The Cyprus flag from the Nicosia Airport Conrol Tower in 1974 was handed over to the Ministry of Defence on Thursday. A soldier of the Hellenic Force in Cyprus (EDLYK) had taken the flag during the battles that took place in the airport during the war against the Turkish offensive in 1974, and kept it until his death.
Archimandrite Epiphanios Hadjigiagos, a priest in Florina, Greece, took the initiative to deliver the flag to the Ministry of Defence. “This signifies the importance of slavaging, preserving and disseminating historical memory,” Defence Minister, Vasilis Palmas, noted in a post in X.
“At the same time, it serves as a reminder of the spirit of the 33rd Commando Squadron and the first Commando Squadron in the battle,” Palmas adds, noting that the Greek commandos had arrived in Cyprus in 1974, in an effort to defend the Nicosia Airport.
The Greek military contingent (EDLYK), arrived in Cyprus in accordance with the treaties that established the Republic of Cyprus. Greece is one of the three guarantor powers of Cyprus – the other two being the UK and Turkey. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, after Turkey invaded the island in July of the year and occupied its northern third.