Press Releases

Your Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

The 1821 struggle for Independence constitutes one of the most important chapters in the Greek modern history, and the bicentennial is a fitting occasion to honour the sacrifices of its people.

Heroic sacrifices based on the vision of uniting and freeing Greece from the slavery, oppression and tyranny they were suffering due to the Ottoman rule.

Fighting with courage and heroism, the Greeks succeeded to establish their own independent state, which proved a milestone in both European and world history as it inspired other nations to arise in pursuit of their independence.

It would amiss on my behalf if I failed to acknowledge the catalytic role of the Greek Orthodox Church through preserving our national identity, language and religion and aiding in every possible way the nation’s uprising against the Ottoman oppressor.

This cause was also spearheaded by Greeks of the diaspora, who initiated the founding of Filiki Eteria in 1814, which envisioned a truly independent homeland, free from the Ottoman occupation.

Taking this opportunity, please allow me to commend the small, but highly symbolic role of Cyprus, which at the time also suffered from the Ottoman oppression, in support of our Greek brothers.

More than one thousand Greek Cypriots, heroically fought alongside the Greeks, whilst thousands strongly supported the cause, secretly providing much needed supplies and aid.

This led to severe oppressive measures and the execution of many of our compatriots by the Ottomans, one of whom was the religious leader of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, Archbishop Kyprianos.

As we honour and commemorate this historic milestone, Cyprus, still being under Turkish military occupation, recalls the Revolution’s ideas of freedom and independence in our tireless efforts to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement on the Cyprus problem.

And having as a legacy this exact vision of our Greek brothers, I wish to assure that we will continue our struggle so as to establish a truly modern and independent homeland, free from foreign dependencies.

(RM/IK)