1974 Cypriot coup d'état

1974 Cypriot coup d'état
	Part of the Cyprus problem
Date	15 July 1974
Location	Cyprus
Result	Coup successful Establishment of the Cypriot Junta.; President Makarios III flees and coup leaders take charge.; However, later the Turkish invasion of Cyprus forces coup leaders to step down. Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus begins.; Collapse of the Coup Government on July 23 following protests, internal pressure and an uprising.;
Belligerents
Cypriot Government; Cypriot National Guard (factions loyal to Makarios); Efedriko; Pro-government militias; Movement for Social Democracy; Eniaion; Progressive Party of Working People;	Pro-Enosis rebels Cypriot National Guard (rebel factions); EOKA-B; Progressive Front; Supported by:; Greek junta
Commanders and leaders
Makarios III; Vassos Lyssarides; Pantelakis Pantatzis	Brigadier General Michalis Georgitsis; Colonel Konstantinos Kombokis ; Athanasios Sklavenitis; Nikos Sampson
Casualties and losses
1,617 Cypriots missing, 300 civilians among them killed	Andreas Kestas – 20 years old, member of the Special Reserve Force, from Limassol. Haralambos Kirillou – 19 years old, member of the Special Reserve Force, from Chloraka. Nikos Solomou – 21 years old, member of the Special Reserve Force, from Pachyammos. Philipos Kritiotis – 20 years old, National Guard, from Stato-Agios Fotios.

A military coup d'état sponsored by the Greek military junta was executed by the Cypriot National Guard on 15 July 1974. The coup plotters removed the sitting President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, from office and installed pro-Enosis nationalist Nikos Sampson. The Sampson regime was described as a puppet state, whose ultimate aim was the annexation of the island by Greece; in the short term, the coupists proclaimed the establishment of the "Hellenic Republic of Cyprus". The coup was viewed as illegal by the United Nations and led immediately to the Turkish invasion and ongoing occupation of Cyprus.