Hellenic Force in Cyprus

The Hellenic (Greek) Force in Cyprus (Ελληνική Δύναμη Κύπρου), commonly known in its abbreviated form as ELDYK or EL.DY.K. (ΕΛΔΥΚ or ΕΛ.ΔΥ.Κ.,), is the permanent Greek military force stationed in Cyprus. Its role is to help the Cypriot National Guard.

History of ELDYK
ELDYK was formed on November 20, 1959 at Agios Stefanos, Athens, soon after the Zürich and London Agreements established the independence of Cyprus. Per the subsequent Treaty of Guarantee, Greece, along with Turkey and the United Kingdom, would be the new state's guarantor powers. To that end, the permanent presence of a small military detachment from both Greece and Turkey was authorized, in addition to the British military presence in the Sovereign Base Areas. It was established a Tripartite Headquarter of Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. In this headquarter belonged the Hellenic Force in Cyprus with 950 men and the Turkish Force in Cyprus (Τουρκική Δύναμη Κύπρου, abbreviated: ΤΟΥΡΔΥΚ or ΤΟΥΡ.ΔΥ.Κ, ) with 650 men, as it was agreed in the Zürich and London Agreement.

ELDYK at Cyprus (until 1974)
On August 16, 1960, the day that Cyprus became officially independent, ELDYK soldiers and officers disembarked at Famagusta from the Greek Landing Ship Tanks "LIMNOS" ("ΛΗΜΝΟΣ") and "ALIAKMON" ("ΑΛΙΑΚΜΩΝ"), the total force was 950 men. The first commander of ELDYK was Colonel Dionysios Arbouzis, a distinguished officer who had already led the Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea. Its camp were established west of Nicosia at the Gerolaκkos or Yerolakkos area, next to the camp of the Turkish Force in Cyprus. The camp was destroyed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus at 1974.

Violence between the two communities (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots)
On December 1963 serious riots and violence broke out between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the generalization of the conflict and the involvement of the Hellenic Force of Cyprus and Turkish Force of Cyprus avoided after the intervention of the United Kingdom.

On March 1964 the ELDYK's Sergeant First Class Sotirios Karagiannis died during some riots.

On May 1964 the Major Dimitrios Poulios and Captain Vasileios Kapotas murdered at the Turkish Cypriot district of Famagusta, Captain Panagiotis Tarsoulis injured. Their driver, police officer Konstantinos Pantelidis murdered too.

Turkish invasion of Cyprus (1974)
During the period of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, between 20 July and 16 August 1974, ELDYK fought against the Turkish invaders in several battles. The commander of EDLYK, at that time, was Colonel Nikolaos Nikolaidis. Second in command were Lieutenant Colonel Konstantinos Papagiannis, during the first phase of invasion (20–23 July 1974) and until 9 August, and Lieutenant Colonel Panagiotis Stavroulopoulos, from 10 August and during all the second phase of the invasion (14–16 August 1974). Panagiotis Stavroulopoulos was deputy commander of the ELDYK till September of the same year. During the invasion, ELDYK's units sent in many places in Cyprus to help the Cypriot National Guard.

Battles
The most notable battles involving ELDYK forces at 1974, were:


 * The battle of Paphos (20 July 1974)
 * Attacks against the area of Kioneli (20–21 July 1974)
 * The battle at the ELDYK camp (22-23 July 1974)
 * The battle of Nicosia International Airport (23 July 1974)
 * The battle of Lapithos (6 August 1974)
 * The battle of Karavas (6 August 1974)
 * The battle of Vasilia Passage (7 August 1974)
 * The battle of the English College (14 August 1974)
 * The battle of the ELDYK camp (14–16 August 1974)

A total of 105 men were lost (47 dead and 58 missing). Some of these men are buried in the Tomb of Makedonitissa.

Classes
The classes of ELDYK that fought at 1974 were 103, 105 and 107.

The class 103, were old soldiers that returned to Greece with the Greek Landing Ship Tank (ex-USS LST-389) "LESBOS" ("ΛΕΣΒΟΣ") because their military service ended. They left from Cyprus at 19 July 1974, after the arrival of the class 107. When the invasion started, at 20 July 1974, Hellenic Navy ordered the commander of the ship, Lieutenant Commander Eleftherios Chandrinos, to change the direction of the ship and return to Cyprus, the ship at that time was near the island of Rhodes. The afternoon of the 20 July 1974, ELDYK's soldiers of class 103 arrived at Cyprus and disembarked at Paphos. They helped the Cypriot National Guard to fight the Turkish Cypriot forces which were there. The Turkish Cypriot forces there surrendered and their weapons and equipments captured. After the defeat of the Turkish Cypriot forces at Paphos, ELDYK's men, of the class 103, moved during the night towards the Nicosia International Airport. At the morning, they arrived at the Airport and from there they moved toward the ELDYK's camp.

The class 107, were new soldiers that came to replace the class 103. They arrived at Cyprus with "Lesbos" at 19 July 1974, one day before the invasion.

