President Nikos Christodoulides stressed on Wednesday the importance of passing on the legacy of Eoka’s liberation struggle to younger generations during commemorations at Apostolos Varnavas cathedral in Nicosia.

Taking to social media, Christodoulides wrote that “virtue and courage require deep knowledge”.

He further stressed that teaching the sacrifices of those who fought for Cyprus’ independence from Britain does not undermine efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem but reinforces respect for historical identity.

At the same time, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that “we honour the memory, the sacrifice, the struggle of one of the most glorious chapters of our modern history. We have an obligation to convey and pass on this episode to the younger generations.”

President Nikos Christodoulides arriving at the cathedral

Eoka, formed in 1955 under the leadership of General George Grivas, launched an armed campaign against British colonial rule with the aim of achieving union with Greece.

The period, known to the colonial government at the time as the Cyprus Emergency, saw violence directed at British forces as well as intercommunal tensions between both Eoka and the Turkish Cypriot paramilitary faction, the Turkish resistance organisation (TMT), led by Rauf Denktash.