The turkish invasion of Cyprus (tribute)

Cyprus: July 20, 1974

It's 5:30 in the Morning. war sirens are sounding across the island.

It was just five days after the coup that took place on the island and the Turkish armed forces invaded to bring…peace as they said! In other words, they found the reason they had been looking for for years to occupy Cyprus. The calendar showed July 20, 1974.

Σαν σήμερα το 1943 η τελευταία πτήση του αεροπόρου Κλέαρχου Σπυρομήλιου

It's 5:30 in the Morning. the sirens are sounding again across cyprus. To Remind us that thousands of cypriots Were forced to flee their homes and thousands were killed! while Many still remain missing to this day with turkey Turning a deaf ear to calls for their location.

It's been 47 years already! For those who lived it, it seems like yesterday. It seems like a nightmare.

From then until today, dozens of talks have taken place to resolve the Cyprus problem without any substantial result.

Talks, referendums, idea exhibitions and a problem that remains unresolved and with most doubting whether there will ever be a solution. And now Erdogan and Tatar insist on a two-state solution while making provocative moves in Varosha and other occupied areas.

The chronicle of the invasion

Η τουρκική εισβολή στην Κύπρο με την κωδική ονομασία «Αττίλας» ξεκίνησε την αυγή της 20ης Ιουλίου 1974, με αποβατικές και αεροπορικές επιχειρήσεις. Συμμετείχαν συνολικά γύρω στους 40.000 άνδρες υπό τη διοίκηση του αντιστρατήγου Νουρετίν Ερσίν. Η ελληνική πλευρά πιάστηκε στον ύπνο και η αντίδρασή της εκδηλώθηκε με μεγάλη καθυστέρηση. Η Τουρκία υποστήριξε ότι δεν επρόκειτο για εισβολή, αλλά για «ειρηνική επέμβαση», με σκοπό την επαναφορά της συνταγματικής τάξης στην Κύπρο, που είχε καταλυθεί από το πραξικόπημα κατά του Μακαρίου (15 Ιουλίου 1974).

Τα τουρκικά αποβατικά σκάφη άρχισαν να αποβιβάζουν δυνάμεις ανενόχλητα στην περιοχή Πέντε Μίλι, οκτώ χιλιόμετρα δυτικά της Κερύνειας, λίγο μετά τις 5 το πρωί της 20ης Ιουλίου. Σχεδόν ταυτόχρονα, σμήνη τουρκικών αεροπλάνων άρχισαν τις επιθέσεις, συνεχώς και κατά κύματα κατά της ευρύτερης περιοχής της Κερύνειας και της Λευκωσίας, ενώ άλλα αεροσκάφη και ελικόπτερα επιχειρούσαν ρίψεις αλεξιπτωτιστών σε επίκαιρα σημεία. Οι κάτοικοι βρέθηκαν στο έλεος των εισβολέων. Άοπλοι πολίτες δολοφονήθηκαν, γυναίκες βιάστηκαν και αιχμάλωτοι στρατιώτες εκτελέστηκαν.

Η αντίδραση της ελληνικής πλευράς ήταν ανεξήγητα αργοπορημένη. Παρ’ ότι το ελληνικό Πεντάγωνο (χούντα) γνώριζε τις κινήσεις των Τούρκων, θεωρούσε ότι μπλοφάρουν. Μόλις στις 8:40 το πρωί δόθηκε επισήμως από την Αθήνα η εντολή εφαρμογής των πολεμικών σχεδίων, ενώ το ελληνικό ραδιόφωνο (το ΕΙΡΤ εν προκειμένω), μετέδωσε την είδηση γύρω στις 11 το πρωί. Η καθυστερημένη κινητοποίηση έδωσε τη δυνατότητα στους Τούρκους εισβολείς να παγιώσουν τις θέσεις τους και να δημιουργήσουν προγεφύρωμα από το Πέντε Μίλι της Κερύνειας προς τον Άγιο Ιλαρίωνα, έχοντας ως αντικειμενικό στόχο τη σύνδεσή του με τον τουρκοκυπριακό θύλακο της Λευκωσίας.

