Honouring Terrorism: Greek Cypriot Leadership Glorification Of Eoka Militants

Is it possible for the European Union to admit that there exists even today an annual Greek Cypriot state’s endorsement of terrorism?

The fact that the Greek Cypriot leader, the head of parliament, the defence minister, the military chief, and the Archbishop of Cyprus all attended this year’s Afxentiou memorial speaks volumes. What kind of leadership glorifies a man who not only killed British soldiers but also formed part of an organisation that massacred Turkish Cypriots?

 

During the ceremony, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas declared: “It is our debt to continue our efforts with unity and consensus in order to reunite our country and only then will we manage to prove ourselves worthy of history and our heroes’ sacrifice.” What “reunification” is he talking about? The very EOKA movement they venerate aimed to erase Turkish Cypriots from Cyprus entirely. The House President, Annita Demetriou, further stated: “We need heroes such as Afxentiou so that we can follow their example.” This is a direct call to continue the violent legacy of EOKA, which Turkish Cypriots can never accept.

 

The presence of the Greek Cypriot military at the event further underscores their disturbing alignment with EOKA’s ideology. This isn’t about honouring historical figures—it’s about keeping the nationalist dream of Enosis alive.The recent public tribute to Grigoris Afxentiou in the Troodos mountains has once again laid bare the Greek Cypriot establishment’s glorification of EOKA terrorists—a movement responsible not only for British deaths but also for the ethnic cleansing of Turkish Cypriots. At this year’s ceremony, high-profile figures including Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, House President Annita Demetriou, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas, the Archbishop of Cyprus, and the National Guard’s Chief gathered to honour a militant who was second-in-command to the notorious terrorist leader Georgios Grivas. This open celebration of Afxentiou’s legacy, a man responsible for murdering British servicemen and targeting Turkish Cypriots—reveals the Greek Cypriot administration’s unchanged nationalist agenda.

 

Who was Grigoris Afxentiou

Grigoris Afxentiou was a high-ranking militant of the EOKA terrorist organisation, serving as second-in-command to Georgios Grivas. A staunch advocate for Enosis, he was instrumental in leading violent attacks against British colonial forces and was responsible for the murder of British servicemen, including a corporal from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. His role in EOKA extended beyond anti-colonial violence—he was deeply involved in operations that targeted Turkish Cypriots, aiming to create a Greek-only Cyprus.

 

Under Afxentiou’s leadership, EOKA units carried out brutal assaults on Turkish Cypriot communities, raiding villages, torching homes, and executing those who resisted. Turkish Cypriot police officers working with the British colonial administration were singled out and assassinated. Civilians, including women and children, were forcibly displaced as part of an orchestrated campaign to weaken the Turkish Cypriot presence on the island. His unit’s operations laid the foundation for the massacres and ethnic cleansing that followed in the 1960s and 1970s.

 

His refusal to surrender led to a dramatic standoff in 1957, which Greek Cypriots glorify as an act of resistance, but in reality, it was a desperate last stand by a militant who had waged a campaign of terror. After orchestrating numerous attacks on British forces and Turkish Cypriots, Afxentiou was cornered in a hideout near Machairas Monastery. For hours, British troops called for his surrender, but he refused, firing intermittently at advancing forces. Recognising the danger of storming his position, the British engaged in prolonged efforts to subdue him, eventually deploying grenades and heavy gunfire to neutralise the threat.

 

When all other attempts failed, petrol was poured into the hideout, and the position was set ablaze, bringing a fiery end to one of EOKA’s most ruthless figures. Despite the brutality he inflicted, Greek Cypriot nationalists continue to glorify his death, portraying him as a martyr while ignoring the trail of destruction he left behind.

 

EOKA: A Movement Built on Murder and Ethnic Cleansing

The Greek Cypriot terrorist organisation EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston) was established in 1955 under the leadership of Georgios Grivas, with the explicit aim of Enosis—the forced union of Cyprus with Greece. The movement was never just about removing British colonial rule; it sought to eradicate the Turkish Cypriots, as its ultimate vision was for an exclusively Greek Cyprus.

 

EOKA’s violent insurgency from 1955 to 1959 left a bloody mark on the island. Among its victims were 371 British servicemen, who were systematically ambushed, assassinated, and bombed by the terrorist group. British soldiers patrolling Nicosia’s ‘Murder Mile’ were targeted by snipers, explosives were planted on roads, and EOKA militants even booby-trapped public spaces to kill indiscriminately. Afxentiou himself was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of a British corporal from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, opening fire on him with a submachine gun. When the British finally cornered him in 1957, they were forced to pour petrol into his hideout and set it ablaze to neutralise him.

 

While Greek Cypriots celebrate him as a “hero,” the reality is that he was a militant who led attacks designed to destabilise the island and terrorise both British and Turkish Cypriots. Afxentiou’s glorification is part of a wider Greek Cypriot effort to rewrite history and whitewash EOKA’s role as a terrorist organisation that committed genocide against Turkish Cypriots.

 

EOKA’s Massacres of Turkish Cypriots: A Legacy of Terror

EOKA’s campaign of terror didn’t end with the British withdrawal. From 1958 onwards, EOKA turned its guns on Turkish Cypriots, whom they saw as obstacles to the creation of a Greek Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots who worked in the British police force were murdered. Entire villages were attacked. In 1963, under the infamous Akritas Plan, Greek Cypriot militias—many led by former EOKA fighters—carried out a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing against Turkish Cypriots.

 

• 1963-64: Bloody Christmas Massacres – More than 364 Turkish Cypriots were killed, and 103 villages were forcibly evacuated. Armed Greek Cypriots executed entire families, including children.
• 1974: Muratağa, Sandallar & Atlılar Massacres – 126 Turkish Cypriots, mostly women and children, were slaughtered and buried in mass graves by Greek Cypriot paramilitaries. Some victims were burned alive.
• 1974: Tochni Massacre – Another 85 Turkish Cypriots were rounded up and shot dead in cold blood by Greek Cypriot militias, many of whom had direct ties to EOKA.

Britain’s Hypocrisy: Recognising the Greek Cypriots While Ignoring Turkish Cypriots

Despite the British government having lost 371 servicemen to EOKA terrorism, London continues to recognise only the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of Cyprus. This glaring hypocrisy was further reinforced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to Cyprus, during which he completely ignored the Turkish Cypriots and met only with Greek Cypriot officials.

 

The Only Solution: A Two-State Cyprus

There can be no “reunification” with people who celebrate EOKA murderers. Turkish Cypriots do not need a “federal solution” dictated by the same people who once tried to exterminate them. The only viable future is a two-state solution, where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is fully recognised as an independent state. Until then, Greek Cypriots will continue to honour terrorists, while Turkish Cypriots will stand firm in their rightful demand for sovereignty.

 

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References

1. UK National Archives, British Military Records on Cyprus (1955–1959)

2. Cyprus Mail, “Greek Cypriots Honour EOKA Fighter” (2025)

3. British Ministry of Defence, Casualty Reports from Cyprus Emergency

4. TRNC Presidency, Statements on EOKA and Ethnic Cleansing

5. UN Reports on Cyprus, 1963–1974 Conflict Period

6. Turkish Cypriot Archives, Evidence of Massacres (1963–1974)

7. Hansard UK Parliament Debates on Cyprus

8. Daily Telegraph & The Times UK, Cyprus Conflict Reporting

9. Anadolu Agency, TRNC Analysis on Cyprus History