Demetriou: ‘true patriotism means fighting for a better homeland’

Disy leader Annita Demetriou said on Wednesday that “patriotism means working for a better homeland”, as she called for a “free and reunified Cyprus”. Speaking at an event in Larnaca to mark the October 28 Oxi anniversary, Dimitriou said the defence of national interests requires “strategy, boldness and determination”. On the Cyprus problem, she repeated the party’s call for a Cyprus “without occupation troops or outdated guarantees”. She said Turkey “cannot expect preferential treatment from the European Union while it occupies European territory and breaches international law”. Demetriou recalled the Greek “No” of 1940 and said the resistance that followed showed that freedom, dignity and the defence of law depend on “the strength of a people’s resolve” rather than on the size of a state or the superiority of its weapons. She also cited Cyprus’ contribution to the Second World War, in which more than 30,000 volunteers took part. Dimitriou placed particular weight on the state’s duty to young people, saying the government should offer “quality education, affordable housing and decent salaries”, along with “real opportunities for professional and personal development”. She described the Oxi anniversary as more than an occasion for historical remembrance, saying it is also a reminder of responsibility towards future generations. “Let us not compromise with half a homeland. Let us not accept injustice as normality”, she concluded.