Equipment
The equipment of ELDYK's men at that time were:


 * M1 carbine (Service rifle)


 * FN FAL (Soldiers of the class 103 equipped with these weapons)


 * Captured G3 rifles from Turkish troops.


 * Bayonet


 * M1 helmet

The Tomb of Makedonitissa
The Tomb of Makedonitissa (Τύμβος της Μακεδονίτισσας), is a military cemetery and war memorial, west of Nicosia, at Engomi in the area of Makedonitissa (35.15417°N, 33.30806°W). This was the place where one Greek Nord Noratlas was shot down by friendly fire on 22 July 1974, during the Operation "Niki" (Επιχείρηση "ΝΙΚΗ"). "Niki" was a military operation of the Greek Army to send some elements of the Greek special forces by air to help the Cypriot National Guard. In this tomb are buried Greek Cypriot and some Greek officers and soldiers who died during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus at 1974.

ELDYK Today
ELDYK is still in Cyprus and its headquarters is near Nicosia, its previous camp destroyed at 1974 and the area it was (Gerolakkos or Yerolakkos area) is now under Turkish occupation. Its role, is to help the Cypriot National Guard. For this reason, ELDYK participate in many military exercises in cooperation with the Cypriot National Guard.



Badge
ELDYK badge shows the Greece and Cyprus crowned with a common laurel wreath. Between the two countries is the emblem of the Greek Army. Under the wreath writes: "ΕΛΔΥΚ 1960", which is the abbreviation of the force in Greek ("ΕΛΔΥΚ") and the year it disembarked at Cyprus ("1960"). At the top, is the motto of ELDYK: "ΤΟ ΟΜΑΙΜΟΝ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΟΜΟΓΛΩΣΣΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΟΜΟΘΡΗΣΚΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΟΜΟΤΡΟΠΟΝ". The two blue tints on the emblem, represents the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea, the meaning is that the same sea and sky surrounds these two countries.

Motto
The motto of ELDYK is: "Το όμαιμόν τε και ομόγλωσσον και ομόθρησκον και ομότροπον", which mean: "The same ancestry and common language and common religion and common traditions".

This is an alteration of the work of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who had written in the eighth book of Histories, entitled Urania, at 144: "...αύτις το ελληνικόν εόν όμαιμόν τε και ομόγλωσσον και θεών ιδρύματα κοινά και θυσίαι ήθεά τε ομότροπα...", which means: "...the Greek nation is from the same ancestry and have common language and common sanctuaries and common sacrifices and common traditions...". The meaning is that Greeks have the same national identity and consciousness, regardless of borders.

Men
Soldiers and officers of ELDYK are all Greek citizens. Soldiers of ELDYK are selected from the Greek's army soldiers that do their military service. After the completion of their basic training in Greece they go to Cyprus with planes.

Men who are selected for ELDYK have the nickname: Eldykarioi (Ελδυκάριοι), singular: Eldykarios (Ελδυκάριος). This nickname keeps follow them while they are in Cyprus and after they return to Greece.

Military ranks and ranks insignia
ELDYK follows the Greek's army rank scale and rank insignia (Officers ranks and ranks insignia, Non-commissioned officers and soldiers ranks and ranks insignia), which has the NATO standard rank scale.

Uniform


There are 2 types of military uniforms, one is the formal that soldiers wear at the parades, celebrations and other special occasions and the other is the everyday and combat uniform. The uniforms are the same as in the rest Greek army with the difference of embroidered patches on the shoulders (shoulder sleeve insignia), which have black letters that form the word: "ΕΛΔΥΚ" (ΕΛΔΥΚ is the abbreviation of the force in Greek).

The patches are green in the everyday and combat military uniforms and yellow in the formal uniforms. Unofficially, these patches are called: eldykosima (ελδυκόσημα), singular: eldykosimo (ελδυκόσημο). The uniform camouflage pattern is the Greek Lizard.



Equipment
Men of ELDYK are using Greek's army equipment. The service rifles of ELDYK soldiers are some variants of G3.

Headquarters Camp


The headquarters camp is near Nicosia. Its name is "Camp of Major Sotirios Staurianakos". The camp has this name to honor the Captain Sotirios Staurianakos, who killed at 16 August 1974 during the last day of the battle of the ELDYK camp. He became Major after death.

In the camp, there is a memorial. The memorial represent a soldier that shows with his hand the area which was the previous camp of ELDYK (which destroyed during the Turkish invasion at 1974) and has on a marble the names and the ranks of the officers and soldiers of the force who died or are missing.

The museum of ELDYK is in the camp.

Museum
The museum of ELDYK is in its headquarters camp. Because the museum is located in a military area and is under the control of the army, if someone wants to visit it he/she must request permission from the army.

In popular culture
In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, the character Kure Galanos is the daughter of an ex-ELDYK sharpshooter.

The Greek music band "ΕΡΩΣ-ΕΛΛΑΣ" created the song "Της ΕΛΔΥΚ τα παλληκάρια" (The lads of ELDYK).

Greece
( * ) It is written the word "Cyprus" on the tomb to honor the men who died at Cyprus.

About ELDYK














About Turkish invasion of Cyprus






















About Turkish invasion of Cyprus




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