EOKA B

EOKA-B (In words National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters B) was a paramilitary organization established in Cyprus in 1971, founded by Georgios Grivas. Its aim was to create the conditions that would lead to the union of Cyprus with Greece.The organization on its peak had 10 thousand members, some of them ex EOKA members.

Grivas was considering Makarios responsible for the highly unfavorable to Greek-Cypriots Zürich and London Agreement which he was considering to be a treason. In addition he was asking for Makarios to resign and he was calling him anti-union and an authority maniac.

Whereas EOKA (1955–59) were seen by the majority of the Greek Cypriots as anti-colonialist freedom fighters, the EOKA-B did not have the overwhelming support of the Greek Cypriot population, as Makarios had called an election after a failed assassination attempt on him and his coalition won 27 out of the 35 seats. The main supporters of EOKA B were Pro Enosis supporters who won 7 seats in the previous election, old EOKA fighters who felt they never received the recognition that they deserved after the revolt, right wing military personal and some pro-enosis elements of the Church of Cyprus. The only armed, organized resistance to EOKA-B came from the "Efedriko", a special police force set up by Makarios and the members of the Socialist Party EDEK. The Communist Party AKEL, despite the mild verbal opposition to EOKA-B, had not organized any form of resistance against it.

After the death of Grivas, the new leadership of EOKA-B increasingly came under the direct control and influence of the military junta in Athens. The post-Grivas EOKA B' was on the verge of dissolution by July 1974. Yet on July 15, 1974 the Greek Dictator Dimitrios Ioannides used the National Guard,which was led by Greek Officers and consisted of Greek-Cypriot conscripts, and launched a military coup, overthrowing Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as the new President of Cyprus. Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, Ioannides was taken by surprise by the Turkish invasion and failed to convince or coerce the Greek generals to send military reinforcements to Cyprus. Despite the disapproval of the invasion by the United nations Security Council, and the return of democracy in the meantime in Cyprus and Greece, Turkey launched a second invasion in 14th of August which was also disapproved by the United nations Security Council leading to 200 hundred thousand permanent refugees, thousands dead, mass war crimes and looting and an ethnic cleansing of 36.2% of Cyprus and an illegal occupation of it since then, by turkish troops.