Today marks 49 years since the military coup of July 15, 1974 in Cyprus, aimed at overthrowing the then President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III from the leadership of the Junta of Colonels.

Five days later, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus was a fact.

As every year, so today at 08.20 in the morning, at the moment of the start of the operation towards the Presidential Palace, the sirens sounded in all the cities of free Cyprus, with the signal to start the alarm.

In the morning of that day, the Junta tanks carry out a coup under the slogan “Alexanders entered the hospital”. Phalanxes of tanks enter the road network with the aim of neutralizing the presidential guard. Makarios was at the Presidential Palace welcoming a group of Greek schoolchildren from Egypt and fled through the only unguarded passage to the west of the Presidential Palace from his companions. The Presidential Palace, the Archdiocese and other targets are hit by armored vehicles and tanks. The coup plotters take over the Cyprus Radio Foundation and falsely announce that Makarios is dead. Nikolaos Samson is sworn in as President. Makarios is transferred to Paphos and from there he is removed from Cyprus to New York via London.

The President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulidis, will attend the established Memorial for those who fell during the Coup in Defense of Legitimacy and Democracy, which will be held at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, in Nicosia.

Then, he will attend the Special Session of the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives for the black anniversaries, while at noon he will attend the trisage and lay a wreath at the Democracy and Resistance Monument of the Nicosia Democratic Resistance Association, in the Park of the Presidential Palace.

Memorial services for the fallen will be held in Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos