EOKA B

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For the 1955-59 organisation that fought for the expulsion of British colonialism from Cyprus , see EOKA.

EOKA-B was a Greek Cypriot right-wing pro-enosis paramilitary organisation formed in 1971 that was supported by the ruling Greek military junta which had come to power in 1967 overthrowing the legitimate Greek government of Panayiotis Kanellopoulos. The organization is commonly referred as a terrorist organization in countries such as the United Kingdom^[1] because EOKA-B was engaged in the murder of civilians. This terminology was shared by President Makarios on his speech at the UN following the coup.^[2]

[edit] Formation

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, who were skeptical over the organisation's involvement with the unpopular Greek dictatorship.^{[citation needed]} They did not want to swap their newly found independence for direct rule from Athens. The organisations unpopularity increased after attacks on Greek Cypriot socialists and supporters of independence, while public outrage followed the murder of government minister Polycarpos Georgadjis and a botched assassination attempt on Makarios.

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. On July 15, 1974, the EOKA-B with approval of the Greek Dictator Dimitrios Ioannides and the help of the National Guard, launched a military coup, overthrowing Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as the dictator of Cyprus. This action served only to provoke a Turkish military invasion on July 20, 1974, leading to the subsequent de facto division of the island.