ATHENS – Greek Cypriots, Greeks, and Philhellenes filled the Metropolis Cathedral of Athens Saturday morning, July 20 for a memorial service honoring the victims of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus.

President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou was among those present – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was in Cyprus for a historic visit to mark the 50^th dark anniversary of the tragic events of 1974 that caused pain that lingers in the hearts and minds of Hellenes everywhere and had consequences that remain in the form an occupation by some 30,000 Turkish troops that not also assaults the dignity of Cypriots but continually threaten even more attrocities than those of the past.

Also present and addressing the gathering was Athens mayor Haris Doukas and an official from Cyprus, both of whom expressed outrage over the actions of the past and hope for the re-unification of Cyprus in the future.