His name was associated with the greatest historical events in the history of Cyprus, but also with the largest part of the Republic of Cyprus. Glafkos Clerides, born on April 24, 1919 in Nicosia, was the second son of the eminent lawyer Ioannis Clerides and Elsi Argyridou. He had two other brothers, Chrysanthi and Xanthos.
Long hair and school
As a child he was quite rebellious and lively. His mother did not want to let him go to school, so Nearchos Clerides provided him with lessons at home. However, Glafkos himself refused to go unless he cut the long hair that his mother refused to cut.
So the two of them reconciled until the sixth grade when the teaching took place at home. At the end of elementary school, he took high school exams, cut his hair and went to Agios Savvas Urban School. However, he was not the most beloved student of the teaching association. At every opportunity he made jokes and teased students and teachers, while he often argued.
At some point in high school, the theologian told the students that when they find objects on the street, the one who finds them should take care to find out who lost it because it could mean a lot to him. So, one day, Glafkos, passing through the ditch, collected a lot of useless things, "almost rubbish" and taking them to class, he told the theologian "how could someone lose them and mean a lot to him".
The miscarriage
At one point, the School Tax Office banned the use of the vernacular in writing and imposed the purgatory. Glafkos reacted strongly by writing his report in the elementary school. It was zeroed and remained unexamined in the course of Modern Greek.
When he went to teach again in September, he was told that if he enrolled in elementary school again, they would leave him at a standstill. And they left him. As a reaction, he started writing articles in the press against the School Tax Office.
High school principal Katsouros together with the School Committee expelled him for 15 days. Glafkos was not intimidated and asked them "if I miss school for 15 days will I be corrected?" and they answered in the affirmative in order to receive again the answer of the "impudent" student: "Well, by the same logic, if I do not return I will become the best of people". So, in protest, he decided to leave High School and go to England where he continued school.
Glafkos Clerides continued his studies in London. There he was found during World War II, where he served in the air force, was taken prisoner by the Germans and the Cypriot newspapers incorrectly announced his death.
Returning to Cyprus, he became an advocate of EOKA and was found many times an opponent of Denktash's eternal enemy.
At the end of the race, in the first elections of the Republic of Cyprus, he sided with Makarios instead of his father, who was also the candidate.
In the difficult days of '74, he took over the duties of the President of the Republic and two years later he founded the Democratic Alarm.
From 1993 to 2003 he was President of the Republic of Cyprus, with the main goal of resolving the Cyprus problem.
He died full of days on November 15, 2003, in a house near the sea at the age of 95.
Source: Mixanitouxronou / Phileleftheros