The units of the National Guard and the ELDYK, when mobilized, began to fight with heroic self-sacrifice, even without air cover and modern weapons. They numbered around 12,000 men (Greek Cypriots and Greeks), under the command of Brigadier General Michael Georgitsis, who had the overall command in the coup against Makarios.

Meanwhile, the Greek Cypriot male population also began to mobilize and participate in the unequal struggle with what each had, firing from the roofs of their houses against the invading paratroopers.

In Athens, the dictatorial junta government, taken by surprise by the development of events, begins to show signs of disintegration. It declares general mobilization, which turns into a fiasco.

The American Undersecretary of State Joseph Sisko, who is again in Athens as Kissinger's agent, meets at the Pentagon with the head of the Armed Forces, General Bonanno. The present Dimitrios Ioannides angrily addresses Sisko "You deceived us... We will declare war!" and leaves the meeting. Since then, the traces of the invisible dictator are lost. Sisko searches in vain during the day for someone responsible for talks.

Late at night, the UN Security Council issues Resolution 353, calling for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of "foreign military personnel" from Cyprus. Despite its unanimous approval, it is ignored by Turkey, which, having taken the initiative in the movements, is forced to fully implement its plans. In general, the international reaction against "Attila" is lukewarm.

The next day, July 21, the fighting in Cyprus continues with particular intensity. The aim of the Greek forces in Cyprus is to cut off the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Nicosia from the Kyrenia bridgehead. The Greek generals reject a proposal for intervention in Cyprus, foreseeing the failure of the relevant operation. Two Greek submarines sailing towards Kyrenia are ordered to return to Greece.

The Turkish invaders, despite their numerical superiority and the qualitative superiority of their armaments, face significant problems. In fact, due to a misunderstanding, the Turkish air force sinks the destroyer Kotsatepe (D-354), which it mistook for a Greek ship, and damages two other Turkish destroyers.

On the same day, the American factor is activated to achieve an armistice. Cisco, who is traveling between Athens and Ankara, cannot find anyone in Athens to negotiate, as all the competent people have disappeared. The responsibility is ultimately assumed by the Chief of the Navy, Admiral Petros Arapakis, who, in a telephone conversation with Kissinger, agrees that the armistice will take effect from 4 pm on July 22.

At 2 am on July 22, 12 Greek Noratlas-type transports, which were transporting commandos to the island, were accidentally hit by friendly fire near Nicosia airport, resulting in one of them being shot down (4 crew members and 27 commandos lost their lives), while two others were seriously damaged. On the same day, the Turkish invaders intensified their operations. They landed tanks and by noon they occupied the city of Kyrenia.

At 4 pm, the agreed truce begins to be observed, but it will be violated several times by the invaders. At this point, the Turks control 3% of the Cypriot territory, having created a bridgehead connecting Kyrenia with the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Nicosia.

Shortly after 4 Pm, international agencies were broadcasting the regime change in athens. the Fall Of the military regime and the transfer of power to exiled politicians was a fact.

On July 24, a National Unity Government was sworn in in Athens, with Konstantinos Karamanlis as Prime Minister. At the same time, events in Cyprus forced Nikos Sampson to resign. Glafkos Clerides took over as President.

On July 25, 1974, peace talks for Cyprus began in Geneva, between the Foreign Ministers of the three guarantor countries of Cypriot Independence (Mavros, Gounesh, Callaghan).

At the end of the talks, on July 30, they signed a declaration, the main points of which were:

• The non-expansion of the areas under their control by the opposing forces.
• The establishment of security zones between the warring parties
• The evacuation of Turkish enclaves by the UN Peacekeeping Force
• The right for both sides to have their own police and security forces
• The conduct of negotiations with the participation of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for a final settlement of the Cyprus problem.

If Turkey's purpose through the invasion was what it had announced and claims to this day, namely that it was not an invasion but a "peaceful intervention" with the aim of restoring the constitutional scene to the pre-coup situation, the invasion should have stopped here. However, the Turks' plans were different.

Source: Marios Ioannou / euronews.com