Annual commemoration of the fallen and the prayer to find the missing persons of the Alhambra municipal apartment
The resumption of the dialogue is our primary concern and the Greek Cypriot side, through the President of the Republic, is ready to respond at any time, in a spirit of cooperation, to the call for talks, the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior, Dr. Elikkos Ilias, in his speech on behalf of the Government during the annualcommemoration of the fallen and the prayer to find the missing persons of the Alhambra municipal apartment.
He added that the provocative rhetoric< /strong>, the Turkish side's intransigence and insistence on a two-state solution cannot be accepted neither in Cyprus nor in the European and international community, also saying that the Turkish side must abandon unacceptable demands and actions and come up with constructive stance at the negotiating table, with the aim of a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus problem.
He noted that “Alhambra paid a heavy price in the black summer of 1974: a total of eight bachelors, whose remains have recently been identified, and two other lavenders who remain missing.' As he mentioned, most of them fell heroically fighting in the Mias Milia – Koutsoventi defense line during the second phase of the Turkish invasion on August 14, 1974, when the shelling of the Turkish invaders broke through the defense of the soldiers of the 305th Infantry Battalion, with the tragic consequence of their death of our heroes.
“At the most tragic moment in Cypriot history, the issue of missing persons remains a bleeding wound and does not allow us to give up the effort. Despite the finding and identification of the bones of many missing persons, we will not rest until the last family of the missing person learns about the fate of their loved ones”, continued Mr. Ilias, adding that fifty years later, the sacrifice of our heroes awaits justice.
«We have not given up and we will not give upthe effort to resolve the Cyprus issue. With persistence and commitment, the President of the Republic works with the unique goals of removing the fait accompli created by the ongoing illegal occupation, ensuring the basic human rights and freedoms of all legal residents of Cyprus and the reunification of our homeland. With concrete and targeted diplomatic initiatives, we envision a Cyprus of justice and democracy, a Cyprus where all legal residents, especially young people, will live peacefully and progress collectively”, he continued.
He added that the Turkish side's provocative rhetoric, intransigence and insistence on a two-state solution cannot be accepted neither in Cyprus nor in the European and international community, also saying that the Turkish side must abandon unacceptable demands and actions and to approach the negotiating table with a constructive attitude, with the aim of a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus problem.
“A solution based on the principles and values of our great European family and international law. A solution that respects the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and creates the conditions that will give all Cypriots the right to live and create in a modern, European, normal state, in conditions of security and progress”, he pointed out .
“The resumption of dialogue is our primary concern. The Greek Cypriot side, through the President of the Republic, is ready to respond at any time, in a spirit of cooperation, to the call for talks. Our will to find a final and workable solution based on the agreed framework is declared. We expect the Turkish Cypriot side to show a corresponding will, in order to move forward, for the good of our country and our people, the European community and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region”, he stressed.
” With sympathy and consensus, we remain faithful to the lessons of our History and pass on the values and ideals that Hellenism advocates to our children, the continuers of our historical identity and culture. From this sacred space we proclaim in all directions our commitment to the reunification of our homeland and its people. We make the promise again to our heroes that we will not stop claiming our justice and rights. Only in this way will their sacrifice be justified. We owe it to them and we owe it to the next generations of Cypriots. May the memory that accompanies all those who fell for our freedom be eternal,” he concluded.
