In the presence of officials and a crowd of people, the 23st memorial service of the heroic martyrs Tassos Isaac and Solomos Solomos was held today in the church of Agios Dimitrios, in Paralimni.
The memorial service was held in the presence of the Metropolitan of Constantia - Famagusta Vassilios, in the presence, among others, of the Minister of Education and Culture Costas Hambiaouris.
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In his memorial speech, the Minister praised the sacrifice of the two heroes from Paralimni, emphasizing that with their sacrifice they were established in the consciousness of the people as symbols of resistance against the Turkish occupier.
"We honor the relatives and friends of the heroes," he said, especially Anastasia, and express the respect of the State for the size of their offer, which is a continuation of the long struggles of our people for freedom and justice. "
He went on to say that "both Tassos and Solomos showed unparalleled courage and self-denial, being aware of the highest danger they posed to themselves and that lies in the magnitude and greatness of their sacrifice, which we honor today in this seventh national-religious memorial ”.
Addressing the relatives of the heroes, he noted that the State bows to their sacrifice.
"We reveal ourselves, he said specifically, in front of their unattainable mental beauty and we express our respect and honor to you. Be proud of the transcendence that your own people claimed to achieve at such a young age and of offering their own lives at the altar of our martyr homeland, which is still half-occupied. Paralimni, he continued, and the whole Cypriot Hellenism must keep their memory alive as an example of bravery, courage and virtue, faith and devotion to higher values and ideals ".
"Today, he noted, 23 years after the bloody August 1996, we reflect on the efforts made since then to resolve the Cyprus problem and to end the occupation of much of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey." Unfortunately, he said, our efforts were unsuccessful, given the intransigence of the occupying power and its pursuit of consolidation and international recognition of the de facto situation, as was imposed on our island in the summer of '74.
Referring to the Turkish provocations, he continued: "Turkey continues to despise the principles, resolutions and decisions of the international and European community and insists on the military occupation of a European country with all the consequent tragic consequences that are the daily dramatic reminder of the national catastrophe and indicate the great debt for the liberation of our homeland.
"The national tragedy that our country is still experiencing, he added, requires unity and hard work. "It also requires a commitment to the ideals of our nation, with the debt of liberation at the forefront, something we owe to our heroes, to the civilians, to the prisoners and to those who were tortured and abused," he added.
The President of the Republic, stressed the Minister, is making systematic and persistent efforts to solve our national problem. It works with determination and seeks the resumption of talks, while at the same time, through the formation of strategic alliances, it fights for the liberation of our country, which will be based on the principles and values of international law, the UN and the European acquis, ensuring national and our natural survival in the land of our fathers ”.
It is for our heroes, he said at last, that we must give all our strength to justify our historical past.
After the memorial service, a trishagio followed at the tombs of the heroes in Paralimni and the laying of wreaths.
The motorcyclists as a whole gave their presence today, while the presence of members of EL.AM was intense.
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