By Nick Stamatakis
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias’s abrupt departure right after his honoring ceremony as Grand Marshal of the 203rd Independence Parade marked the Gala at Hilton Midtown. Mr Dendias announced that he had to participate in a Sunday evening national security meeting in Athens and leave immediately. Most of the 500 participants did not realize that this is the third time in three years that Mr. Dendias interrupted foreign trips to return to emergency meetings in Athens. In February 2022, he returned from Africa to Athens because of the Ukraine war and the weather crisis. The weather crisis “Daniel” also forced him to return to Athens from the UAE… It is quite rare to see this phenomenon – unless we are dealing with the American President – who returned suddenly yesterday from his Delaware vacation to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis….
The whole gala at Hilton was mostly commemorating the 50th black anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Parade Chairman Philip Christopher referred to this several times and had the opportunity to remind us of his occupied hometown of Kerynia and his -and all of us – dreams of seeing it free…
PHOTO: Philip Christopher (left) emotional at the podium, while the excellent “Kerynia Opera” led by Constantinos Yannoudis performs.
Again at the center of the event the Evzones Greek Presidential Guard, this time represented by six guardsmen, including those wearing Pontian, Cretan, Macedonian and Thracian costumes. Their commander explained their impressive history in some detail. (photo below)
Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (of Cypriot descent) and AHEPA President Savvas Tsivicos (photos below) emphasized the community’s efforts to help Cyprus. Mr. Tsivicos, once again, emphasized that “Cyprus doesn’t not lie far” and with Unity we Greek can achieve everything.
Senator Menendez’s son, Congressman Robert Menendez Jr., spoke passionately about his relationship with the Greek community, which he considers family (photo below).
One of the great moments of the evening was the honored to Grand Marshal Geroge Karlaftis, who won two NFL championships with the Kansas City Chiefs. Karlaftis was born in Greece and emigrated to the US in 2014. Yiannis Stroumbakis took the initiative to invite him. Karlaftis received thunderous applause from the enthusiastic audience. (photos below)
The evening closed with remarks by AB Elpidophoros, who managed to pronounce the magic words “Turkish Invasion of Cyprus” in front of a Greek-American community audience. Our question remains: When can he use the same expression in an American public setting, like the White House or Gracie Mansion? Also, it did not escape our attention that he used “Ottoman Dominion” instead of the established “Ottoman Empire”.
He certainly needs a better speechwriter, but above all, he needs to “de-Ottomanize” himself…
April 14, 2024, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
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In referring to the any portion of he nearly thousand-year period in which Greeks have been forced to deal with the depredations of the Turks, we Greeks of today and those who proport to care about Greeks should never use the term “Ottoman.”
The use of “Ottoman” only serves to give cover for a long period of outrages and allows the largely ignorant English-speaking populace of the world to somehow see the Turkey of the last 101 years as somehow separate from the horribly aggressive groupings of Turks that ravaged Greeks in prior centuries.
No, whether it was the horrors of 1071, 1453, 1922, 1974, or the threats posed today, the terms for our tormentors should be “Turks” and “Turkey.”
All this lip service and these spectacles, it is exhausting.