After independence was gained, one of the first Acts passed by the Greek government was for the protection and preservation of national monuments.
And, of course, it must be asked: is it proper to transact with the Turks for the most reassured of Greek possessions when Greece is under Turkish invasion and subjugation?
England and Greece are friends. English blood was shed on Greek soil in the war against fascism, and Greeks gave their lives to protect English pilots.
I was born Greek and I would die Greek. Mr. Pattakos was born a dictator and he will die as a dictator.
In the world over, the very name of our country is immediately associated with the Parthenon.
Let me state once more that we think museums everywhere are a vital social and cultural need and must be protected.
Much has been said and continues to be said of what little concern the Turks had for the Acropolis treasures.
No sooner was the firman delivered to Athens, than a feverish, terrifying assault is made upon an edifice that, until today, many consider the purest, the most beautiful of human creation.
Our common memory is threatened, our soul shrivels, our creativity is stifled, our present becomes rootless.
Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel.
The Elgins are received with pomp in Constantinople. Lavish gifts are exchanged. The winds of war are favourable to the British and the Sultan is delighted.
There are no such things as the Elgin Marbles.
This past must emerge from the museums in order to become a source of inspiration and creativity, to become the instrument and the joy of the people.
We are ready to say that we rule the entire Elgin enterprise as irrelevant to the present.
We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you could, for which we thank you. But now in the name of fairness and morality, please give them back.
We see ancient cultural chains broken, past traditions crumble and wonderful special characteristics wither away.
We think it cannot be done, but my government has gone on record that the day that Athens sees the return of the marbles, there will be, ready to receive them, adjacent to the Acropolis for relevant context, a beautiful museum with the most developed systems of security and preservation.
You know, it is said that we Greeks are a fervent and warm blooded breed. Well, let me tell you something - it is true.
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