THOUSANDS OF Greek Cypriots crowded into the Church of St Sophia here yesterday to pay tribute to former president Tassos Papadopoulos, who died last Friday from lung cancer at 74.
Greek premier Costas Karamanlis, foreign minister Dora Bakoyiannis, and opposition leader George Papandreou took time off from strikes and rallies in Athens to attend the funeral.
President Dimitris Christofias praised his predecessor as a “patriot” who defended the establishment of the Cyprus republic as an achievement of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots and “never wavered” if he believed taking a stand served its best interests.
Mr Papadopoulos was not only a founding father of the republic but also minister of interior, labour and agriculture and negotiator with Turkish Cypriots on a settlement to reunify the island, divided since Turkey occupied the north in 1974.
As president, he oversaw Cyprus’s entry into the EU in 2004 and the adoption of the euro on January 1st, 2008.
But his most important act, for which he was vilified in the West, was to oppose the 2004 UN plan for reunification of the island, divided since Turkey occupied the north in 1974.
He argued the plan would perpetuate Turkish occupation rather than bring the two communities together in a viable state.
In a referendum Turkish Cypriots voted in favour, Greek Cypriots against. From the belfry of the church hung a banner bearing one word, “OXI,” “no” in Greek.