Cyprus commemorates the 52nd anniversary of the 1974 coup

July 15, 2026, marks the 52nd anniversary of the military coup d'état carried out in Cyprus by the Greek military junta and the EOKA B organization. The coup aimed to overthrow the democratically elected President, Archbishop Makarios III, and subverted the legal government of the Republic of Cyprus. Commemorative events took place across the country, starting at 8:20 a.m. with sirens sounding in all cities to mark the exact time the operation began. President Nikos Christodoulides attended a memorial service for those killed during the event at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen. The coup is historically recognized as the catalyst that provided Turkey with the pretext to launch its military invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974. This sequence of events resulted in the ongoing de facto partition of the island and the continued occupation of part of its territory. Officials and political parties emphasize that the coup remains a painful chapter in European history that led to the death and displacement of many citizens.