The established Honor and Remembrance Event for the Heroes of 1963–1974, organized by the Liopetri Reserve Commandos Club, took place with particular emotion on July 23, at the Liopetri Open Amphitheater.
As part of the event, a Trisagion was held in memory of the Fallen and a Prayer for the Finding of the Missing, as a small tribute to all those who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of our homeland.
Greetings and a speech were delivered by the President of the Commandos Association, Mr. Joseph Joseph, who referred to the heroes and emphasized the importance of keeping the memories and experiences of the invasion alive, passing them on to the younger generations.
This was followed by a speech by the Deputy Mayor of Liopetri, Mr. Markos Koumis, who referred to the events of the Turkish invasion of 1974, to the heroes who gave their lives defending the homeland, as well as to the missing persons whose fate continues to be an open wound for Cypriot Hellenism. He stressed the importance of preserving historical memory and passing on the values, sacrifices and struggles of previous generations to our young people. He underlined that memory should not be limited to anniversary references, but should constitute a permanent responsibility and duty of all of us towards those who fought and sacrificed for the freedom of Cyprus.
The official greeting was delivered by the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou, who praised the struggle and sacrifice of our heroes during the Turkish invasion and underlined the eternal debt of all of us towards our homeland. He stressed that the memory of our fallen and missing persons is a sacred legacy, which we must preserve and pass on to the younger generations, so that the historical truth and their sacrifice remain alive. At the same time, he referred to the importance of unity, collective responsibility and maintaining the fighting spirit of our people until final vindication.
The Mayor warmly congratulated the organizers for the remarkable and moving event, which contributes substantially to the preservation of historical memory.
The evening concluded with an artistic program, which included a dramatized play by the "Faros Zois" Anti-Drug School, as well as songs, creating a particularly moving atmosphere.
