Cyprus marks 50 years since Turkish invasion

Air raid sirens wailed across Nicosia and other cities at dawn on Saturday as Greek Cypriots mourned, and Turkish Cypriots celebrated 50 years since the Turkish invasion.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were due to separately attend events on either side of the split island, showing their respective support for the rival sides.

Though relations have recently thawed between Turkey and Greece, Cyprus remains an emotional trigger.

Erdogan was to observe a celebratory military parade in northern Nicosia marking what Turkey describes as a “peace and freedom operation”.

In the south, church memorial services mourned the dead, and Mitsotakis was due to attend an event on Saturday evening marking what Greek Cypriots call a “black anniversary”.

President Nikos Christodoulides said the day was a sombre one of reflection and remembrance of the dead.

“If we really want to honour all those people who were sacrificed for us to be here today – as the Republic of Cyprus – we have to do all we can for a (peace) dialogue to restart,” Christodoulides said on Friday evening.

Cyprus’ presidency published a video marking 50 years of the Turkish invasion with the slogan ‘Enough’ in Greek, Turkish and English.

On Saturday morning, Christodoulides unveiled a bust of Christos Fotis, Tasos Markos and Andreas Arrestis, which he called heroes during the ceremony at the Tomb of Makedonitissa.

Christodoulides arrived at the site at 7:30am where the three were given full military honours and a minute’s silence was observed in their memory.

Fotis, Markos and Arrestis were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, following a Cabinet decision on 27 May 2022.

Reading out the biography of each of the three, Christodoulides recounted how Fotis was born in Famagusta in 1931 and eventually went on to the Greek military academy Evelpidon.

He joined the Greek army in 1953 and fought operations in Paphos in 1964. On July 20, 1974 he commanded a battalion in Morphou against the Turkish troops. He died taking a bullet to the head, as Turkish soldiers surrendered.

Markou was born in Paralamni in 1936 and joined Eoka in 1955. He finished Evelpidon and returned to Cyprus in 1961.

He was involved in operations in Nicosia during the intercommunal troubles on 1963-1964 and in July 1974 took charge of organising the line of defence in Mia Milia-Kythrea.

In the second leg of the invasion on August 14, his unit came under heavy fire from Turkish armed forces. He refused to leave the area and together with two men of the unit moved north from Kythrea.

Markou later ordered the two men accompanying him to return to their unit. Despite the urging of his colleagues, he himself remained in the area. The last communication with him was made by radio in the afternoon of 15 July. Since then, he has remained missing.

Arestis was born in Kelokedara village in Paphos in 1939. He was actively involved with Eoka and was arrested by the British when he was 17 and imprisoned for two years.

In 1961 he joined the Cypriot army with the rank of lieutenant. During the intercommunal troubles, he took part in the Nicosia and Tilliria operations.

In July 1974 he was promoted to the rank of captain and was sub-commander of the 70th Engineer Battalion. On the 19th he was sent to the Limnitis area instead of operating in the Kyrenia area.

Arrestis carried out the order and fell fighting to recapture the village of Limnitis on July 22, 1974.