Takis Hadjidemetriou and Ali Tuncay are this year`s recipients of the European Citizen`s Prize for their work, as heads of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, in preserving cultural monuments belonging to all communities in Cyprus.
The award ceremony was organized by the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus, on Friday, at the EU House, in Nicosia and the two winners were awarded their prizes by AKEL and GUE MEPs, Takis Hadjigeorgiou and Neoklis Sylikiotis, who proposed the specific candidacy.
Takis Hadjidemetriou said, as he took the floor, that today was an important day. “Culture and mutual respect for everything we have in common as well as everything that differentiates us comprises the most stable basis upon which we will be able to build our common future” the Greek Cypriot head of the Technical Committee said.
He wished all Cypriots to share the message the Technical Committee wants to convey with its work and expressed hope that Cyprus will turn into a peaceful place.
From his part, the Turkish Cypriot head of the Technical Committee noted that culture should not work as an agent for division but for reconciliation.
Both the Apostle Andreas monastery, in the island`s Turkish-occupied northern tip, as well as the Hala Sultan Tekke, a Muslim sanctuary, on the southeastern coast of Cyprus, belongs to everyone, Tuncay said and added that “it is our duty to protect monuments for future generations.”
He thanked Cyprus` leaders for their support in the Technical Committee`s work and wished that all impediments in the preservation of cultural heritage to be lifted soon.
MEP Takis Hadjigeorgiou explained the rationale behind the award, by saying that both Hadjidemetriou and Tuncay are doing a tremendous work in restoring monuments but also in reconstructing the “tiles of Cyprus` history”.
The second of the MEPs who proposed the candidacy, Neoklis Sylikiotis, said the two prize winners were not merely restoring monuments, but were also promoting the idea of peaceful coexistence among Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Other Cypriot MEPs present also addressed the event.
Andreas Kettis, the Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, noted that this year`s winners do not just contribute towards preserving Cyprus` cultural heritage, but enrich multiculturalism in EU.
Hadjidemetriou and Tuncay are among the 47 entries in this year`s European Citizen`s Prize, selected by the European Parliament. A ceremony will take place in Brussels in the presence of winners from all member states.