The performance "Half a Century of Silence", which was organized with great success by the Achna Municipal District of the Ayia Napa Municipality, caused a shiver of emotion and deep shock on Friday, August 22, 2025, in the Central Square of Achna Forest.
The event was a musical and theatrical testimony of the soul, an act of memory and resistance, which through true testimonies, theatrical monologues, images and melodies revived the tragic experience of the Turkish invasion of 1974. The work was based on the texts of Maria Hatziafxenti, set to music by Andreas Katsigiannis, while the interpretation of the songs was undertaken by Maria Theodotou, flanked by Koulis Theodorou, Petros Kouloumis, Dimitris Mesimeris and Frideriki Tombazou.
The direction was signed by Christoforos Herodotou, with the musicians and actors transporting the audience to the dark days of 1974, bringing to life the history of occupied Achna.
Welcoming those present, the Deputy Mayor of the Municipal District of Achna of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, Mr. Nikos Vasilas, underlined the importance of organizing anti-occupation events.
He stressed that for the Municipal District of Achna, both the event "Half a Century of Silence" and the Pancyprian Refugee Meeting to be held on October 17, 2025, constitute a supreme debt and honor. A debt to the younger generations, who did not experience the events of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the tragic consequences of uprooting.
"We have a duty," he said, "to talk to them about this, to pass on to them the memory and the desire to return to our ancestral homes because as long as the flame of return remains unextinguished and the new generation knows the truth, we can be optimistic that sooner or later we will return, but if oblivion prevails, then the return to our homes and villages will become impossible." Therefore, concluded Mr. Vasilas, as a semi-occupied municipal district, our primary goal is to keep the desire for return alive. In closing, he expressed his warm thanks to all those who honored the event with their presence, making special mention of the staff of the Ayia Napa Municipality and in particular the Achna Municipal District, which with zeal and dedication organized and implemented an excellent anti-occupation event.
In his greeting, the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetos, mentioned that 51 years have passed since the day of the Turkish invasion and the occupation of Achna, "the Daughter of the Red Villages", which was plundered and remains silent to this day, emphasizing at the same time that the memory of Achna is everyone's duty, not only to honor the heroes and the missing, but also to give future generations a united and free homeland.
He emphasized that memory is not a simple recollection but an act of resistance, and that as long as there are people who remember and fight, return remains a living prospect, noting at the same time the need for unity and collective effort and that political responsibility requires actions and not just words. In conclusion, he stated that Achna is an integral part of the Municipality of Ayia Napa and a beacon of direction for the future, recalling that "freedom, democracy and peace are not given but are earned daily through struggle and unity."
In her own greeting, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Democratic Rally, Ms. Annita Dimitriou, stated that everyone's presence in the Achna Forest, a breath away from our occupied land, is a message of resistance against the occupation and partition. She stated that memory is a duty and historical truth cannot be negotiable, underlining that 51 years after the invasion, the wounds remain open and the refugees continue to keep the key to their house as a talisman.
“We all have a responsibility,” she added, “to preserve memory, strengthen unity, and build a strategy that will lead to liberation and reunification.” She highlighted the need for accountability, political realism, and alliances, while expressing concern about the dangers of division, populism, and empty promises.
He stressed that the Cyprus issue "is not an issue on paper, but our lives, our very survival" and made it clear that a solution can only be found on the agreed basis of UN resolutions and EU principles, without guarantees and without occupation troops. He also underlined that the EU-Turkey relationship goes through progress on the Cyprus issue and international law.
Mrs. Annita Dimitriou also underlined the role of the new generation, which may not have lived in 1974, but carries the flame of memory and becomes the voice that transmits the message of liberation. In conclusion, she sent the message of unity and faith in the struggle, emphasizing that "not forgetting is a life attitude, it is resistance, it is a right and the strength that keeps us standing."
The main speaker at the event was Deputy Minister of Culture Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, who in her speech stated that the event in Dasaki of Achna, 51 years after the invasion, is an act of remembrance and resistance and not simply an artistic event.
He also said that the memory of the war and the invasion remains alive through narratives and art, transforming pain into creation and sacrifice into duty, calling for unity for freedom, vindication and the reunification of the homeland.
The event "Half a Century of Silence" noted that "it is a tribute to those who were lost, to those who are missing and to those who live with the consequences of division, but also to those who transform the experience into messages of peace and hope" and expressed its gratitude to all the contributors - writers, musicians, actors and directors - who brought the memory and the message of return alive to the stage. The liberation and reunification of Cyprus, emphasized the Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, remain non-negotiable goals for the government, while the current situation does not constitute a solution.
She assured that the Deputy Ministry of Culture and she personally will continue to support initiatives that honor history and strengthen collective memory because memory, as she pointed out, "is the bridge from the past to the present and to the future, and Culture is the foundation of our identity."
