Personal accounts of the 1974 coup and invasion in Cyprus

On July 15, 1974, a military coup in Cyprus triggered a series of traumatic events for the local population. Andreas Polydorou recalls being forced to provide his family's vehicle to transport groups supporting President Makarios. While traveling in the Limassol district, he was ambushed by members of EOKA B, severely beaten, and detained, narrowly avoiding further violence due to the intervention of a Greek warrant officer. His experience reflects the immediate chaos following the coup.

Beyond the military actions, the 1974 events caused long-term displacement and family separations. Journalist Sotiris Paroutis, who stayed in Gialousa, recounts being separated from his father for over a year after the latter’s truck was requisitioned by the National Guard. Other testimonies from figures such as Cemal Dermus and Leda Koursoumba highlight the broader humanitarian impact, including the closure of secondary schools and the lasting psychological scars left on both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities who were forced to abandon their homes and lives.