Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech to Turkish military troops on Monday, declaring his support for the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, while also stating that if Turkish forces had advanced further south in 1974, Cyprus would be fully Turkish now.
“Half a century ago, the Turkish Cypriots came back from the brink of genocide. In the Peace Operation of 1974, 498 of our soldiers from all corners of the country, officers, non-commissioned officers and civilians, were martyred”, President Erdogan said.
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking on the Cyprus issue.
“…Despite all the pressures, if it were not for Turkey’s intervention, neither the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus nor the Turkish Cypriots would exist today. In fact, perhaps if we had pushed south, and I say this as a child of the present, there would be no more south and north and Cyprus would be completely ours.”
Greeks around the country celebrated the Clean Monday holiday in traditional fashion, with outdoor activities including kite-flying and picnics, traditional Lenten foods, music, and dancing.
While many people left the city to spend the long weekend in the countryside, municipalities in Attica hosted festivities for those who remained, providing free food, entertainment, and, in some cases, free kites and kite workshops for children.
Filopappou Hill in downtown Athens was once again a popular destination for Athenians, with Athens Mayor Haris Doukas paying a visit earlier in the day.
Athenians dance and listen to live music as they attend the Clean Monday festivities organized by the Municipality of Athens on March 18. Photo: Dimitris Mitsakos/Intime News.
According to Ekathimerini, nearly all the municipalities offered some outdoor musical event starting at 11 a.m. or noon, mostly of traditional or popular Greek music, as well as traditional dancing.
Athenians gather at the park of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Kallithea in southern Athens to picnic and fly kites. Photo: Nikos Panagiotopoulos/Intime News.
Free kites and kite workshops take place for children. Photo: Ekathimerini.
The Flour-throwing custom (Alevropolemos), takes place on Clean Monday and is unique to Galaxidi. Photo: Ekathimerini.
The revelry, dancing, and flour-throwing continue until late in the evening. Photo: Ekathimerini.
The highlight of Clean Monday is the famed Flour-throwing custom (Alevromoutzouromata, literally meaning “flour smearings”), which takes place on the day, and is unique to Galaxidi, when carnival-goers paint their faces with soot and colors and engage in flour-throwing battles.
The custom is thought to have originated in the Byzantine era, but others believe that Greek sailors discovered it on the shores of Sicily and brought it back to Galaxidi.
The Prince Henry Centre in Little Bay, Sydney, was abuzz with excitement on Saturday, March 16, as it hosted the book launch for Ekato, Volume One of the 100-year history of the Kytherian Association of Australia (KAA).
Authored by social historian Vasilis Vasilas, Ekato delves into the first 50 years of the KAA’s centenary journey from 1922 to 2022.
(L-R): Rene Panagiotelis and Vasilis Vasilas.(L-R) Andrew Malanos, Vasilis Vasilas, Barbara Zantiotis, Theodora Gianniotis.
With 140 attendees gracing the occasion, the event was a testament to the enduring legacy of the KAA.
Barbara Zantiotis, President of the KAA and the first female to hold the position, kicked off the afternoon by extending warm welcomes to dignitaries, including the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yiannis Mallikourtis, Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, and Mayor of Waverly Council, Paula Masselos. The gathering also witnessed the presence of notable figures featured in the book, such as former presidents, descendants of founding members, and past board members.
Barbara Zantiotis kicked off the official proceedings.
Among the esteemed guests were former presidents Emmanuel Sklavos, John Prineas, George Vardas, Peter Vanges, Emmanuel Varipatis, Victor Kepreotis, and Emmanuel Alfieris. Their families graced the occasion, representing a living connection to the rich history of the KAA. Also present were descendants of founding members, including Emmanuel Cassimatis, son of one of the KAA’s founders and first President Cosmas Cassimatis; Angela Cominos, daughter of Basil Feros, first secretary of the founding committee and also second president; Vicky Haniotis, daughter of Peter Haniotis, the ninth president; Matina Aroney (nee Coroneos) and her sister Olga, two of the very first females on the board of directors in 1961; and Jim Cassimatis, son of Nicholas Cassimatis who served as the eleventh president.
Past Presidents with the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yiannis Mallikourtis (centre).Official guests.
In a speech, Bishop Iakovos conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to the Association, followed by the Consul General’s commendation of the KAA’s rich history and its ability to blend traditions while embracing new ones in the Australian context. He also praised the Association’s philanthropic endeavours that supported various causes in Greece including earthquake relief support for his place of origin Kefalonia.
Consul GeneralBishop Iakovos
Ms Zantiotis then presented copies of the book to both the Consul General and Bishop Iakovos before introducing a panel discussion moderated by Theodora Gianniotis and featuring author Mr Vasilas and contributor Rene Panagiotelis.
Panel discussion.
