Greece has unveiled a 43 million euro (AU$69.09m) plan to revamp its biggest sports complex by 2023.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says he will use funds from the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund to overhaul the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA).
“I am delighted that after almost 20 years of inaction, this government has been able to invest the necessary funding to create a sustainable, state of the art sporting facility,” Mitsotakis said.
The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA)
The new renovations of the “Olympic Park”, including repairs to the roof, will provide training facilities for athletes and serve as a recreational outlet for the more than 20,000 visitors it currently receives on the weekends.
The famed roof over the football pitch, which was designed by award-winning architect Santiago Calatrava for the 2004 Summer Olympics, has been wearing out, Mitsotakis said.
The Games were followed by “disappointment that very important facilities were abandoned,” he added.
The OAKA sits on a 250-acre plot and hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2004
Mitsotakis says the 43 million euros is expected to be followed by an additional private investment of more than 100 million euros (AU$160.715) to overhaul the stadium by 2023.
The combined 143 million euros follows almost 200 million euros (AU$321.37 million) which has been already spent on maintaining the stadium since 2005, according to the Greek government.
The OAKA sits on a 250-acre plot and houses Greece’s largest football pitch and other sports venues and has been incurring losses after a protracted financial crisis.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will preside over a session of the National Council to discuss Turkey’s plans to reopen an abandoned suburb in Cyprus.
President Anastasiades describes Turkey’s plans as “illegal and unacceptable”.
“I want to send the strongest message to Mr Erdogan and his local proxies that the unacceptable actions and demands of Turkey will not be accepted,” Anastasiades said.
Δεν πρόκειται να γίνουν δεκτές οι απαράδεκτες αξιώσεις και εξαγγελίες της Τουρκίας. #live
— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) July 20, 2021
The United Kingdom says it will be discussing the issue as a matter of urgency with other Council members, saying it was “deeply concerned”.
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also threw his support in, writing on Twitter that the move “risks raising tensions on the island & compromising return to talks on a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue.”
It follows President Anastasiades’ phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and comes just days after the Greek Foreign Ministry in Athens issued a statement condemning Turkey’s plans to grant Varosha civilian status.
“Turkey must immediately stop its provocative and lawless behaviour and comply with international law,” a statement from the Ministry reads.
It added that the Greek and Cypriot governments will work for a “just and sustainable” peace settlement along the principle of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
The Ministry cited Turkey’s contraventions of United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, conclusions of the European Council, and calls from the international community, in their defence against the move.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar kicked off the chaos a few days ago with a two-day trip to Varosha to announce their decision to resettle civilians in 3.5 percent of the area.
President Erdogan reiterated his call for a “two-state solution” in Cyprus, while slamming the EU for rejecting the idea.
“We will not take their advice… We will do what we need to do,” President Erdogan said on Tuesday.
“The international community will sooner or later accept this reality,” he said during celebrations to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1974 war.
Varosha, a southern suburb of Famagusta, remained deserted since Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974 made the site a military zone and split the island.
Nobody but the Turkish military had been able to enter since the war until Turkish-Cypriot authorities opened a small area of the once-booming resort town for day visits in November last year.
On the morning of July 20, 1974, in the Cypriot town of Morphou, Charalambos Kokotsis was lying in bed listening to the radio when something unexpected happened.
“When the radio opened, the first thing they said was good morning, then what time the sunrise and sunset was, and then they put the music on for exercise,” Charalambos, who was 24 years old at the time, tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
“But suddenly they said they would stop the program because they had a special announcement. They said Turkey had invaded Cyprus and called everyone to go and serve for the country. Everybody ran out.”
Charalambos, along with his two brothers, were among those who went to fight against the Turkish army. He says it was scary as they were trying to say goodbye to their families and organise their weapons.
“I get my car and I go to a place close to Nicosia and I present myself. Many, many people were going there and everybody says, ‘give us a gun, give us a gun.’ The officer who was there says, ‘I’m sorry we haven’t got enough guns for everyone’,” Charalambos explains.
Charalambos Kokotsis as a soldier. Photo supplied.
“It was scary. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Too many things pass through your mind at the time.”
‘I saw people die’:
Despite this fear, Charalambos fought during the first Turkish invasion in July 1974, which lasted until a ceasefire was called, and later during the second Turkish invasion from August 16 – 17.
