EOKA
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EOKA (Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (Greek National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist organisation that fought for the expulsion of British troops from the island, for self-determination and for union with Greece in the mid to late 1950s.
The organisation was headed by George Grivas, a Cyprus born Colonel in the Greek army, who distinguished himself during World War II and the subsequent Hellenic Civil War. Grivas assumed the nom de guerre Digenis in honour of the Byzantine legend Digenis Akritas, who repelled invaders from the Byzantine Empire during the middle ages. The EOKA was clandestinely supported by the Greek Government in the form of arms, money and propaganda on radio stations broadcast from Athens. Its military campaign began on April 1 1955 and while its main target was the British military, the EOKA also targeted civilian installations on the island as well as assassinating pro-British Cypriots, informants, Progressive Party of Working People (a communist organisation), Taksim (Turkish Cypriot suppporters of partition), and members of the Turkish Cypriot insurgent organisation, the Turkish Resistance Organization.
Over the period 30,000 British troops were assigned to combat the organisation. The deployed forces varied with the other demands of the Suez crisis and the Mau-Mau uprising and troops were used to protect civilians as well as actively hunt EOKA personnel.
The period officially claimed the life of 104 British military personnel. A number were killed by a forest fire in the Troodos during Operation Lucky Alphonse. In addition, the conflict also claimed the lives of 90 insurgents, 50 policemen and 238 civilians.
On the 16 June the bombing of a restaurant by EOKA led to the unintentional death of the American vice-consul.
In October 1956 an EOKA leader Pilots Christofi was captured during Operation Sparrowhawk. The following year Gregoris Afxentiou was killed. Lucky Alphonse cleared EOKA from the mountainous regions and forced Grivas into hiding.
EOKA's activity continued until December 1958 when a cease-fire was declared which paved the way for the Zurich agreement on the future of the country.
The EOKA aim to rid Cyprus of British rule was partially met when on 16 August 1960 Cyprus achieved independence from the United Kingdom with the exception of two "Sovereign Base Areas" (SBA) at Dheklia and Akrotiti. The settlement explicitly denied enosis - the union with Greece sought by EOKA. Although Cyprus gained its independence, it came with a complex constitution and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee - a security arrangement compromising of a three-way guaranteeship from Turkey, Greece and Britain that neither would annex the independent republic. (see History of Cyprus).
After independence EOKA fighters formed regional associations such as ΣΑΠΕΛ (Σύνδεσμος Αγωνιστών Πόλεως και Επαρχίας Λεμεσού; Union of Fighters of Limassol and district) that have been participating in commemorations, museum collections etc. In the 90's a dedicated old people's home for ex EOKA fighters was constructed in the village of Palodhia, near Limassol.
EOKA-B
EOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot right-wing pro-enosis paramilitary organisation formed in 1971 that was supported by the ruling Greek junta which came to power in 1967 overthrowing the legitimate Greek government of Panayiotis Kanellopoulos. The organization is commonly referred as a terrorist organization by Turkey and United Kingdom.["Middle East: Missing Persons"], Accessed June 17, 2006. because EOKA B engaged in the killing of civillians, this terminology is shared by President Makarios on his speech at UN following the coup.["Speech by Makarios"], Accessed June 17, 2006.When George Grivas returned to Cyprus in 1971 he created EOKA-B in response to President Archbishop Makarios' deviation from the policy of enosis. He was angered by Makarios rejection of enosis in 1959 and was further riled when the President reaffirmed this position on his re-election in 1968. Grivas took the reins of EOKA-B and attempted to overthrow Makarios in order to achieve enosis through violent means.
Whereas EOKA (1955-59) were seen by the majority of the Greek Cypriots as anti-colonialist freedom fighters[[Citing sources citation needed]], the EOKA-B did not have the overwhelming support of the Greek Cypriot population, who where skeptical over the organisation's involvement with the unpopular Greek dictatorship. They did not want to swap their newly found independence for direct rule from Athens. The organisations unpopularity increased after attacks on Greek Cypriot socialists and supporters of independence, while public outrage followed the murder of government minister Polycarpos Georgadis and a botched assassination attempt on Makarios.
When Grivas died from heart failure in January 1974, the new leadership of EOKA-B increasingly came under the direct control and influence of the military junta in Athens. On July 15 1974, the EOKA-B with approval of the Greek Dictator Ioannides and the help of the National Guard, launched a military coup, overthrowing Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as President of Cyprus. This action served only to provoke a Turkish military invasion on July 20 1974 leading to the subsequent de facto division of the island.
References
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