Greece and the Greek people remain the most stable, consistent, and selfless ally in Cyprus’ struggle for liberation and reunification, said the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, at the ceremony to award honorary medals to the Hellenic Force in Cyprus (ELDYK), held in Malounta in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, and 15 men from the Force who fought in Cyprus in 1974.
He added that a solution to the Cyprus problem without the withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops cannot be accepted, nor can an arrangement that would keep the country bound by anachronistic guarantees and the logic of the Cold War period of the 1950s.
According to the President of the Republic, in recognition of the timeless and invaluable contribution of the Greek Force in Cyprus since its establishment in 1960, it is being awarded the “Defender of Freedom” medal, which to date has been awarded by the Republic of Cyprus to all military personnel, Greek Cypriots and Greeks who sacrificed themselves during the Turkish invasion, while today ELDYK is also being awarded the Medal for Exceptional Bravery by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus.
“Today, as the Cypriot State, we officially honor our ELDYK brothers, who fought alongside our people during those tragic hours of betrayal and unspeakable destruction. Our debt to them is even greater when we consider that their sacrifice softened the trauma caused by the most recent tragedy of Hellenism, a wound that continues to bleed to this day,” he added.
He also made special reference to the 15 ELDYK members who took part in the 1974 military operations and were present at today’s ceremony, thanking them on behalf of Cypriot Hellenism and the Cypriot State once again “for what they did for Cyprus, for Greece, for the dignity of our people and our nation.”
He recalled that ELDYK, an integral part of the history of the Republic of Cyprus, was established under the Treaty of Establishment and that its 65-year presence is identified with the dramatic events that have marked Cyprus from its first steps as an independent state to the present day.
“For 51 years, Turkey has continued its illegal military occupation of more than one-third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, an independent and sovereign Member State of the European Union and the United Nations. For more than half a century, Turkey has refused to allow access to the archives of the occupying army to ascertain the fate of missing persons, has violated the fundamental rights of all legal residents of Cyprus, expanding illegal settlement and altering the demographic character of our country, intensifying the economic, political, and religious manipulation of Turkish Cypriots, and destroying our religious and cultural heritage. These are just some of the evidence of Turkey’s ongoing crime, which we are working to end by seeking a sustainable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, based on the agreed framework of the United Nations and the principles and values of the European Union,” he stressed.
“I would like to take advantage of the presence of my friend, the President of the Hellenic Republic, to reiterate that for us, Greece and the Greek people remain our most stable, consistent, and selfless ally in our struggle for the liberation and reunification of our homeland. And today, from the headquarters of the honoured ELDYK, I wish to send a message in all directions that for us, a solution to the Cyprus problem without the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces is unacceptable. Nor can we compromise with a settlement that would keep our homeland bound by anachronistic guarantees and the logic of the Cold War period of the 1950s,” stressed the President of the Republic.
He added that Cyprus and Greece, beyond their complete agreement on major national issues, are working together to achieve mutual goals on a wide range of issues, and expressed his satisfaction that in recent years this joint effort has been extended to a wide range of areas, in a very specific and structured manner within the framework of intergovernmental cooperation that he initiated with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “This cooperation, which is particularly beneficial for our citizens, is built on solid foundations characterised by sincerity, mutual respect and love, the result of a fraternal relationship that has been rooted here for centuries,” he added.
According to President Christodoulides, in 40 days the Republic of Cyprus will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union, “with the certainty that it will respond adequately to this great national challenge, with the expectation with the certainty that it will contribute effectively to the completion of important legislative dossiers and with the ambition to contribute to the effort for a Europe with more autonomy, more solidarity, more inclusive, more effective for its citizens.”
“On New Year’s Day 2026, when the flag of the Republic of Cyprus will fly proudly at the top of the European flagpole, our thoughts will turn to those who fought for the existence of the Republic of Cyprus, to all those who fought for its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, with the promise that we will do everything humanly possible to vindicate them. And for us, the only vindication comes through the liberation and reunification of our homeland. This is our greatest obligation, but also our eternal debt,” concluded the President of the Republic.
For his part, Tasoulas said that today are honoured the struggles and sacrifices of the Greek Armed Forces in defending the freedom, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity of our homeland.
“On this symbolic day, the Republic of Cyprus pays the highest tribute to the Hellenic Force in Cyprus, awarding the Medals of the ‘Defender of Freedom’ and Exceptional Bravery to its glorious, blood-stained flag. Mr. President, on behalf of the Greek people, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your initiative, you and the Government, in highlighting the historic role and moral recognition of the contribution of ELDYK in defending the freedom and independence of Cypriot Hellenism,” he went on to say.
According to the President of the Hellenic Republic, today we are not only honouring the heroism, self-sacrifice, and sacrifice of the men of ELDYK, but we are also renewing a supreme oath of honor, “to stand worthy of those who fell, those who are still missing. To keep alive the flame of unity among the forces of Hellenism and our unwavering commitment to the just struggle for freedom.”
“Greece and Cyprus, united by ancient fraternal ties, continue to fight together for a just and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem. A solution based on the decisions of the United Nations and the European acquis. A solution that will end the occupation and reunite Cyprus into a peaceful, democratic, and European state, for the benefit of all its legal residents. All of them, without exception,” he then emphasized.
“Fifty-one years after the Turkish invasion, the fate of more than 750 Greeks and Cypriots, including 26 ELDYK officers, remains unknown, while many of them are certain to have been victims of serious violations of international humanitarian law. The pain for their families, though silent, remains undiminished. We will never stop highlighting the issue of the Missing Persons and supporting the relevant efforts, in any way possible, until the truth is revealed, until the fate of the last of them is ascertained,” he stressed on the matter.
The addresses were followed by the presentation of medals by the President of the Republic and the laying of wreaths at the ELDYK Memorial to Fallen Heroes and Missing Persons.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.
A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.
According to statistical data published on the CMP website by September 30, 2025 out of 2002 missing persons 1,707 were exhumed and 1,057 were identified. Out of 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 761 were identified and 749 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 296 were identified and 196 are still missing.