A memorial ceremony dedicated to the Integration of the Dodecanese with Greece was held in Athens on Sunday, March 15, honoring one of the most important milestones in modern Greek history.
The event was organized by Dodecanesian associations and organizations of the Dodecanese community in the Greek capital to commemorate the historic anniversary of March 7, 1948, when the Dodecanese islands were officially incorporated into the Greek state after decades of foreign rule and long struggles by the islanders.
Representatives of the state, local authorities, organizations and members of the Dodecanese community living in Athens attended the ceremony. During the event, speeches highlighted the historical significance of the anniversary, while wreaths were laid in memory of those who fought for the freedom and union of the islands with Greece.
Wreaths were laid, in the following order, by:
- Vasileios Ypsilantis, Member of Parliament of New Democracy
- Katerina Vourexaki, political candidate of PASOK Piraeus A constituency
- Giannis Angelou, Head of the Laiki Syspeirosi faction in the South Aegean Region
- Vasileios Paraskevopoulos, Director of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff / ST1
- Stavros Voidonicolas, Deputy Regional Governor of Piraeus
- Konstantina Svynou, District Governor of Kos–Nisyros
- Theodosis Nikitaras, Mayor of Kos
- Eleftherios Kehagioglou, President of the Board of the Hellenic Small Islands Network
- Giannis Fragkoulis, President of the Federation of Dodecanesian Associations.
Speakers referred to the struggles and sacrifices of the Dodecanese people, stressing that the union of the islands with Greece marked the final stage in the formation of the modern Greek state.
The ceremony concluded in a solemn and emotional atmosphere, highlighting the enduring bond between the Dodecanese islands and the Greek nation and the importance of preserving historical memory for future generations.
