At 8 am, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, delivered a memorial speech at the memorial service for the heroes of Mari at the "Evangelos Florakis" Naval Base, in Mari, in the presence of the Speaker of the House, Annita Dimitriou.
The speech itself
It is with feelings of emotion that we are here today, as we do every year, to honor the memory of the 13 officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers who lost their lives in one of the most tragic moments in the modern history of our country, after 1974.
On this day, exactly 14 years ago, the place where we gathered became a place of sacrifice for 13 of our fellow human beings and since then it has remained an unshakable point of reference, deeply imprinted in the collective memory of our people.
Thirteen of our fellow human beings lost their lives so unjustly in the deadly explosion that destroyed the country's energy center, caused enormous economic damage and led our country into an unprecedented political crisis.
Since then, every dawn of July 11, the duty of responsibility leads us here, to do the obvious: To pay with pride, emotion and awe the due tribute to the heroes - martyrs of that shameful day, who lost their lives trying by every means and means to manage and contain the lightning-fast development of events. The people who tried to save as many as possible, to prevent or at least minimize losses, to preserve lives and property, disciplined by the sacred call of duty. In the face of the impending threat, they rose to the occasion and did not abandon their positions.
Captain Andreas Ioannidis, Lieutenant Commander Lambros Lambrou, Chief Petty Officer Kleanthis Kleanthos, Senior Petty Officer Michalis Irakleous, Sailors Miltos Christoforou, Christakis Christoforou and Andreas Charalambous, Fire Department Sergeant Major Andreas Papadopoulos, Chief Firefighter George Giakoumi and firefighters Vasilis Krokos, Spyros Ttantis, Panagiotis Theofilou and Adamos Adamou now remain in History and constitute an example, symbol and ideal. Their names have been engraved on the columns of the heroes of our nation and remain indelible.
The presence of all of us here today signifies in the most formal way the highest honor and recognition that the State attaches to the sacrifice of the heroes and to those who were injured during the apofrada that day. As President of the Republic of Cyprus, I bow on behalf of the Cypriot people to the sacrifice of these 13 heroes and I address to their relatives, to all of you, looking you in the eyes, the public apology and apologies of the State.
We all know that that fatal accident, that great tragedy, was not a bolt from the blue. It was caused by a sequence of events, errors, and omissions, which predetermined what would follow.
The day is not suitable for weighty words. However, we must repeat the promise not to repeat such mistakes and omissions, to demonstrate the utmost responsibility in every decision and choice, not only of national but also of social importance. We have an obligation to make decisions with a sense of responsibility towards the last citizen of this country. The preservation and protection of the integrity, dignity, rights and freedoms of every Cypriot citizen is an inviolable obligation of every state. And for us, this obligation is non-negotiable.
A country struggling for physical survival does not have the luxury of losses in such a tragic and unjust way. We are accountable to every family that entrusts their children to the homeland, to everyone who serves in the security forces, to every citizen of this country, to every young man and woman.
And of course, our homeland must be grateful to its heroes, pay due respect to those who sacrificed their lives or were injured in the line of duty, present them as examples to emulate and highlight their contribution.
Today sends a message of responsibility to all of us. A message of honest and unyielding performance of duty and mission from any position and any office. Our semi-occupied homeland needs citizens who serve the mission assigned to them with honesty and responsibility, citizens who fight in every way for the well-intentioned interest of society and the homeland, people who do not defy dangers and challenges and remain steadfast in their orientation and goal.
The example of the heroes we honor today commands us to do our duty and be worthy of our mission. With this thought and reflection, I want to send the message that for us, the safety of those who serve our homeland and our people is our highest priority. The sacrifice of the 13 heroes in Mari tests us and defines the magnitude of the responsibility of our mission.
May their memory be eternal.
