About Kyriakos Matsis

He was born in the village of Palaichori, in the province of Nicosia, on January 23, 1926. He fell on November 19, 1958 in his hideout in the village of Dikomo, in the province of Kyrenia. Today Dikomo is situated in the Turkish-occupied area

Kyriakos Matsis finished the elementary school of Palaichori and the Gymnasium of Famagusta, when it was operating in Trikomo, where he had been relocated due to World War II. He studied agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and worked as an agronomist in Famagusta when the struggle began.

He stood out for his love for Greece, man and the land, calling abusers of the land those who did not cultivate their land. He fought hard for the rights of the farmer and the worker within the ranks of their organizations, the PEK and the SEK, of which he was one of the founders.

His desire for the liberation of Cyprus was strongly expressed during his student years with speeches and the organization of racing events in Thessaloniki. He was the head of EOKA in an area of ​​Famagusta province from 1955, the head of EOKA liaisons from August 1955 to February 1956, and the head of Kyrenia until the end of the race.

On January 9, 1956 he was arrested and brutally tortured with electroshock and other methods. Known for his relationship with leader Digenis  and his important role in the struggle, occupier Governor Harding himself visited the Omorfita interrogator and offered him the then-legendary sum of 500,000 pounds, as well as his escape for protection. if he revealed where leader Digenis was hiding. Enraged, Matsis slapped his fist on the table and replied:

The Governor left immediately. Appreciating Matsis’ morale, he ordered an end to the torture inflicted on him. He was then transferred to the Kokkinotrimithia (link) detention center. There he continued his action by maintaining contact with Digenis and continuing, on his orders, the Makarios-Harding talks for a solution of the Cyprus problem after the exile of the Archbishop.

He organized his inmates, set up a school for the detained students, set up a library, gave speeches and generally created conditions that stimulated the fighting spirit in the detention centers. He so successfully organized the enlightenment of the English soldiers guarding the prisoners that they burned their camp and the authorities were forced to replace them. He set up an escape network, which continued to operate after his escape.

On September 13, 1956, he escaped and took over as head of the Kyrenia sector, where he developed a very rich and multifaceted activity. It was announced that who would betray him would receive 5000 pounds. On November 19, 1958, he was surrounded in his hideout and blown up by the occupying forces. With his glorious death he emerged as one of the idols of the struggle. What is left of his spiritual work reveals his deep spirituality.