“The contribution of those who fought in the historic battles to liberate the city of Ioannina from the Ottoman rule is priceless and constitutes a timeless example for all of us,” stated the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who attended the events for the 111th anniversary of Ioannina’s liberation on Wednesday.
At 11:30 Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the Bizanomachon Monument.
In a statement regarding the message of the anniversary, she said: “The liberation of Ioannina from Ottoman rule on 21 February, 1913, is a landmark in our centuries-long history. The epic battles of the Greek Army to take over the forts in Bizani, the mass participation of volunteers, both men and women, in the front of the Epirote campaign touch and deeply move us.”
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias represented the government at the events, which were also attended by Parliament President Konstantinos Tasoulas, Deputy Minister for Social Cohesion and Family Maria Kefala, Greek MEP Evangelos Meimarakis, the leaders of the opposition parties Niki and Spartiates, Dimitris Natsios and Vassilis Stigas, respectively, as well as MPs, the heads of security forces and local authority officials.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
