Memorial services held for EOKA leader Grigoris Afxentiou in Cyprus

On Sunday, memorial services were held across Cyprus to honor Grigoris Afxentiou, the second-in-command of the EOKA resistance organization during the 1955–1959 struggle. President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou attended a ceremony at the Holy Cross Church in Pano Polemidia, organized by the Zidros National Association. In her speech, Demetriou emphasized the need for national defense, highlighted the support of the Greek government, and stated that Cyprus remains a factor of stability in the region while avoiding direct participation in military conflicts. Concurrently, former Minister of Defense Charalambos Petridis attended a memorial at the Apostle Andreas Church in Aglantzia. Petridis paid tribute to Afxentiou as a symbol of freedom and criticized recent public discourse questioning the circumstances of the hero's death. Both officials stressed the historical importance of the EOKA struggle and called for national unity in the face of modern geopolitical challenges.