Mr Vasilas shed light on the extensive research process, spanning two years of meticulously examining KAA meeting minutes, handwritten in Greek, to unveil the Association’s evolving priorities and personalities. Former librarian and fact-checker for the book, Ms Panagiotelis discussed the exhaustive process of corroborating facts and matching photographs to specific time periods, drawing from both public archives and private collections.
She recounted one occasion when she sought to match a photograph of Paddington Town Hall before its renovation in the “Art Deco” style. It entailed meticulously reviewing over 150 pages of council heritage documents before successfully identifying the image of the building.
The panellists emphasised the invaluable role of historical newspapers, particularly The Greek Herald (formerly Hellenic Herald), in providing insights into the social fabric surrounding the KAA and filling in gaps that were not detailed in the Association’s meeting minutes. They also highlighted the KAA’s significant contributions to media, faith, and philanthropy, notably its instrumental role in establishing the first Greek Orthodox Church in NSW, the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church (Aghia Triada) in Surry Hills.
The panel emphasised the pivotal role of women in organising large-scale social events, attracting 700 to 1,000 attendees in a time before the internet and social media times. They highlighted how these gatherings, marked as significant dates in the wider Greek community’s calendars, showcased the women of the KAA’s essential contributions.
The event concluded with Mr Vasilas, Despina Dimopoulos, designer of the centenary logo, and Nathan Vagias, Vice President of the Kytherian Youth Association who named the book Ekato, being honoured with commemorative centenary medallions. Rene and Theodora also received flowers and gifts.
Mr Vasilas and Ms Panagiotelis ceremoniously cut a cake adorned with the book cover design, marking the memorable afternoon at the seaside venue.
Attendees were offered afternoon tea as they reflected on the rich tapestry of Kytherian heritage.
The book launch of Ekato not only commemorated the centenary milestone of the KAA, but also served as a testament to the enduring legacy of a community bound by tradition, resilience, and a shared commitment to preserving its cultural heritage for generations to come.
It was a preseason friendly but with friends in every sense of the word. That was my experience last Friday, March 15, on a warm balmy night in Melbourne’s west. Westvale Olympic FC, proudly Hellenic but with a distinct multicultural flavour, was hosting Malvern FC in a pre-season friendly match.
I first visited this ground in Melbourne’s west last year. It was for football but not for the immediate reason one might think. Westvale Olympic was not playing that day nor was my son (Lee) involved in a match, albeit that was the reason for my visit the other night. But more on that shortly.
My visit last year to this great club was to present a trophy as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission to the winner of the Nepalese football tournament. Living in the east of Melbourne, it was somewhat of a discovery journey for me.
On arrival last year I met Westvale president, George Loulakis. George was pale and looked tired. The reason for this as I later found out was because only weeks earlier he had suffered a major heart attack. Nevertheless George was at the Club that day working tirelessly as he was hosting this tournament. He had opened the doors of the club at no cost to support other communities. The Nepalese loved George. He was generous and avoided the limelight. He was genuinely interested in assisting this community as well as many others as he understood the significance of how sport unites us and provides a safe home.
Westvale Olympic team. Photo: Facebook.
Covid has been tough on Westvale Olympic. It had lost a lot of players and teams but George was ambitious to rebuild it. Its social club proudly displayed its Hellenic history along with its trophies and many achievements.
Last week my son (who is undertaking VCE) played for Malvern FC’s reserves in a friendly match against Westvale Olympic.
As I entered the Cub last week I could smell the Greek food and I could hear the Greek language spoken in different pockets of the ground by various elderly gentlemen. As I walked to the sidelines of the pitch I heard a gentleman say to me “Ela Vasili welcome back.” I didn’t recognise him. The gentleman continued and said to me “it’s me, George.”
I looked at him and said “President, is that you? You are a different person. You look amazingly fit and well. You’ve had a great recovery from last year.”
And so we restarted our conversation from last year. George spoke about the 50 year celebrations for the Club. George proudly pointed to the trophies and to the fact that this Club was one large family. He said “we look after one another and I have a board of 14 hardworking people helping me.”
I said to George “you have some great players particularly some of the African lads.”
George replied “they are all local people and they feel at home here. And for the first time I have a women’s team. We are happy with what we have and I am confident about our success.”
George then introduced me to Spiros who said to me “my son too plays at Westvale Olympic but for the wheelchairs team.” I was unaware of that. I thought South Melbourne Hellas had the only wheelchair team in Victoria. Spiros said to me with pride, “I hope my son plays for Australia. He scored a great goal for Westvale the other day.”
My son’s game ended in a draw. We finished equals with Westvale Olympic which ironically was the message inherent in George’s ethos about the Club. We are all equals with the Hellenic spirit of filoxenia ever present.
Greek communities across Australia are gearing up to celebrate Greek Independence Day on Monday, March 25th.