From this time, Charalambos is still able to recount one frightening incident where he, his best friend and fellow Cypriots were sent to a village to stop the Turks who were advancing from the hills.
Once there, everyone quickly stopped to wash themselves and fill their water bottles at a nearby house because it was a hot day. The Turks, meanwhile, were planning their next move.
“I went there [to the house], I wash myself, I fill my bottle and I get out. The last one there was my friend. But when I got out, I saw little chickens in a tunnel and I felt sorry for them because I thought, ‘they’re going to die.’ So I go back to the room and I look for food and I found a bag of wheat and I fed the little chickens,” the now 71-year-old remembers vividly.
“After doing that, maybe for about 20-30 seconds, I hear a bomb. I get out and I start running… I saw people die… My friend had blood running from his head to his neck.”
Some of the Cypriot fighters who lost their lives during the invasion. Photo supplied.
Charalambos was able to get his friend to a hospital to be treated for serious wounds and he says it was in that moment, while holding his friend’s helmet, that he came to an important realisation.
“I didn’t have a helmet on my head that day. If I was in his position, which I was supposed to be, I would’ve died. But when I went back to the room for the little chickens, that protected me,” he says with tears in his eyes.
Family reunion and moving to Australia:
This tale of survival saw Charalambos begin a journey to reunite with his family and fiancé. He didn’t return to the army camp that night as he found out his village had already been invaded by the Turks and he was worried about everyone he had left behind.
But luckily, after a long and dangerous journey, he was able to track down his fiancé, parents and in-laws in the mountains in the village of Lagoudera.
“They were in a store house, a big room, with maybe 25 people in there – young kids, fathers and grandfathers. It was amazing,” Charalambos says.
Over the next few months, Charalambos stayed in the mountains with his family until they returned to Limassol. Once there, Charalambos not only got married, but he was also forced to complete his army service for another 60 days to receive a completion certificate and leave the country.
Charalambos with his wife in Australia. Photo supplied.
Eventually, he applied to the Australian Embassy in Cyprus to go to Australia with his wife. They arrived in their new homeland in July 1976.
“We came to Australia and we had hope. But we were not speaking any English because I only finished primary school. My English was yes or no and I could count from one to ten. So what do you expect? To get the best job as a boss? You have to get the worst job in the factory,” he explains.
Despite having to work irregular hours, Charalambos says his life in Australia has still been very fruitful and he feels lucky.
‘I found the bones of your brother’:
In fact, some people might say Charalambos is luckier than most. That’s because he recently received some shocking news about his older brother, who went missing after leaving his wife and three children behind to fight during the Turkish invasion.
During investigations carried out by the Red Cross in Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, they were able to find the bones of Charalambos’ missing brother after 36 years.
“On the grave where they found my brother, there was seven Greek people. Most of them were 20, 21, 22 years old. The oldest one was my brother at 31 years old… and in his pocket, he had his driver’s license,” Charalambos says in disbelief.
“They took them from the grave, it took them four years to do the DNA and after that they phoned the relatives of my brother, his son.
Charalambos’ brother. Photo supplied.
“I get a call from my nephew and he says to me, ‘uncle, I found the bones of your brother and we’re doing the funeral on Saturday’.”
Charalambos was able to visit Cyprus to attend the funeral and although it provided him with a small sense of closure, he says he’s still disappointed with the way his brother’s death was handled.
“If the priest who buried my brother and the others… knows the place where he buried them, why didn’t he get their names? They have families, they have fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters. They should get their name and inform the government and their relatives,” he stresses.
“But nobody approaches you. Nobody tells you anything. There’s no support. Nothing. That is the biggest complaint I have.”
Powerful words from a man who has clearly endured plenty of happiness but also loss, and just wishes to see more Cypriot families reunited with their loved ones as well one day.
Over 400 people from Darwin’s Cypriot and Greek communities gathered over the weekend to mark the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
A special Divine Liturgy was held first on Sunday morning at St Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Darwin to commemorate the thousands of lives lost during the invasion.
During the service, youth dressed in traditional Cypriot costumes and holding flags stood proudly at the front as attendees watched on.
Youth at the church service. Photo: GOCNA / Facebook.
