The history of Cyprus told through the exhibition “The Island of ...
Community representatives and members along with politicians, attended the opening of the exhibition “The Island of Aphrodite”, which was held as part of the events marking the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus.
The exhibition, which was curated by the Pedagogical Institute “Hellenism of Anatolia from the Aegean to Pontus” with the initiative of teacher Kostas Pataridis and coordinator Yiota Stavridou, the rich culture and the long history of Cyprus was highlighted.
Cypriot singer Marios Charalambous, told Yiota Stavridou “there is no such exhibition even in Cyprus”.
Singer Marios Charalambous.Before guests viewed the exhibition, they were presented with an impressive programme of speeches, songs and testimonies from people who experienced the tragic events of July 1974 in Cyprus.
The event was presented by Andreas Kulloupas and began as follows:
“With this declaration of reclamation we show our respect to the Traditional Owners of this land. We believe that this declaration should be adopted worldwide to pay tribute to all the ancient peoples to whom we owe so much.
“One such people, ladies and gentlemen, is the Greeks of Cyprus, whose many millennia of history we are honouring today”.
The Commissioner for Citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, Panagiotis Palates.Among the many dignitaries were Bishop Evmenios, the High Commissioner of Cyprus to Australia, Antonis Sammoutis, the Consul General of Greece, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the Commissioner for Citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, Panayiotis Palates, the MPs Anthony Carbines, State Member for Coburg (Labor), Kat Theophanous, State Member for Northcote (Labor) and Evan Mulholland, State Member for Metro North (Liberal), the President of SEKA, Pavlos Andronikos, the President of the Cyprus Community of Northern Suburbs, John Christou, and dozens of other representatives of expatriate organisations, who were welcomed by the President of the Cyprus Community, Theo Theofanous, who was the first speaker, among many.
Songs were performed by Achilleas Yiangoulli and Marios Charalambous, while special awards were given to the former president of the Cyprus Community, Panayiotis (Peter) Yianoudis and the late Antonis (Tony) Toumbourou. The plaque was received by Theo Theofanous from his two sons.
The sons of the late Antonis Toumbouros on the left and right and in the middle Panayiotis Giannoudis and Theo Theofanous.Panayiotis Yianoudis referred, with emotion, to the dramatic events of July 1974 and how he experienced them himself.
What follows is a speech Panayiotis Yianoudis gave last year recalling the tragic days of the invasion.
“The black news came on Monday, July 15, 1974, with the coup against Makarios. Initially, we learned that Makarios was dead.
“I remember then, Takis Gogos, director of the newspaper Neos Kosmos, called Antonis Toumbouros, who was president of the Cyprus Community, and told him about the coup. Sure enough, shortly afterwards the Australian newspapers and radios were announcing the coup.
Theo Theophanous presenting an honourable award to Panayiotis Yianoudis.“Then Antonis Toumbourou contacted all the members of the Board of the Cyprus Community and we held an extraordinary meeting together with several members of the Board of the Greek Community, of which Andreas Scrinis was the chairman and Christos Mourikis the secretary.
“At this meeting it was decided to hold a protest outside the Greek Consulate on Tuesday, 16 July and a three-member delegation to visit Canberra. The leaders of the protest were Stelios Antoniou, Haris Siamaris, Petros Gialouris, Andreas Scrinis, Christos Mourikis and others.
The High Commissioner of Cyprus Antonis Sammoutis, Federal MP Maria Vamvakinou, Commissioner for Citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, Panayiotis Palates and Bishop Evmenios.“During the meeting, we were informed that Makarios was alive and would depart from the British bases of Akrotiri for London. Antonis Toumbourou telephoned Makarios in Malta that evening where he received the first instructions.
“The three-man delegation that was to visit Canberra included Antonis Toumbourou, George Filopoulos from the unions, and myself. Takis Gogos contacted the Greek Senator, George Georgoulas, from Brisbane, who was to make the necessary appointments particularly with the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, the Foreign Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and MPs.
Pavlos Andronikos.“In Canberra we were met at the airport by Mr Georgoulas and at 9.30am we had our first meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Whitlam, who indeed showed enormous interest. Mr Georgoulas accompanied us to all our meetings with several MPs and Senators and we stayed in the session of the House of Representatives where a special report was made on the coup and their support for the Makarios government.
“In Melbourne, a large number of fellow travellers protested outside the Greek Consulate.
“The week that followed was indeed a nightmare with threats of invasion by Turkey and every night in the Cypriot Community hundreds of compatriots were present for any news.
Dimitris Ioannou and Ioannis Milidis.“On Saturday, July 20, the Turkish invasion took place with the usual aftermath, with the deaths, refugees and destruction that “Attila the Hun” brought to Cyprus.
“All over the world, Greek and Cypriot organisations started a struggle of their own to help the suffering Cypriot people. The Cypriot Communities of Australia, with the cooperation of the Greek Communities and other organisations, created fundraising committees.
“At the same time, the Archdiocese of Australia also held its own separate fundraiser, but this created some confusion within the community. After a few days and before the second invasion on 14 August 1974, negotiations began to set up a committee.
“Thus at the end of August the PEBAK was created, with Antonis Toumbouros as chairman, Kostas Gonopoulos as general secretary and Archimandrite Ierotheos Kourtesis as vice-president. This committee played a key role over the next two years until 1976, when the committees throughout Australia were called the Coordinating Committees of the Cyprus Struggle (CCDR).
“At the same time, young boys, Greek Cypriots and Greeks, over 160 people, volunteered to go to Cyprus and fight for the homeland, under the leadership of Petros Gialouris and Lefkios Papadopoulos. One of the volunteers was Kyriakos Tsolakis.
“After the second invasion and at a meeting of the Board of the Cyprus Community it was decided to set up a two-member delegation with Haris Siamaris and Panayiotis Yianoudisto visit Cyprus to see the tragic situation up close.
“The departure was scheduled for 19 August, but due to professional obligations I postponed my trip until the next day, when Kostas Zindilis volunteered to accompany Haris Siamaris.
Exhibits on display.“The journey from Greece to Cyprus was by boat, bringing dozens of refugees from Cyprus.
“In Cyprus the government provided us with a car with a police escort, and our escort was Mr George Iakovos, later Foreign Minister, who was then in charge of refugees.
“We visited the camps at Dasaki Achna and Kolossi camps in Limassol.
Exhibits on display.“Even today, the tragic figures of the refugees who had flooded the forest, barefoot children sleeping under trees or in warm tents and cars, the queues for some food from the soup kitchens, with empty bottles waiting at the temporary tap for some water and other heartbreaking scenes still live in my mind, we all broke down at the pain of these thousands of people.
“Then we returned to Athens where we were met by the Cyprus Ambassador and saw the politicians Mr Panagiotis Kannelopoulos, Mr Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Mr Harilaos Florakis, Mr Mavros the Foreign Minister and others.
“Afterwards, we went to London where we were received by the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mr Assiotis, a fellow countryman of Mr Toumbouros.
“The next day we had a meeting with Archbishop Makarios at his hotel, lasting about two and a half hours. There the archbishop told us all the events before and after the coup, told us about the first phone call made to him by Mr Toumbouros, and the future plans after the invasion.”
Following the honouring of Panayiotis Yiannoudis the floor was given to protagonists of the war, who from that fateful day became refugees.
Andrea Dimitriou.The professor and poet Yannis Milides, the choir teacher Sotiris Sotiriou, the poet Andrea Demetriou and Dimitris Ioannou gave their personal testimonies.
