Emily Yiolitis defends comments on Cyprus using the Greek national anthem

Nicosia, Cyprus. Former justice minister Emily Yiolitis on Saturday defended her opposition to Cyprus using the Greek national anthem, saying critics had distorted her words and chosen to “sell pseudo-patriotism”.

Comments and clarification

In a podcast interview with Fidias Panayiotou, Yiolitis said, “I disagree with us having the national anthem of Greece”. She argued that Cyprus, as an independent state, should be regarded as a country in its own right, free of both Greece and Turkey.

In a post on Saturday, she said she honoured the anthem and the Eoka struggle. She described the “Hymn to Liberty” as “inextricably linked” to the history of Hellenism, adding that she neither questions nor renounces that history.

Her point, she said, was that “a reunified Cyprus, the product of a genuine agreement between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, could one day have a common anthem”. Such an anthem would “vindicate the sacrifices of Eoka fighters”, she wrote.

Yiolitis said she envisions a democracy of “one person, one vote” and would be glad if her remarks helped start a dialogue away from “bizonal, bicommunal federation-type rigidities”.

History of the anthem

Cyprus has used the Greek “Hymn to Liberty”, written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823, since 1966.

At independence in 1960, the constitution provided for a flag but made no mention of an anthem, and the two communities could not agree on one.

When Archbishop Makarios became president, the only anthem was a military march played at the general salute. When told that it resembled the Greek anthem, Makarios insisted it was Cypriot.