Nikos Hristodulidis praises EOKA during commemoration ceremony

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Hristodulidis has defended and praised the activities of EOKA, a group responsible for attacks against Turkish Cypriots between 1955 and 1974. Speaking at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of EOKA member Kyriakos Matsis, Hristodulidis stated that the state has a responsibility to pass the history of the group to new generations.

“We are obligated to tell our children about the struggle of EOKA,” Hristodulidis said. He rejected arguments that teaching this history would hinder a solution to the Cyprus problem. EOKA was established with the goal of Enosis, the unification of Cyprus with Greece, and conducted armed activities against British colonial rule while also targeting the Turkish Cypriot community. The group's successor, EOKA-B, played a role in the July 1974 coup supported by the Greek junta.