European Ministers Refused to Eat in Cypriot Tavern Because of Greek Flag Remaining Suspended

Cyprus’ Minister for Defence in the Council of the European Union, Iliadis Demetris, hosted a French official at the Aegeon (or Aegean) tavern in Nicosia and was so satisfied by the service and the food that he booked the entire restaurant for September 26th in view of the meeting of Ministers for Defence of the EU.
At the entrance of this traditional restaurant, however, there are posters and books about the Turkish invasion in Cyprus as well as a Greek flag. That is why Mr Iliadis called the owner of the Aegeon and asked him to lower the flag during the Ministers’ meal, as the Council’s protocol demands.
Mr Vassos Ftohopoulos, the owner of the tavern, replied that the only concession he could offer to the flag would be to have it suspended outside the restaurant instead. But Mr Iliadis refused to agree and thus, cancelling the reservation.

The Cypriot owner sent an open letter and commented over the incident, saying that he would never lower the Greek flag for the sake of any non-patriot. In his sarcastic letter addressed to Mr Iliadis, he narrated the old story of an English couple who had lunch at his tavern. The English man apologized for his participation in the burning of Grigoris Afxentiou, while he was serving the English army. He also said he was no able to sleep since then and had visited Cyprus to “pay tribute to that hero.”
According to Mr Ftohopoulos, he gave a poster of Afxentiou to the couple and concluded that this was the only time he would ever do something similar.