Greek President Calls for Freedom and Prosperity at Liberation Anniversary

by · Greek City Times

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas called for freedom, security, peace and prosperity for the people of Thessaloniki and Macedonia on Tuesday, as the city marked the 114th anniversary of its liberation from Ottoman rule.

Tasoulas delivered his message after an official doxology at the Church of Saint Demetrios, led by Archbishop Ieronymos, as Thessaloniki celebrated both its patron saint and the anniversary of its liberation.

“Today, Thessaloniki celebrates a double occasion. It celebrates its ever-vigilant guardian, Saint Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer, and the 114th anniversary of its liberation from approximately five centuries of Ottoman rule,” Tasoulas said.

He paid tribute to those who died to bring Macedonia and Thessaloniki into the Greek national fold, recalling the First Balkan War and the events of 114 years ago.

Read more: Thessaloniki Celebrates 114 Years Since Liberation from Ottoman Rule

“Today, we remembered how, 114 years ago, during the First Balkan War, our country, Greece, stood united before the book of its destiny and wrote a new chapter in its history,” he said. “That chapter brought the Greek flags and the Greek army back here, to Greek Macedonia.”

Tasoulas said Thessaloniki and Macedonia would continue to lead under the protection of Saint Demetrios and remain worthy of the freedom their people had won.

“Being worthy of freedom means security, peace, progress and prosperity for its people,” he said, before wishing the public well.

Officials attend Saint Demetrios service

Upon his arrival at the church, Tasoulas received a welcome from Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Houpis; Deputy Interior Minister for Macedonia and Thrace Kostas Gioulekas, representing the government; MP Dimitris Kouvelas, representing the Speaker of Parliament; Central Macedonia Deputy Regional Governor Konstantinos Gioutikas; Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis; and Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki. A military honour guard also paid tribute.

The service drew senior political figures, including main opposition leader and PASOK-KINAL president Nikos Androulakis; European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas; NIKI president Dimitris Natsios; and Maria Karystianou, president of Hope for Democracy.

Deputy ministers Stavros Kalafatis, Nikos Tachiaos, Elena Rapti, Anna Efthymiou and Nikos Papaioannou also attended, alongside MPs Stratos Simopoulos, Diamantis Golidakis, Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Fanis Papas, Petros Pappas, Rania Thraskia, Michalis Chourdakis and Giannis Amanatidis.

MEP Emmanouil Fragkos and Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) president and Ampelokipoi-Menemeni Mayor Lazaros Kyrizoglou also attended, among other officials.

(Source: AMNA)

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