- Kyriakos Matsis
Kyriakos Matsis (Κυριάκος Μάτσης) (1926-1958) was a
Greek Cypriot guerrilla member ofEOKA . He wasYiannakis Matsis ' brother who is Member of the European Parliament for CyprusEarly life
Matsis was born in Palechori,
Cyprus . He received his secondary education at Famagusta gymnasium and then studied agriculture at the University ofThessaloniki .EOKA
In 1955, when the fight against the British began, he became one of the first members of EOKA. In 1956, he was caught by the British, and was imprisoned. He managed to escape, and fled to the mountains of Pendadactylos (Πενταδάχτυλος), where he set traps and continued fighting. He was then named "αετός του Πενταδαχτύλου", Greek for "eagle of
Pentadactylos ".Bravery and Death
On
November 19 ,1958 , the British discovered a hideout inDikomo , in Kyriakos Diakos' house, where Matsis and his company, Andreas Sofiopoulos and Kostas Xristodoulou, hid. The British found it when atraitor told them their exact position. The British surrounded the house, and Matsis burned all his letters before telling his two friends to surrender. When the British called for his surrender, he didn't answer immediately, later shouting "If I come out, I'll come out shooting!".Matsis was killed in the ensuing gun battle.
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