrims in honor and memory of their heroism – fully aware of our duty to struggle in order to put an end to the Turkish occupation and reunite our homeland and people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. This can only be achieved by reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Achieving a solution is not only about fulfilling a debt we owe to the children of our homeland who sacrificed what was most precious to them, their very own lives, so that we can all breathe the air of democracy and freedom, even in the current conditions of semi-occupation.

The solution of the Cyprus problem is also the fulfilment of a debt to our country’s young generation. Because without a solution of the Cyprus problem, the dangers for our country’s future are enormous, especially in the world we live in, which is characterised by instability, conflicts, wars and bloodshed.

The latest developments in the Middle East, as well as in Ukraine, have proven for the umpteenth time that there are no frozen confrontations and conflicts. They have proved once again that problems cannot be left pending because they may flare up at any point.

Therefore, let us not be carried away by the provisional nature that we have been living in since 1974, which suits and enables various establishment forces to make fortunes and build their careers on.

Temporality cannot provide any lasting security and peace. Those forces and circles who believe that the provisional character of the ongoing de facto partition or that a two state solution is the solution, let them look at the occupied Pentadaktylous mountain range staring at us in divided Nicosia and the hideous crescent symbol of the occupation that has been carved on it and which is visible from the penthouses of their towers or from their rich villas in the privileged areas of Limassol and elsewhere.

Regardless of the difficulties caused by the negativity and from time to time provocative actions of the Turkish side, we must remain committed to the search for a solution. We must take substantive initiatives that should aim to convince the international community that we genuinely do have the sincere political will for a solution. Initiatives that will force Turkey either to respond to the need to continue the negotiations from the point at which they were interrupted in 2017 at Crans Montana or to accept responsibility for the stalemate and the deadlock. Because, since 2017, Turkey has been absolved of any responsibility and it is capitalizing on this fact by promoting the permanent partition of our homeland.

AKEL has long submitted a specific proposal on what we should do as the Greek Cypriot side and the Republic of Cyprus in general. It is up to the President to respond. He is responsible for the handling of the Cyprus problem. He also bears the responsibility for what emerges out of it. Especially if we are left with the permanent partition and his name is linked to it.

Compatriots,

AKEL will never accept that what we are living through is the end of the road.

We will never give up and accept that Cyprus will be handed over to Turkey, first half of it and then the whole of it.

We will continue to fight until the liberation and reunification of our homeland. Until the day when Cyprus will breathe free again and the future generations will be able to build their future on the solid foundations of peace and cooperation.

This will be the best memorial for the heroes of our homeland!

This will be the best tribute we can pay to the struggles of the brothers Athanasios and Giannakis Georgiou.

May the memory of our heroes live on forever!