From there, people moved to the Cypriot Community of Northern Territory’s premises to take part in a memorial service, which was emceed by Harry Spirou.
In attendance were a number of officials and leaders from local Greek and Cypriot communities including, the NT Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, the NT Deputy Chief Minister, Nicole Manison, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of Northern Australia (GOCNA), Nicholas Poniris, and many others.
Memorial service. Photos: GOCNA / Facebook.
Attendees at the memorial service.
The President of the Cypriot Community, Helen Gordon, gave a small speech on the day explaining the history of the Turkish invasion and read a letter from the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, Martha Mavrommatis.
“It was a solemn day but full of pride. A lot of non-Cypriots turned up as well to show their respect and offer their sincere appreciation for Cypriots maintaining their history and keeping their dream alive to get their home back,” Mr Poniris, from GOCNA, tells The Greek Herald.
“It is sad that in this day and era we have this illegal activity take place and it is a travesty that the United Nations appears to have done nothing about it.”
When new restrictions kicked in on Monday in the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Government Area (LGA), residents were eager to abide by the rules, masking up and dutifully keeping their distance.
But there was one problem, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, and that was many residents seemed to have a different version of what the rules were.
Simon Lakis, the owner of Kylon Eatery in Hurlstone Park, told the SMH he initially thought he would have to close his cafe when tough new restrictions were announced for the LGA, because he lived in another unaffected part of Sydney.
He had begun ringing his employees telling them not to come to work when he was informed by a friend he could remain open.
Simon Lakis is the owner of Kylon Eatery in Hurlstone Park. Photo: Facebook.
“I was running around like a madman,” he recalled. “The government is doing everything they can …[but] the messages weren’t clear.”
Confusion and chaos have characterised the 72 hours since tougher restrictions were imposed on Canterbury-Bankstown, as well as Fairfield and Liverpool local government areas, the SMHreports.
On Monday, some residents were still under the belief they were ring-fenced inside the council area entirely, even though it has since emerged they can leave for exercise or essential shopping.
On Saturday, only healthcare and emergency services workers could depart the LGA for work but by Sunday that category had ballooned to include teachers and tow-truck drivers.
Gladys Berejiklian announced tougher COVID restrictions for three LGA’s on Saturday.
Others felt it was unfair that pockets that are relatively COVID-free are copping the same restrictions as the epicentre of the outbreak.
Suburbs such as Hurlstone Park, Earlwood, Croydon Park and Canterbury have barely a case between them and are a 28-kilometre drive from virus-ridden Fairfield.
One Hurlstone Park resident, Christian Garcia, who owns two butcheries at opposite ends of the area under stricter lockdown, told the SMH that while his store in Fairfield is struggling, there are a steady stream of customers in Hurlstone Park.
Mr Lakis told the media outlet he also felt fortunate.
“People here, they’re so good to us. They’ll come and get things they don’t need just to support us,” he concluded.
Divers have discovered rare remains of a military vessel in the ancient sunken city of Thônis-Heracleion – once Egypt’s largest port on the Mediterranean – and a funerary complex illustrating the presence of Greek merchants, the country said on Monday.
The city, which controlled the entrance to Egypt at the mouth of a western branch of the Nile, dominated the area for centuries before the foundation of Alexandria nearby by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.
Destroyed and sunk along with a wide area of the Nile delta by several earthquakes and tidal waves, Thônis-Heracleion was rediscovered in 2001 in Abu Qir bay near Alexandria, now Egypt’s second largest city.
A diver examines the remains of an ancient military vessel discovered in the Mediterranean sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, in this handout image released on July 19, 2021. Photo: The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Handout via REUTERS.
The military vessel, discovered by an Egyptian-French mission led by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), sank when the famed temple of Amun it was mooring next to collapsed in the second century BC.
A preliminary study shows the hull of the 25-metre flat-bottomed ship, with oars and a large sail, was built in the classical tradition and also had features of Ancient Egyptian construction, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities ministry said.
A fragment from the remains of an ancient military vessel discovered in the Mediterranean sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, is seen in this handout image released on July 19, 2021. Photo: The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Handout via REUTERS.
In another part of the city, the mission revealed the remains of a large Greek funerary area dating back to the first years of the 4th century BC, it said.
