A monument to Stelios Kotiadis (1912-1971) located as a symbol of the Italo-Greek war of 1940-1941 on the shore of Mandraki Bay, Rhodes.
The bronze bust, about 3/4 lifesize, shows a man in wearing a suit and tie.
"[The Statue] was installed on July 16, 2011, forty years after his death.
Stelios Elias Kotiadis was born in Rhodes on August 2, 1912, a few months after the Turkish rule was replaced by Italian occupation on May 16, 1912. The Greek population hoped for a speedy unification of the Dodecanese Islands with Greece, but they had to wait more than 35 years for this moment.
His father was a school teacher in Xi'an.
After graduation, Stelios went to study at the prestigious University of Luigi Bocconi (L'Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi) in Milan, after his completion he entered the doctoral program. Then continued his education at the London School of Economics and the Sorbonne. After completing his studies, he worked in Paris as a senior employee of the bank and consultancy companies. During this time, his father first moved to the United States, and then to Australia and replaced his teacher’s gown with a priest’s robe.
In 1939, Stelios Kotiadis returned to Rhodes, where he became director of the CAIR Distillery. Then he headed the first agricultural cooperative, then becomes vice president of the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the Inspectors of Rhodes Schools and the Central Education Committee.
In the first general elections, where Dodecanese residents took part, he was elected deputy of the Greek parliament on March 5, 1950. In total, 4 deputies were elected from the Dodecanese, including 2 from the island of Rhodes. Then he was re-elected 7 more times.
He twice headed the Ministry of Shipping in the Karamanlis government: in 1956-1958 and in 1961-1963. His tenure as Minister of the Sea is the third longest among sea ministers and will be 3 years, 7 months and 20 days. After the coup, the “black colonels” returned to Rhodes, where he founded an accounting firm.
For the first time they wanted to establish a bust for him and rename the square in Rhodes in his honor in 1963, he also refused to accept the title of honorary citizen of various municipalities in Rhodes. After his death from a heart attack on July 14, 1971, he was buried at a public expense. In honor of the famous countryman in the city of Rhodes, a street is named after him."
SOURCE - (visit link)
The inscription on the Plinth translates as:
STELIOS IL. KOTIADIS
1912 - 1971
MP
FIRST ELECTED
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
OF FREE
DODECANESE IN 1950
Mnimeío tou Stéliou Kotiádi (1912-1971) pou vrísketai os sýmvolo tou italoellinikoú polémou tou 1940-1941 stin aktí tou Mandrakíou, sti Ródo.
I protomí, perípou 3/4 mégethos zoís, deíchnei énan ándra pou foroúse kostoúmi kai graváta.
"[To ágalma] enkatastáthike stis 16 Ioulíou 2011, saránta chrónia metá to thánató tou.
O Stélios Ilías Kotiádis genníthike sti Ródo stis 2 Avgoústou 1912, lígous mínes metá tin antikatástasi tis tourkikís kyriarchías apó tin italikí katochí stis 16 Ma?ou 1912. O ellinikós plithysmós elpízei gia tacheía enopoíisi ton Dodekaníson me tin Elláda, allá éprepe na periménete perissótera apó 35 chrónia gia aftí ti stigmí.
O patéras tou ítan dáskalos sto Xi'an.
Metá tin apofoítisí tou, o Stélios píge na spoudásei sto perífimo Panepistímio Luigi Bocconi sto Miláno, metá tin oloklírosí tou, eisílthe sto didaktorikó prógramma. Sti synécheia synéchise tin ekpaídefsí tou sti Scholí Oikonomikón Epistimón tou Londínou kai sti Sorvónni. Afoú oloklírose tis spoudés tou, ergástike sto Parísi os anóteros ypállilos ton trapezikón kai symvouleftikón etaireión. Katá ti diárkeia aftís tis periódou, o patéras tou metakómise gia próti forá stis Inoménes Politeíes kai épeita stin Afstralía kai antikatéstise ti foresiá tou kathigití tou me ti rómpa tou ieréa.
To 1939, o Stélios Kotiádis epéstrepse sti Ródo, ópou égine diefthyntís tou potopoioú CAIR. Akoloúthise ton próto georgikó synetairismó, metá égine antipróedros tou Emporikoú kai Viomichanikoú Epimelitiríou tis Dodekanísou kai mélos ton Scholón Epitheoritón Ródou kai tis Kentrikís Epitropís Paideías.
Stis prótes genikés eklogés, ópou élavan méros oi kátoikoi ton Dodekaníson, exelégi vouleftís tou ellinikoú koinovoulíou stis 5 Martíou 1950. Synoliká, eklégontan 4 vouleftés apó ta Dodekánisa, ek ton opoíon 2 apó ti Ródo. Sti synécheia epanekléchthike 7 forés.
Diétaxe dýo forés to Ypourgeío Naftilías stin kyvérnisi Karamanlí: to 1956-1958 kai to 1961-1963. I thiteía tou os ypourgoú Thalássis eínai o trítos megalýteros apó tous ypourgoús Thalássis kai tha eínai 3 chrónia, 7 mínes kai 20 iméres. Metá to praxikópima, oi "mávroi syntagmatárches" epéstrepsan sti Ródo, ópou ídryse mia etaireía logistikís.
Gia próti forá íthelan na enkatastísoun mia protomí gi 'aftón kai na metonomásoun tin plateía tis Ródou pros timín tou to 1963, arníthike epísis na dechtheí ton títlo tou timitikoú políti diafóron dímon sti Ródo. Metá to thánató tou apó kardiakí prosvolí stis 14 Ioulíou 1971, tháftike me dimósia dapáni. Se timí tou diásimou sympatrióti stin póli tis Ródou, onomázetai o drómos metá apó aftón. "
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)
I epigrafí diavázei -
STELIOS IL. KOTIADIS
1912 - 1971
VOULEUTIS YPOURGOS
PROTOS EKLEGEIS
VOULEUTIS TO 1950
TIS ELEUTHERIS
DODEKANISOU