President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday visited an exhibition in Athens entitled ‘Famagusta 3.5%’ by journalist Soteris Danezis.
The exhibit shows that closed off area of Varosha, which the Turkish Cypriot side decided to open a small portion of over four years ago.
“We are here today to honour the unique work, the important work of the excellent journalist and long-time friend of Cyprus, Soteris Danezis. Such events, especially in the heart of the Greek capital dedicated to our suffering Cyprus, cannot but mobilise our common memory and sculpt our common national memory and consciousness,” he said.
He added that this year marks a “tragic” milestone in Cyprus, with the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion.
“Half a century later, the memory and the pain of that dark summer continue to be the bane of our existence. Half a century later, Famagusta, ‘a city within the barbed wire’, stands silent, imprisoned, patiently enduring the return of its uprooted inhabitants, the voices of its children, the presence of its own people,” he said.
Speaking about the artist and his exhibit, Christodoulides said: “ The photography and multimedia exhibition “Famagusta 3.5%” created by Soteris Danezis, a renowned journalist, war correspondent, documentary filmmaker, photographer and producer of audiovisual works, not only reminds us of the results of the ongoing occupation, but also testifies to our obligation towards our homeland.”