This special day commemorates the start of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821 and is a time for Greeks to come together and represent their culture and heritage through various festivities.
With a wide variety of events planned for this special day in Greek history, The Greek Herald has a rundown of what’s happening around Australia.
New South Wales:
In New South Wales, there are several celebrations taking place.
On Sunday, March 24, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) in conjunction with the Parishes-Communities of NSW of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, will be holding a Greek Independence Day march to the Sydney Opera House.
This event is a crowd favourite in the Greek community of Sydney and is being held for the first time since 2020, when it was first cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An event will be held at the Sydney Opera House.
The event on March 24 will begin with a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony at 1pm at the Martin Place Cenotaph in Sydney. The march to the Opera House will then follow at 2:30 pm, with formalities and entertainment.
Amongst council celebrations in Burwood, Canterbury-Bankstown and Marrickville, AHEPA NSW will also be holding its annual Greek Independence Day event on Wednesday, March 27. The event will be held at AHEPA NSW Hall in Rockdale from 7pm.
Victoria:
To celebrate Greek Independence Day in Victoria, the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) is hosting its annual 25thMarch Dinner Dance. Held on Friday, March 22 at 6:30 pm at the Panarcadian Association Hall, attendees will be given the opportunity to enjoy a sit-down meal with friends and family before hitting the dance floor. The Greek band ‘Anagennisi’ band will be performing laiko-style Greek songs everyone knows and loves to dance to.
An annual parade will also be held by the Victorian Council for Greek National Day on Sunday, April 14, at Lakeside Stadium. This event invites members of the community to come together and march for the national Greek holiday. Archbishop Makarios of Australia is expected to make an appearance, along with representatives from state and federal governments.
Kids dressed in traditional costumes holding Greek flags. Photo copyright The Greek Herald / Giorgos Psomiadis.
The Pammessinian Brotherhood of Melbourne – “Papaflessas” is also hosting a Greek Independence Day gala in St Kilda, Victoria. The 65th Annual Independence Day Greek Dance will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the St Kilda’s Town Hall ballroom, and will feature a live Greek music performance by Omados, a Melbourne band who perform traditional dance music from all over Greece.
South Australia:
In South Australia, the Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc (GOSCA) is also hosting a special event to commemorate the Greek national day – The Greek Independence Day Memorial Service and Celebration. It will takeplace on Sunday, March 24.
The Greek community in South Australia is invited to attend the Liturgy and Doxology at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael & Gabriel from 8 am, and following this, at 11 am, there will be a memorial service and wreath laying ceremony held at the courtyard of the Cathedral.
The celebration will then continue from 12pm at Olympic Hall, where people will be able to attend a special lunch and students from GOCSA’s Greek Schools will perform poems and songs. There will also be traditional dance performances by GOCSA Dance Academy too.
Australian Capital Territory:
In honour of Greek Independence Day, the nation’s capital is also putting on a series of events to celebrate.
For the first time, the Hellenic Club of Canberra at Woden is holding ‘Greek Week’ from Monday, March 19 to Monday, March 25. Members of the community are invited to enjoy all things Greek from food, wine, music, performances and more.
On each day of the week-long celebrations there will be Greek food specials at the Hellenic Club, a $5 Ouzotini, Greek café sweets on offer and free koulourakia with coffee purchases.
Throughout this event, there will also be a Greek Themed Trivia on Tuesday, March 19, Greek Wine Tasting on Wednesday, March 20, a Greek Night with DJ Stav at Fillos on Thursday, March 21, Greek Wine Tasting on Friday, March 22, the ENDOURO Fight Series with two headlining Greek fighters on Saturday, March 23, a screening of the Greek theatre show – Omorfi Poli (with English subtitles) on the Sunday, March 24, and finally, on Monday, March 25, there will be performances by the Hellenic Dancers and Kefi Band.
Another event taking place will be on Sunday, March 30, where the Greek community in Canberra will host their formal festivities. The day will start with a church service at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Kingston, then a presentation of poems and a song from students of the Greek School of Canberra. To follow will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Greek War memorial at 12 pm.
On Saturday, March 16, the Panachaian Philanthropical Association (PPA) hosted a special event to mark the end of Apokries.
The event ‘Patrino Karnavali’ was held for its 46th year at The Grand Roxy in Brighton-Le-Sands, Sydney and featured plenty of fun and entertainment for all to enjoy.
This year’s event highlights included performances by a Brazilian dance group and a sit-down dinner. Children and adults were dressed up in colourful costumes, whilst there was a dance competition for little kids and an awards ceremony for the most creative costumes.
People of all ages attended the Patrino Karnavali.
The Brazilian dancers.
Katerina Vetsikas, the President of the PPA, gave a speech on the night, welcoming and thanking everyone for attending the annual event.
