President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas delivered a message of unity, solidarity and determination during commemorations marking the 113th anniversary of the liberation of Ioannina.
Tasoulas attended anniversary events in the city, which Greece liberated on 21 February 1913 from Ottoman rule during the Balkan Wars. He participated in the official doxology at the Holy Church of Saint Athanasios, led by Metropolitan Maximos of Ioannina, before laying a wreath at the Bizani Fighters’ Memorial. He later met with Epirus Regional Governor Alexandros Kachrimanis at the Region of Epirus headquarters, where the governor praised the President’s longstanding contribution to Ioannina and Epirus and presented him with an icon of Saint George.
Following the grand student and military parade along Dodonis Avenue, Tasoulas addressed the public.
“Today, 21 February 2026, 113 years after the liberation of Ioannina, a youthful, joyful and colourful river of pupils and university students flooded Dodonis Avenue. Soldiers, police officers, firefighters and a detachment of Evzones followed to honour this sunny day and historic anniversary,” he said.
Tasoulas reflected on the significance of the liberation, which came after 482 years of Ottoman rule. He stressed that modern generations struggle to grasp what freedom meant after nearly five centuries of occupation. He recalled the breaching of the supposedly impregnable fortifications of Bizani and the endurance shown during the harsh winter siege of Ioannina.
He described the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 as a “second 1821”, noting that Greece doubled its territory and population during that period. He emphasised that the nation achieved that outcome through unity between political leadership, state authorities, the people and the armed forces.
Tasoulas also recalled that Eleftherios Venizelos, who served as prime minister at the time and visited the Bizani front, characterised Ioannina as a national trophy upon news of its liberation.
He described the siege as one of the most prolonged, difficult and bloody operations of the Balkan Wars and noted that joy and hope swept through the region when liberation finally arrived.
Turning to the present, Tasoulas urged Greeks to honour the sacrifice, heroism and selflessness of that era by confronting today’s challenges with the same spirit of unity.
“Our duty calls us once again to remain faithful to the memory of those people and those events—united, strong and determined to face the adversaries of the future, the problems of our country and of Epirus,” he said. “The method is known: with harmony, solidarity and unity, all adversaries are overcome. Here, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by a nation that had endured four and five centuries of slavery.”
He concluded by expressing confidence that Greece can overcome its present challenges and face the future with ambition, self-assurance and optimism.
The commemorative events marking the 113th anniversary of Ioannina’s liberation culminated at midday with the large student and military parade in the city centre.
