On Wednesday, Greece made public a set of declassified files containing documents related to Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus.
The initiative launched by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) is expected to shed more light on the tragic events of the time that led to the division of the island that marked the sober 50th anniversary last July.
The documents refer to the invasion of Cyprus and the Athens-instigated coup against President Makarios.
On July 15, 1974, a military coup took place in Cyprus instigated by the junta in Athens, giving Turkey a pretext to invade five days later.
The plotters overthrew Makarios, and installed a “marionette” government under journalist Nikos Samson.
They aimed to unify the island with Greece, the Union being a nationalist ideal for some Greeks and also some Cypriots.
The specific documents are now available on the official website of EYP.
EYP to release more classified documents
This is the first time that the EYP has declassified its archival material, applying the procedures provided for in the relevant legislation.
According to EYP’s chief, Thenistoklis Demiris, the Greek secret service intends to release further declassified documents related to the period, and other sensitive material that could throw more light on Greece’s recent history.
The decision to make them public came as part of the EYP’s policy for transparency and historical recording of critical events concerning national security, he added.
EYP says: “It is essentially a diary of the developments of a traumatic period in the history of Hellenism, as recorded in the information base of the Service at the time, which is now available to historians, but also to anyone interested, for study, information extraction and concluding.
“Even the simple reading of it, despite the time that has passed, in many places impresses but also evokes strong emotions”.
Greece’s files on Cyprus invasion “crucially important”
Professor of History at Athens University, Evanthis Hatzivasileiou, in his own note, in which he attempts a first assessment of the material, characterizes the material as crucially important.
He stresses that combined with other available sources, it will contribute to the effort to build a comprehensive image of the defining events.
“Internationally, access to similar intelligence documents is not a given. Most countries in the world do not allow it. It is primarily the intelligence services of Western countries – and not all – that release their documents (of course after a reasonable period defined by the relevant legislation), but even this is a very recent development,” he notes.
“From this point of view, the EYP’s initiative is an important step towards the adaptation, both of the Service itself and of the state in general, to these international trends, at least of the Western world”, Hatzivasileiou says.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
