Amathus, Cyprus. Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said memory is preserved through people rather than monuments at a remembrance event on Saturday honouring those killed and missing during the 1974 Turkish invasion.
He said the tragedy of 1974 began not with the invasion on July 20, but with the preceding coup and the collapse of constitutional order.
Coup and invasion
Charalambides condemned the coup as an attack on democracy and warned against the belief that violence could replace popular will.
He said this historical assessment did not diminish Turkey’s responsibility, adding that the coup and invasion demonstrated the dangers of a country being wounded from within and threatened from without.
Those killed and missing
Referring to those who died, Charalambides said their sacrifice reflected a decision to stand firm during a period of fear and uncertainty.
He described the fate of Cyprus’ missing persons as among the most painful aspects of the tragedy, referring to parents who died waiting and mothers who kept photographs for decades.
He said establishing the truth about every missing person was an act of justice, humanity and duty.
Remembrance
Charalambides said remembrance is carried through names, photographs and communities rather than physical structures.
“Memory does not reside in monuments. It resides in people,” he said.