A very interesting 399 page article.
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/96606.pdf
Page 47 - 49:
4528. Subject: Cyprus Coup: Meeting with General Ioannides. Ref:
State 152379.2 For the Secretary.
1 Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1312,
Saunders Chron File, NSC Secretariat, Richard M. Nixon Cables/Contingency Plans 1974,
Cyprus and Greek-Turkish Contingency Plans. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to
Nicosia, Ankara, and USNATO. A handwritten note by Clift, presumably to Scowcroft,
reads, “Read this one in detail!”
2 Document 82.
1. I used secure reliable channel directly to General Ioannides to
deliver message reftel. He began by explaining he had personal message
from USG. After emissary had read two paragraphs, Ioannides
commented message must be same as that Ambassador had given
Kypreos, in which case emissary wasting his time since he would receive
message anyway. Emissary explained his job was to finish reading
message and hand it to him and would do so, to which General
Ioannides said fine.
2. After emissary completed message, the General literally blew
up, jumped up, backed up, knocked over a table, broke empty glass
and uttered a strong obscenity. He continued that one day Kissinger
makes public statements regarding non-interference in Greek internal
affairs and a few weeks later the USG says “consistent with the above
principles . . .” and threatens interference. “No matter what happened
in Cyprus I (Ioannides) will be blamed. If I had pulled the troops out
the former politicians would have blamed me for turning the island
over to the Communists. Some day USG will realize that on 15 July 1974
Cyprus was saved from falling into the hands of the Communists”.
3. General then calmed down, came over to where emissary was
sitting and said he knew he understood him: diplomatic talk is timeconsuming
but he would answer in as diplomatic fashion as possible
because he had diplomatic mission.
4. General stated that Greece also believed in non-interference and
in a free, independent, sovereign state of Cyprus; Greece would abide
by the decision of the majority of the Greek Cypriots, most of whom
were nationalists, and these nationalists were the ones who had moved
against Makarios. It was immaterial whether these Greek Cypriot nationalists
moved with or without the prior blessing of Greece or
whether Greek officers subsequently assisted them. At this point he
went off on a tangent stating that neither Greece nor the Greek Cypriots
had asked for enosis, that GOT had obviously accepted these developments
in Cyprus, that Turks understood that the matter was an
internal Greek Cypriot affair.
5. According to Ioannides only real resistance left on Cyprus were
Communist supporters of Makarios in Paphos; these supporters were
even singing EAM/ELAS3 songs. Most of the rest of island was in nationalist
hands. General Ioannides stated that everyone should forget
that Makarios was an international figure, that he was a national hero,
that he had served several useful functions and that he was a man of
the cloth; Makarios had become a rotten priest homosexual; he was
perverted, a torturer, a sexual deviate and the owner of half the hotels
Cyprus 297
3 Reference is to the Greek Communist resistance movement of World War II.
on the island.
To preserve his position and to continue his activities,
Makarios was willing to sacrifice seventy per cent of the Greek Cypriot
population (only thirty per cent were AKEL) and entire anti-Communist
Turkish Cypriot population. Ioannides asserted Greek Cypriots in
National Guard realized these facts and had begged motherland for
chance to act against Makarios; General claimed that he only assisted
after being presented with a fait accompli.
6. At this point emissary interjected and told Ioannides point-blank
that, with coup only twenty-four hours after his reporting to us regarding
a possible overthrow of Makarios this was very difficult for
anyone to believe. At this point the General again blew up with arms
waving, knocked over the same table, broke a second glass and, between
obscenities, stated that he did not plot and arrange the coup,
initial plan and approach was from Greek Cypriot nationalists on 13
July, after latter learned that GOG intended to accede to Makarios’ demands
to reduce number of Greek officers in National Guard. General
stated he could not accept at least 85,000 Greek Cypriot refugees from
Makarios’ tyranny. This coupled with Makarios’ anti-regime efforts,
made him decide to assist Greek Cypriot nationalists. The General
stated that if Makarios succeeded in kicking Greeks out of Cyprus what
could keep him from thinking he could not kick junta out of Greece.
After deciding to assist Greek Cypriots, the General claimed that he
did not tell the Armed Forces leadership nor any Greek official. He limited
knowledge of his intentions to few select officers on 13/14 July;
no one else knew and even after events unfolded on 15 July only a
handful of people were aware of his role. Ioannides justified this action
by asserting that if he had briefed numerous people they would
have raised suggestions, advice, alternatives, and possible problems.
He added that he acted on spur of the moment.
7. Ioannides declared that game was now over for Makarios, that
Greek Cypriots had booted him out, that National Guard and Greek
officers had assisted nationalist Greek Cypriot brothers, and that only
resistance now was in Paphos. In reply to emissary’s direct question
Ioannides stated that Makarios was still alive “but who cares; he now
has no power and no one, if he believes in principle of non-interference
in internal affairs of sovereign nation will assist him—not even
the Russians unless Turks ask them to do so and the Turks just don’t
care.”
8. In reply to question whether Greeks were in direct touch with
Turks, General stated we have not bothered the Turks; we have not declared
enosis. Turks agree that “the principal thorn” (i.e., Makarios) is
gone and, “I am not in touch with the Turks.” He expressed view that
Greece and Turkey could now proceed at some future time to sit down,
talk and solve their differences. Indeed, according to Ioannides Greeks
298 Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXX
might even be willing to share profits of petroleum finds in a joint exploration
company; however, Greece would never surrender Aegean
continental shelf because this would mean Turkish control of Greek islands.
He also expressed belief that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could
probably solve their difficulties peacefully, quietly and amicably. He
even joked that in a year or perhaps more realistically ten, the Turks
might want to sell their share of Cyprus for increased percentage of
petroleum rights. Again in reply to direct question, General Ioannides
stated that he was not in contact with any Turkish official; however, he
added that Turks were “officially aware” that enosis was not the objective
at this point and that Greek Cypriots did not intend any bloody
action against Turk Cypriots.
9. When asked for specifics on Makarios, Ioannides stated that according
to Greek information, Makarios was alive and in hands of
British at Episkopi Base; he had gone there with assistance of Canadians
and British on island.
10. At this point Ioannides summed up as follows:
A) He stressed that he too had a God; he was definitely not anti-
American; “even a jackass needed a post to be tied to” and in his case
it was the U.S.
B) His hasty decision on 13 July might have been stupid. Instead
of abandoning Cyprus and letting U.S. worry about its fate and pour
money down another rathole, he had allowed love of country, a moral
obligation to the Greek Cypriot nationalists and his “philotimo” to
overrule logic and to assist Greek Cypriots.
C) Greece would do whatever was necessary to preserve its national
identity and to stay anti-Communist. If this meant keeping Yiaros
open it would stay open as long as it was necessary and he would accept
no static from anyone on this score. Indeed, he had instructed a
Greek official to tell British officially that whenever the British let Irish
political prisoners out of British jails, he would free the forty-two Greek
political prisoners on Yiaros.
D) He personally didn’t like Nikos Sampson, but that was Greek
Cypriot nationalist decision. He knew Sampson personally and in his
opinion Sampson was “crazy.” He jokingly remarked that new Cypriot
Minister of Defense Dimitriou was very pro-American and that our Embassy
there would soon realize this. He also knew Dimitriou personally.
E) While shaking hands at close of conversation Ioannides stated,
“Remember we too believe in a free, independent and sovereign Cyprus,
we too believe in non-interference, along with Turks and especially with
Kissinger. We too believe that the Cypriots should be free to solve their
own problems, be they Greek Cypriots, Turk Cypriots or both.”
Tasca
Cyprus 299