“Thank you to all who contributed to us hosting this unforgettable, colourful, and spectacular Patras Carnival night in Sydney,” Ms Vetsikas said.
“Congratulations to all the people who dressed up… and congratulations to all the winners.”
Manasis Dance Group in Melbourne held a vibrant Apokries celebration at Vanila Café in Oakleigh, showcasing the spirit of the Greek Carnival.
Dimosthenis Manasis told The Greek Herald that Apokries have the opportunity to engage students of all levels “by introducing them to dances that don’t require complex choreography.”
Apokries in Melbourne. All photos: The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
It isn’t just the students that were engaged by the festivities, but also the diners around Eaton Mall who were treated to some shenanigans from Greek villages like Ampelia and Kleidonia, as well as Shahino, north of Thessaloniki.
Manasis believes that understanding the origins and symbolism of these customs fosters a deeper connection to Greek culture.
“Many of these customs adapted to Christianity and that is how they survived,” he said.
He hopes the same rings true through dances like Apokries, where the focus is less on learning the choreography and more about fun.
The event catered to people of all ages.
“The celebratory atmosphere and educational component create a sense of belonging and cultural connection for young participants,” he said, admiring the enthusiasm of his attendees and joking they were like his “personal rent-a-crowd.”
“Going to Greece to see Apokries from up close, especially in Naoussa, is a dream for me… But I don’t want to leave them. And the dances have become a tradition for our school.”
He may never have had the opportunity to visit Greece during carnival time but the vibrancy of his Apokries party transported those present to the birthplace of these traditions.
On Sunday, March 17 at the Verbrugghen Hall of the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, the acclaimed Greek musician and composer Manolis Androulidakis performed.
He took to the stage to perform ‘Greek Music On Six Strings‘, a special show as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney.
Androulidakis, who is renowned for his talent of playing classical guitar, delivered an acoustic music recital concert that transported the audience to Greece. He performed classic songs from the Zorba dance, to hits from Greek cinema that many know and love.
Another performance which took Androulidakis to the stage was the ‘Echoes of Freedom: A Tribute to the Songs of the Struggle.’ This took place on Friday, March 15, and was a concert dedicated to legendary Greek composers and musicians whose works resonate with themes of freedom, democracy, and social justice.
He performed hits from Greek composers including Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Stavros Xarhakos, Yannis Markopoulos, Christos Leontis, Dionysis Savvopoulos, and Manos Loizos.
As well as playing classical guitar, Androulidakis also sung many of these classics.
The Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen‘s Association held an event for Greek National Day on Sunday, March 17 at the Holy Monastery of “Axion Esti” in Northcote, Victoria.
The event included a church service and wreath laying ceremony which was attended by a number of official guests including the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis; Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta; and Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous MP; as well as a number of Presidents of local Greek and Cypriot communities, and school delegations.
The church service. Photos: Supplied.
After the wreath laying ceremony, officials and members of the Australian Greek Ex-Servicemen’s Association attended a function in the church hall.
Bishop Evmenios kicked off the luncheon with a blessing of the food, and this was followed by a speech from the Consul General.
Speeches were made at the church hall. Photo: Supplied.
Speeches were recited in the church hall. Photo: Supplied.
The Consul General referred to the Greek Revolution from a different perspective and approach. He was followed by Anthi Sidiropoulos, representing the Greek Community of Melbourne, who delivered a brief greeting and made a small reference to the Greek Revolution.
Lastly, after the outgoing President Mr Dourios thanked the attendees and the new board, new President Nikolaos Makridis spoke and provided a more detailed account of some of the 123 attempts at revolution by Greeks during the 400 years of slavery.
Uber has agreed to pay $271.8 million to Australian taxi and hire car drivers, operators and licence holders to compensate them for losing income and licence values when the rideshare giant moved into the Australian market.
More than 8,000 taxi and hire car owners are part of the class action suit, which was filed in 2019. The lawsuit alleges that Uber Australia and its parent companies knowingly operated illegally and therefore had an unfair advantage over taxi and hire car drivers who were complying with the law.
Lead plaintiff, Nick Andrianakis, described the settlement as a win for small businesses, taxi drivers, and operators within the taxi and hire car industry.
Uber is set to pay more than $200 million. Photo: Britannica.
“I’ve lost my passion for work,” Mr Andrianakis said.
“I lost my [taxi licence] plates that were half a million dollars each. And I lost my income that provided food on the table for my family.”
Mr Andrianakis said he was previously forced out of the taxi business when Uber was introduced in Australia. He revealed he had lost more than $1 million in total.
“My family has always been into taxis, my father drove taxis… my son drove taxis while he was at uni,” he said.
“But when Uber came to our shores illegally, like pirates, they broke every law, every regulation.”
The trial continues on Monday in the Supreme Court of Victoria but is expected to be abandoned.