“This discovery beautifully illustrates the presence of the Greek merchants who lived in that city,” the ministry said, adding that the Greeks were allowed to settle there during the late Pharaonic dynasties.
“They built their own sanctuaries close to the huge temple of Amun. Those were destroyed, simultaneously and their remains are found mixed with those of the Egyptian temple.”
The only route to lasting peace on ethnically divided Cyprus is through the international community’s acceptance of two separate states on the east Mediterranean island nation, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Monday.
Erdogan said that a “permanent and sustainable solution” to the country’s division “can only be possible” by taking into account that there are “two separate states and two separate people.”
“The international community will sooner or later accept this reality,” Erdogan told Turkish Cypriot lawmakers in Cyprus’ breakaway north before celebrations to mark the 47th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines.
Erdogan giving his speech during a visit to occupied Cyprus.
Turkey’s 1974 invasion came in the wake of a Greek junta-backed coup that aimed at union with Greece. Only Turkey recognises a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and keeps 35,000 troops there.
In a 1983 resolution, the U.N. Security Council denounced the Turkish Cypriots’ secessionist move as legally invalid and called for its withdrawal. The European Union has also ruled out a two-state deal.
European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, said in Nicosia earlier this month that the 27 member-bloc which Cyprus joined in 2004 would “never, ever” accept such an arrangement.
But Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots say a two-state deal is the only way to peace because nearly five decades of negotiations based on forging a federation have led nowhere. They fault Greek Cypriots’ unwillingness to “accept the realities” and see Turkish Cypriots as “equal partners.”
Cyprus’ internationally recognised government seated in the island’s Greek Cypriot south says there can be no deviation from a 1977 deal to reach a formal peace accord by negotiating a federation made up of a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot zone.
But the majority Greek Cypriots object to Turkey’s demand for a permanent military presence on the island amid fears that it would turn the island into Ankara’s “protectorate.” They also push back against a Turkish Cypriot demand for veto rights, fearing Ankara’s meddling in Cypriot internal affairs.
Erdogan unveils plans for Turkish Cypriot ‘government’ complex:
During the same speech, Erdogan also promised Turkish Cypriots that Turkey would build a new government complex to symbolise the Turkish-occupied “state” of northern Cyprus, which he said the world would “sooner or later” recognise despite near universal opposition for now.
“The project work on the TRNC presidential complex has been completed and we will start construction soon, God willing,” Erdogan said, adding that the complex would include a new parliament.
“This is the expression of being a state. By realising this project some people must see what sort of a Northern Cyprus state there is.”
With New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in the grips of separate COVID outbreaks, there’s sure to be a bit to watch today. Here’s all the latest information we know so far from those states.
Victoria:
Victoria’s lockdown has been extended by seven days as health authorities battle an outbreak of the Delta strain of COVID-19.
Of the new cases, 12 have been linked to the current outbreaks and one is under investigation.
There were 49,454 test results received yesterday, and 17,083 vaccine doses were administered at state-run sites.
The lockdown was initially scheduled to end at midnight Tuesday, but Premier Daniel Andrews announced this morning it would continue until midnight on July 27.
“We need to avoid what is going on in Sydney at the moment, and we are determined to do that,” he said.
“The speed with which this has moved through the Victorian community confirms that we did the right thing to lock down, and it also sadly confirms that we need more time.”
South Australia:
South Australia will go into lockdown from 6:00pm tonight, after health authorities confirmed the state’s outbreak is the Delta strain. The lockdown will last for seven days.
They have so far identified five cases linked to the current cluster.
The fifth case was identified in a diner who went to The Greek on Halifax restaurant on Saturday night at the same time as a contact of the original case — a man who came back from Argentina earlier this month.
“We hate putting these restrictions in place but we believe we have one chance to get this right,” Mr Marshall said.
A fourth case was announced earlier this morning, but Mr Marshall said the fifth case — not from among the original family — was “far more worrying.”
“We have no alternative but to impose some fairly heavy and immediate restrictions to come in — at 6:00pm tonight South Australia moves into lockdown,” the Premier said.
From 6:00pm, the only reasons to leave home will be to care for someone, for essential work, to purchase essential goods such as food, exercise with people from the same household and healthcare — including COVID testing and vaccination.
