Georgios Grivas Statue in Limassol

From 1955 to 1960, the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) waged a campaign of violence and terror against the British authorities occupying Cyprus with the goal of enosis — union with Greece. Under the leadership of Georgios Grivas, EOKA was an insurgent group that carried out tactical sabotages, riots, and attacks against law enforcement and opposition both to undermine British authorities as well as establish union with Greece as the primary goal of Cyprus, ignoring the objections of the prominent Turkish Cypriot population. Although EOKA and, specifically, Grivas were instrumental to Cypriot independence in 1960 and are widely memorialised throughout the country, the legacy of the violent right-wing group continues to cause controversy in Cyprus, particularly among the left and the Turkish population. This case study examines the tensions regarding the role of Grivas in gaining independence at the cost of brutal violence and marginalisation towards a portion of the country.