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Republic of Cyprus - National Guard History

Articles 129 to 132 of the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus provided for the formation of an army of the Republic consisting of 2,000 men, of whom 60% were Greek Cypriots and 40% Turkish Cypriots. Immediately after the proclamation of the Republic of Cyprus, the formation of the Cyprus Army began to take place. Military service was not compulsory, but could only be imposed by mutual agreement of the President (Greek Cypriot) and the Vice President (Turkish Cypriot).

During the inter-communal unrest in December 1963-64, the Turkish Cypriots abandoned the legitimate army as part of their rebellion against the state. At the same time, due to the threats of Turkey for military measures, the Greek Division was transferred to Cyprus and the Supreme Military Command of Cyprus (ASDAK) was created, which operated until the end of 1967, during which time the Division was removed from Cyprus. the events of Kofinou.

At the same time, with the effort to form the Cypriot Army, the Special Joint Staff of Cyprus (EMEK) was created, which in 1964 was renamed the General Staff of the National Guard. In June 1964, the Cypriot Parliament passed Law 20 "On the National Guard", which introduced compulsory conscription and began the effective formation of the army of the Republic of Cyprus. Military service was set at 18 months.

The National Guard was staffed by Greek officers, who together with their Cypriot colleagues in the Cyprus Army and volunteers undertook the organization and training of its personnel. In August 1964, the National Guard faced, among other things, the first Turkish military intervention, which manifested itself with air strikes in the area of ??Tillyria and the Gulf of Xeros, while in 1967 National Guard forces intervened in the crisis in the area of ??Kofinou.

In July 1974, units of the National Guard were used by the Athens military regime in the coup against President Makarios. Its conflict with the forces supporting President Makarios, but also with almost the entire Greek Cypriot people, weakened the National Guard to the point that it was unable to successfully deal with the Turkish troops that invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, with on the occasion of the overthrow of the constitutional order and under the pretext of the protection of the Turkish Cypriots.

During the two phases of the Turkish invasion (July 20-22 and August 14-16, 1974), the National Guard was for the first time in front of the supreme task, to defend the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. In conditions of division he put up strong resistance and gave fierce battles, causing the invader significant losses and shooting down a significant number of aircraft.

Since then, it is constantly at war with the Turkish occupation forces.

From 1974 until today, the National Guard has performed and continues to perform important work. Adopting modern technological developments and constantly staffed by well-trained executives, who are sent for training in military schools in Greece and abroad, the National Guard has today become a predictable and combative deterrent force, with a high degree of training.

After the accession of Cyprus to the European Union in 2004, the National Guard actively participates in the Common Security and Defense Policy according to its capabilities.

In addition to its purely military work, the National Guard participates in many other activities and performs significant social work, such as assisting in the fight against fires, dealing with natural disasters and volunteering blood, without ignoring its contribution to its education and development. character of young people.

The emblem of the National Guard has been established since its foundation in 1964, the Double-headed Eagle on a yellow background, which symbolizes the universality of the Greek spirit. The double-headed eagle, since ancient times, was a secret symbol of Hellenism. In ancient mythology, he was the pre-eminent divine and celestial bird, helper and protector of Zeus.

As a symbol of power, it was used for the first time in Byzantine times. It symbolized the dual rule of the Byzantine emperors in Europe and Asia. With both heads proudly looking left and right, they wanted to show that the central government is equally focused on the two worlds, east and west. As a Christian symbol, it is the official emblem of the Patriarchates and of all the Orthodox Churches.