The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
HISTORY OF ATHENS
The
Greek Military Junta
(Regime of the Colonels)
The Cyprus Dispute and fall of the Junta
1974: Turkish invasion of Cyprus
After 1967 tensions between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots subsided.
Instead, the main source of tension on the island came from factions
within the Greek Cypriot community. Although Makarios had effectively
abandoned enosis in favor of an ‘attainable solution’,
many others continued to believe that the only legitimate political
aspirations for Greek Cypriots was union with Greece.
In
September 1971, Grivas secretly returned to the island and formed
EOKA-B, a pro-union organization. Over the next few years it would
repeatedly try to overthrow Makarios. In early 1974 Grivas died
and EOKA-B fell under the direct control of Taxiarkhos Dimitrios
Ioannides, the new head of the Junta in Athens. Ioannides was
determined to bring about enosis as soon as possible. Fearing
the consequences of such a step, in early July 1974 Makarios wrote
an open letter to
the military dictatorship requesting that all Greek officers be
removed from the island. On 15 July 1974, Ioannides replied by
ordering the overthrow of the Archbishop.
Turkey
immediately started planning its response. After failing to secure
British support for a joint intervention under the Treaty of Guarantee,
Bulent Ecevit, the Turkish prime minister, decided to act unilaterally.
On 20 July 1974 Turkey ordered a military invasion of the island
(Turkish Invasion of Cyprus). Within two days Turkish forces had
established a narrow corridor linking the north coast with Nicosia.
The
intervention led to turmoil in Greece. There was well-founded
fear that an all out war with Turkey was imminent and senior
Greek military officers withdrew their support of junta strongman
Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannides. On 23 July 1974 the military
Junta collapsed.
On
14 August, Turkey demanded from Clerides acceptance of a proposal
for a federal state in which the Turkish Cypriot community (who,
at that time, comprised about 18% of the population and owned
about 10% of the land) would have got 34% of the island. Clerides
asked for 36 to 48 hours to consult with the Cypriot and Greek
governments but Turkey refused to grant any consultation time,
effectively ending the talks. Within hours, Turkey had resumed
its offensive. By the time a new and permanent ceasefire was called,
36% of the island was under the control of the Turkish military.
The partition was marked by the UN Buffer Zone on Cyprus or "green
line" running east to west across the island.
The
effect of the division was catastrophic for all concerned. Thousands
of Greek and Turkish Cypriots had been killed, wounded or missing.
A further 200.000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots had been displaced.
In addition to the entire north coast (Kerynia, Morfou) and the
Karpas peninsula, the Greek Cypriots were also forced to flee
the eastern port city of Famagusta.
The
vast majority of the Turkish occupied area was predominantly owned
by Greek Cypriots prior to 1974.
In the process about 200.000 Greek Cypriots who made up 82% of
the population in the north became refugees; many of them forced
out of their homes, the rest fleeing at the word of the approaching
Turkish army.
Since
1974, the ceasefire line separates the two communities on the
island. It is commonly referred to as the Green Line. Over the
months that followed, 51.000 Turkish Cypriots that had not left
their homes in the south moved to the area under Turkish control.
Two
versions
To
this day, there are two (official) views on the events
that took place in Cyprus in 1974. There are a lot of
propaganda, even hatred spreading, sites on Internet that
reflect one side only using false and/or greatly exaggerated
data. Because of their clear nature and context, these
sites loose every historical value and credibility. They
are nothing more than a crusade of half-truths and false
data. Thus, they are a distortion of history doing wrong
to al those who lost their lives as well as to the millions
of peace loving people on both sides.