The Greek Division (Greek: Ελληνική Μεραρχία) or Menelaos Division (Μεραρχία «Μενέλαος» or ΕΛΔΥΚ-Μ) was a Greek army division which was secretly sent to Cyprus in 1964 to support it against a possible Turkish invasion until the Cypriot National Guard could handle the defense of Cyprus.[1]
| Greek Division | |
|---|---|
| Ελληνική Μεραρχία | |
| Active | 1964-1967 |
| Disbanded | 1967 |
| Country |  Cyprus |
| Allegiance |  Greece |
| Size | 7,000 - 10,000 troops |
| Part of | Higher Military Command for the Defense of Cyprus (ASDAK) |
| Nickname(s) | ΕΛΔΥΚ/Μ |
In Cyprus, after winning its independence from the United Kingdom, as part of the Treaty of Alliance, Greece and Turkey placed troops in Cyprus respectively, the Greek contingent numbering 950 men (ELDYK) and the Turkish contingent numbering 650 men.[2] After the events of Bloody Christmas, the Greek and Greek-Cypriot sides knew they were facing the threat of a Turkish invasion on the island and as such, Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou gave the go ahead for an additional 2,000 troops to be sent to Cyprus.[3] Greek Minister for National Defence Petros Garoufalias however, secretly sent 3,000 more without the knowledge of Papandreou and eventually the number of troops from Greece on the island numbered over 7,000.[4]
The Division, alongside Georgios Grivas, was recalled back to Greece after the events that happened in Kofinou in 1967 and as a result of that, Cyprus was left in a very weakened state.[5] Since then, the removal of the Grivas and the Division have been criticized by strategists due to the fact that it left the island almost entirely weakened and susceptible to a Turkish invasion (Something that later happened in July 1974), the removal of Grivas also later causing infighting among Greek-Cypriots which culminated in a Junta-backed coup d'état against President Makarios III.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Syrigos, Aggelos (2018). "Η Ελληνική Μεραρχία στην Κύπρο (1964-68) και ο Ρόλος των Μεγάλων Δυνάμεων" [The Greek Division in Cyprus (1964-1968) and the role of the Big Powers] (PDF). strategein.gr.
- ^ "No. 5712, GREECE, TURKEY and CYPRUS, Treaty of Alliance (with Additional Protocols)" (PDF). 16 August 1960.
- ^ "Η άφιξη της ελληνικής Ειδικής Μεραρχίας στην Κύπρο - Γιατί ονομάστηκε «μονάδα αυτοκτονίας»". in.gr (in Greek). 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ N. Hatzidakis, Manos (2018). Η "προβακάτσια" της Κοφίνου & η αλήθεια για την ανάκλησι της "Μεραρχίας" [The "provocation" of Kofinou and the truth behind the recalling of the "Division"] (in Greek) (1st ed.). Athens, Greece: Pelagsos, Ioannou Ch. Giannakena. pp. 34, 36. ISBN 978-960-522-550-6.
- ^ a b Balaska, Eleni (2020-07-17). "Η απόφαση της χούντας να αποσύρει την ελληνική μεραρχία από την Κύπρο το 1967. Τι κατέθεσαν οι πραξικοπηματίες στην Βουλή για τον «Φάκελο της Κύπρου»". ΜΗΧΑΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ Σήμερα .gr, Σαν. "Κύπρος: Από το Πραξικόπημα στην Εισβολή". Σαν Σήμερα .gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-05-25.