2024-07-25 23:06:20
In a packed hall at the “Kostas Krystallis” Conference Center, on the morning of July 21, the people of Syracuse commemorated the day of remembrance for the invasion of Cyprus in July 1974.
Exactly 50 years later, the Municipal Community of Syracuse, co-organized by the Association of Syracuses of Athens and under the auspices of the Municipality of North Tzoumerka, held an event entitled “Syrrace Does Not Forget – 50 years since the invasion of Cyprus”.
In an intensely emotional environment, the Syracuse commando Dimitrios Bazios of the 1st Commando Squadron, who participated in the “Victory” operation, was honored by the Syracuse Community, landed at the Nicosia airport in the early hours of July 21, 1974, exactly 50 years ago, and in the midst of fire he was saved along with his other colleagues “miraculously”.
Greetings on behalf of the Municipality of North Tzoumerko were addressed by the vice-mayors Rena Papaioannou and Nikolaos Gizas, as well as the president of the Association of Syracuses of Athens, Angela Evangelou, while a representative of the VIII Infantry Brigade was also present.
“Escaping the small limits of our country and the frequent events of culture and history, we should always have our eyes on the national level as well. The invasion of Cyprus is the black page of modern Hellenism and we should never forget, because only with national security and national sovereignty, with unity and peace can we promote our culture and create progress in our country…”, he said, among others, prefacing the event, the president of the Municipal Community of Syrakos, Giorgos Vaitsis
This was followed by a presentation by the president of Advanced Battlefield Studies – Greece, lieutenant general e.a. Panagiotis Gartzonikas, who analyzed the geostrategic position of Cyprus in history and the evolution of events, which led to the tragic results of 1974, with a well-documented and high-level presentation.