The Deputy Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikolaos Hardalias attended, yesterday, Wednesday, June 8, 2022, as a representative of the Prime Minister of the Greek Government, at the anniversary party on “1922: Historical Memory and Lessons”, which took place at the Amphitheater of the Icarus School, at Dhekelia Air Base.

At the event, organized by the Alumni Association of Ikaros School “IKAROS” under the auspices of the General Staff of Aviation, speakers were the Deputy Minister of Education & Religions Mr. Angelos Syrigosthe former Minister of Education Mr. Petros Efthymiouthe General Secretary of the Foundation of the Greek Parliament Mr. Evanthis Hadjivassiliouthe Emeritus Professor of Panteion University Mr. Athanasios Diamantopoulosthe Professor of the Icarus School Mr. Konstantinos Lagos, the President of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Athens Mr. Eleftherios Skiadas and the Lieutenant General (I) e.a. Βαρδής – Panagiotis Papadakis. The event was coordinated by the Journalist Mr. Ioannis Skalkos.

The Parliamentary Parties were represented by the Deputy Minister of Immigration & Asylum, Mr. Sofia Voultepsi (SW), the Member of Parliament B2΄ Western Sector of Athens and DD Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Dimitrios Vitsas (SYRIZA), him Vice Admiral (I) e.a. Thomas Chatziathanassiou (PASOK-KINAL), the Squadron Leader (I) e.a. Grigoris Symeonidis (KKE) and the Member of the Central Committee Mr. Ioannis Baraiktari (DAY 25).

Also present were: Chief of General Staff Vice Admiral (I) Themistoklis Bourolias as a representative of the Chief of General Staff Constantine Floros and in active and in retirement senior and senior Officers of the Armed Forces and Security Forces.

The Deputy Minister of National Defense, in his greeting stated the following:

“Representing the Greek Government and conveying the personal greeting of the Prime Minister, I feel special honor to participate in today’s event organized by the Icarus School Alumni Association, on the subject of historical memory and the teachings of 1922, a landmark for Hellenism everywhere.

A century is completed this year by the greatest national disaster in the history of the modern Greek state, the Asia Minor Catastrophe, a tragedy that uprooted the long-standing Greek presence in Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace in a dramatic, violent and tragic way.

The great calamity is composed, among others, of the collapse of the Asia Minor Front, the martyrdom marches of the prisoners to the interior of the East, the massacres, the looting, the atrocities against the Greek and Armenian Christians, the expulsion of the their hearths and of course the burning of Smyrna.

Much has been written about the events of that tragic year. But whatever is written will never be enough to capture the indescribable suffering, barbarity and persecution faced by the Hellenism of Asia Minor, from the abyss of the Turks.

The inhabitants who were then expelled by force from the Ionian land, Pontus, Cappadocia, Thrace and other areas, arrived in poor Greece to continue their lives as refugees, with their only dowry being pain and misery.

Despite the integration difficulties they faced and the suspicion with which they were sometimes surrounded by local communities, hundreds of thousands of talented and creative people with a high level of education and culture and armed with hard work, perseverance, entrepreneurship and appeal to trade and sciences, began a new life, bringing to their new “homeland” the wisdom of a culture of three thousand years.

What they managed to do was to finally create an active bourgeoisie, fruitfully grafting on their traditions and culture to the modern Greek culture of the 20th century, giving breath and impetus to the faltering Greek state.

In this way, the coveted national homogeneity was achieved, the rural areas came to life, the economy, literature, letters, arts were revived and stimulated and the demographic composition of the Greek population was given breath, thickening it in sparsely populated and decadent areas.

In this way, the catastrophe of 1922 was transformed into a social and economic triumph, which is the greatest peaceful achievement of the modern Greek state and proves beyond doubt the indomitable will, the inexhaustible mental endurance and the greatness of the Greek soul.

Today’s event is an excellent opportunity for historical revival and national self-knowledge, which will allow us to reflect on the inseparable unity that connects the past, present and future of Hellenism, drawing knowledge and receiving messages of optimism, hope, faith and commitment. .

As Greeks, we must keep alive in our collective memory, the contribution of Hellenism in Asia Minor in the preservation of our national, spiritual and cultural consciousness.

Our goal can be none other than to continue our rich historical path, to project our moral stature, to keep unchanged our traditional timeless values ​​and ideally, to reorganize internally and to look to the future, with a vision and optimism.

After all, the power of the Nation, to face all kinds of calamities with heroism and courage, makes the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the subsequent refuge a beacon of light and a springboard of national dignity and pride, which helps to draw models and examples, looking forward to the awakening. Hellenism, for future progress, prosperity and development.

Dear friends,

Today, 100 whole years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor, the Homeland is called to face with reliability and effectiveness, a set of complex and multidimensional challenges, dangers and threats, in a way that fully secures its national sovereignty. rights.

Against us, unfortunately, we have a Turkey which is displaying, an ever-intensifying provocative behavior, with aggressive rhetoric, with threats of use of military force, with unbelievable and non-existent theories for claiming land or sea space, actions that constitute of the United Nations and are in no way in line with the friendly and good neighborly relations that the country has been pursuing over time.

To this certainly counterproductive stance, Greece responds with prudence and composure, without being carried away by Ankara’s extreme rhetoric and provocative actions, actively affirming and exercising its sovereign rights under the rules of international law.

Concluding this brief post, I would like to assure you that the country’s Armed Forces, with their constant operational readiness, but also their high combat power, are the undisputed key Pillar of National Power, playing a very critical and demanding role. on the one hand to preserve the national independence and the territorial integrity of the Homeland and on the other hand to contribute with their uninterrupted contribution to the Greek society, always giving a dynamic presence in every critical, for the preservation of the social cohesion, sector.

Thank you”.