Former President Demetris Christofias dies at 72

Former President Demetris Christofias passed away on Friday, following his hospitalization due to a respiratory illness.

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Christofias, who became president of the Republic of Cyprus in 2008, had been suffering from a serious illness while recently he was admitted to hospital in critical condition.

The personal doctor of the former president, Dr. Michalis Minas, said there was a medical meeting on Thursday where a team of doctors determined Christofias’ condition was irreversible.

President Nicos Anastasiades took to Twitter to express his sadness over the death of his predecessor.

“It is with great sadness that I learned about the passing of Demetris Christofias. A politician, with whom we walked along parallel paths, but always for the good of this country. I send my deepest condolences to his family,” Anastasiades wrote.  

Είναι με μεγάλη θλίψη που πληροφορήθηκα το θάνατο του Δημήτρη Χριστόφια.

Ενός πολιτικού που για χρόνια πορευτήκαμε σε παράλληλες πορείες, πάντοτε όμως για το καλό του τόπου.

Στην οικογένειά του στέλνω τα πιο θερμά μου συλλυπητήρια. pic.twitter.com/fnSnXmkL3Z

— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) June 21, 2019

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci also tweeted about Christofias. He wrote in Greek, expressing his condolences to the former president's family, his political party, and Greek Cypriot community in general.

“I was informed with great sadness of the passing of Demetris Christofias, former Greek Cypriot leader and former secretary general of AKEL party. I express my heartfelt condolences to his wife and three children, his Akel family, and the Greek Cypriot community in general.” 

Πληροφορήθηκα με μεγάλη θλίψη το χαμό του Δημήτρη Χριστόφια, πρώην Ελληνοκύπριου ηγέτη και πρώην Γ.Γ. του ΑΚΕΛ. Εκφράζω τα ειλικρινή μου συλλυπητήρια στη σύζυγο και τα τρία παιδιά του, στην οικογένεια του ΑΚΕΛ και στην ελληνοκυπριακή κοινότητα γενικότερα.

— Mustafa Akinci (@MustafaAkinci_1) June 21, 2019