Melina Mercouri

“Read Churchill, he tells you how crucial was the Greek role in your decisive desert victory over Rommel.”

“There are no such things as the Elgin Marbles.”

“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?”

“Much has been said and continues to be said of what little concern the Turks had for the Acropolis treasures.”

“You know, it is said that we Greeks are a fervent and warm blooded breed. Well, let me tell you something - it is true.”

“In the world over, the very name of our country is immediately associated with the Parthenon.”

“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 are ready to say that we rule the entire Elgin enterprise as irrelevant to the present.”

“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.”