Like today: The coup against Makarios that brought the Turks to Cyprus

«The sea blue shirt,
one I wore and one you wore,
gold thread and stitch
who will judge the murderer...»

This was the radio transmission of RIK, shortly before 08.20 in the morning of 15 July 1974. A transmission that was interrupted and the coup had begun with the code name «Alexander entered the hospital». At 8.15 a.m., the first armoured vehicles began to leave their base, heading for the Presidential Palace. At the same time, a squadron of commandos was ordered to occupy all points of interest and public buildings.

The history

Early on Monday morning, July 15, 1974, the Makarios took the road back to the Presidential Palace in Nicosia from his country house on Mt. Troodos, where he had spent the weekend. The procession of Makarios passed in front of the camp of National Guard in Kokkinotrimithia.

The procession of Makarios passed undisturbed by that point, without any of the members of his entourage noticing anything suspicious.

At the time of the coup, Makarios was receiving a group of Greek students from the Egypt. One of the children heard the shots, but Makarios reassured them. When the gunfire intensified and the Presidential Palace began to be cannonaded by National Guard tanks, Makarios, after first protecting his young visitors, then escaped through the only unguarded passageway to the west of the Presidential Palace.

With the help of three bodyguards and dressed in civilian clothes, he followed the bed of an adjacent stream and under novel circumstances reached the Monastery of Kykkos.

There, he rested for a while and then made his way to the Paphos. Colonel Kombokis, who was in charge of the attack, claims that he had orders to leave a passage free for Makarios' escape, while the head of the coup, Brigadier Georgitsis, claimed lack of forces.

By midday, the coup plotters had taken control of almost all of Nicosia, despite the opposition of the EDEK militias of the Vasu Lysarides and of Army Reserve, consisting exclusively of Greek Cypriots. Immediately they started looking for the person who would take over the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus. Three senior judges were killed and the Glafkos Clerides, who refused. Eventually, Georgitsis ended up in the Niko Samson.

The message of Makarios

And while the coup plotters thought Makarios was dead and constantly announced it through the RIK, he was alive and sent a message through an improvised radio station in Paphos:

«Greek Cypriot People! Familiar is the voice you hear. You know who is speaking to you. I am Makarios. I am he whom you have chosen to be your leader. I am not dead. I am alive. And I am with you, a comrade and a standard-bearer in the common cause. The coup d'état of the junta has failed.

I was its target and I, as long as I live, the Junta in Cyprus will not pass. The Junta decided to destroy Cyprus. To partition it. But it will not succeed. He resisted the Junta at every turn. Do not be afraid. Join all the legitimate forces of the state. The Junta must not pass and will not pass. Now for all the struggle!».