Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis pictured with Federation of Cypriot American Organizations President Kyriacos Papastylianou, PSEKA and Pancyprian Association of America President Philip Christopher, Pancyprian Association of Florida President Varnavas Zagaris, and board members of the PanHellenic Federation of Florida. (Photo: Courtesy of Rep. Malliotakis)
SAFETY HARBOR, FL – The Pancyprian Association of Florida, in conjunction with the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), on January 28 at their Annual Banquet held at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, honored Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis with the Kyrenia Award for her dedication and commitment to the cause of the Cypriot people for freedom and justice.
“As the daughter of a Greek immigrant, it was a tremendous honor to receive the Kyrenia Award from members of the Greek Cypriot community,” Malliotakis said. “In Congress, I’ve joined my Hellenic colleagues in bringing attention to Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus and the thousands of military flyovers they’ve conducted above Greece. Congress must prohibit the sale of U.S. fighter jets and military equipment to Turkey so long as their unwarranted aggression in the region continues. It is incumbent upon NATO and my colleagues to understand the real threat posed to our allies by Erdogan’s regime and I remain confident that should the Biden Administration attempt to proceed with any sale, Congress will come together both bipartisanly and bicamerally to prevent it.”
The Kyrenia Award, named after a town in the illegally occupied area of Cyprus, defines the pledge and dedication of its people toward continuous efforts to be liberated from the Turkish occupation. The award represents 200,000 refugee victims due to the illegal and brutal invasion of the Republic of Cyprus on July 20, 1974.
“Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has been working tirelessly to strengthen the partnership between Greece, Cyprus, and the United States and place the Cyprus problem higher on the foreign policy agenda of the U.S. Administration,” said Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus. “In particular, she repeatedly brings up the ongoing Turkish occupation of Cyprus and human rights violations on the House floor and is very vocal about increasing Turkish aggression and threats in the Eastern Mediterranean. Congresswoman Malliotakis recognizes the positive potential of a stronger Greek, Cypriot and American alliance – an alliance built on shared values and principles – and how, by doing so, she can serve her constituents, as well as the American, Cypriot, and Greek people more generally.”
“Nicole, a fierce fighter for Cyprus, Greece and Hellenism, is a true champion for human rights and dedicated to Hellenic values and ideals,” said Philp Cristopher, President of PSEKA and the Pancyprian Association of America. “In particular, we salute her monumental efforts to bring Members of Congress into collective action on behalf of the struggle of the Cypriot people for freedom and justice.”
