EOKA B - Formation

Formation

EOKA-B was founded by General George Grivas as his last organizational attempt before his death in 1974. Grivas, the anti-communist military leader of the Greek Civil War, was among the founders of EOKA in the early 50s. After the declaration of independent Cyprus state he took over the Supreme Command of the Greek Cypriot forces organised under the National Guard as well as the Greek military division in early 60s. Following Turkey's ultimatum of November 1967 he was recalled by the Greek Junta to Athens, only to return under cover in 1971. He created EOKA-B in response to President Archbishop Makarios' deviation from the policy of enosis as well as the widespread concern that the Greek Junta would attempt to impose upon the Greek Cypriots what they thought was an unacceptable settlement to the Cyprus problem. Nationalistic elements had been angered by Makarios' rejection of enosis in 1959 and were further incensed when he had reaffirmed this position on his re-election in 1968.

The organization is commonly referred as a terrorist organization in countries such as the United Kingdom because EOKA-B was engaged in bombing campaigns against police forces. This terminology was shared by President Makarios on his speech at the UN following the coup. 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, the EOKA-B did not have the overwhelming support of the Greek Cypriot population, as Makarios had called an election after a failed assassination attempt on him and his coalition won 27 out of the 35 seats. The main supporters of EOKA B were Pro Enosis supporters who won 7 seats in the previous election, old EOKA fighters who felt they never received the recognition that they deserved after the revolt, right wing military personal and some pro-enosis elements of the Church of Cyprus. The only armed, organized resistance to EOKA-B came from the "Efedriko", a special police force set up by Makarios and the members of the Socialist Party EDEK. The Communist Party AKEL, despite the mild verbal opposition to EOKA-B, had not organized any form of resistance against it.

When Grivas Digenis 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. The post-Grivas EOKA B' was on the verge of dissolution by July 1974. Yet on July 15, 1974 the Greek Dictator Dimitrios Ioannides used the National Guard,which was led by Greek Officers and consisted of Greek-Cypriot conscripts, and launched a military coup, overthrowing Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as the new President of Cyprus. This action served only to provoke a Turkish intervention on July 20, 1974, leading to the subsequent de facto division of the island. Ioannides was taken by surprise by the Turkish invasion and failed to convince or coerce the Greek generals to send military reinforcements to Cyprus. His failure to win the war of Cyprus led to his downfall on 23 July 1974.

Greek-Cypriot extremists committed massacres against Turkish-Cypriots in Maratha, Santalaris, Aloda, Tochni and Kiti after the start of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974. On the other side the Turkish army committed numerous war crimes and at the same time Turkish-Cypriot extremists executed in cold blood a lot of innocent Greek-Cypriots or captured soldiers. In fact the Turkish invasion triggered a vicious ethnic war in Cyprus between the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities of Cyprus. In total around 2,500 Greek-Cypriots died as a result of the Turkish invasion in fighting or as a result of atrocities, 500 Turkish-Cypriots for the same causes and 500 Turkish soldiers.