Support for businesses is expected to be announced tomorrow.
SA will enter a lockdown from 6pm tonight.
Schools will be closed from tomorrow with a 24-hour transition period in place for teachers to arrange at-home learning.
Among the exposure sites is also Gaganis Bros in Hindmarsh from 1:00pm–2:30pm on Friday, July 16.
Late on Monday, Gaganis Bros announced on their Facebook page that they will be “closed until further notice” and they are “working closely with SA Health” to be able to reopen as soon as possible.
New South Wales:
NSW recorded 78 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday. 21 of those cases were infectious while in the community.
Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said the number would have been “much higher if people weren’t doing the right thing.”
The Premier praised the south-west Sydney local government areas (LGA) of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown — which are under enhanced lockdown orders — for their high rates of testing.
NSW recorded 78 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today.
Chief health officer, Kerry Chant, said however, there was an emerging risk in the Canterbury-Bankstown region and asked residents there to minimise their contact with others.
“That covers Belmore, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Yagoona,” Dr Chant said.
“My reason is, that there are a number of cases there, and there are also a number of exposure sites in that area.”
Dr Chant said contact tracers were also finding unlinked cases all across Greater Sydney and were of “significant concern.”
The areas singled out by Dr Chant were Hurstville, Kogarah, Merrylands, Greystanes, Auburn, Rooty Hill and Georgetown.
More than 63,000 tests were conducted in the reporting period.
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has called for justice for Cyprus on the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the island.
In a statement, Ms Berejiklian extended her support to the Australian Cypriot and Hellenic communities as they commemorate the invasion today.
The Premier also acknowledged the contribution made by the Cypriot community to Australian society, stressing how Cypriot migrants “have worked hard over five generations to keep their culture and language alive in Australia.”
Greece is in mourning today after popular Greek folk singer, songwriter and actor, Tolis Voskopoulos, passed away on Monday at the age of 80.
Voskopoulos died in an Athens hospital of cardiac arrest, a few days shy of his 81st birthday and several weeks after being hospitalised with respiratory problems, Greek media reported.
The first person to release a statement was Greek Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, who wrote: “Tolis Voskopoulos was fortunate to be appreciated by his colleagues and adored by the public.”
“He was a true popular idol, a talented, intelligent performer who created a different, particular kind of entertainment on the stage,” Mendoni continued.
Ο Τόλης Βοσκόπουλος σφράγισε με τον δικό του αυθεντικό τρόπο τη λαϊκή μας μουσική. Έζησε όπως τραγούδησε, τραγούδησε όπως έζησε και με τον ίδιο τρόπο έφυγε: "ανεπανάληπτος", όπως θα λένε για πάντα οι μελωδικοί του στίχοι. Η σκέψη μας, στην οικογένειά του.
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) July 19, 2021
For his part, Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also mourned the loss of the folk singer on Twitter.
He “lived as he sang, sang as he lived and in the same way he left: ‘unrepeatable,’ as his melodic lyrics will say forever,” Mitsotakis wrote, using the title of one of Voskopoulos’ songs.
The Greek public and of course, a number of Greek singers who looked up to Voskopoulos also expressed their sadness at his passing, including Anna Vissi, Konstantinos Argyros and George Dalaras.
Voskopoulos is being mourned in Greece today.
“He was the last of his generation! A man with a special temperament in his personal and artistic life,” Dalaras said on Facebook.
His wife, Angela Gerekou, who is a former minister and current head of the Greek Tourist Organisation, wrote simply on Facebook, “Thank You,” to show her appreciation to everyone for their support as she and their daughter, Maria Voskopoulou, grieve.
Who was Tolis Voskopoulos?
Born in Greece’s main port city of Piraeus on July 26, 1940, to parents who were refugees from Asia Minor, Voskopoulos was the youngest of 12 children and the only boy.
He began his career as an actor, first appearing on stage at the age of 18 in 1953, and made his film debut a few years later in 1963.
His first major musical success was considered to be the 1968 song “Agonia,” composed by Giorgos Zambetas, which sold more than 300,000 copies, a record-breaking figure for Greek music at the time.
He continued producing major hits over the following decades, and became known as “prince” to his legions of fans. His last stage performance was in February 2020, when he sang alongside his daughter Maria to celebrate 60 years of his career.
