March 25th Celebrations: Naval Military Academy and ERT Mishaps Spark Controversy

Two serious incidents were recorded by the Naval Military Academy and ERT during the military parade held on Tuesday in Athens to celebrate Greece’s Independence Day. In videos that surfaced on social media, members of the Naval Non-Commissioned Officers School shouted provocative and nationalist slogans, while ERT incorrectly presented Cypriot hero Evagoras Pallikarides as a victim of the Ottomans. The Naval Academy cadets yelled, “Cyprus is Greek, screw Turkey,” in front of a large crowd, including children attending the parade. This chant echoes the actions of the coup plotters in 1974, which resulted in Turkey occupying half of Cyprus. Meanwhile, ERT broadcast misinformation about Pallikarides, stating he was executed by the Ottomans. However, the EOKA fighter was hanged by British authorities on March 14, 1957, at just 19 years old. His tomb is located at the Immovable Memorials in Nicosia, marking him as the youngest and last fighter executed by the British.