CYPRUS SITUATION REPORT # 13

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06907715
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: March 2, 2022
• Case Number: F-2019-02114
• Publication Date: August 19, 1974

Approved for Release: 2022/02/28 C06907715
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
August 19, 1974 '
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
CYPRUS
Situation Report Number 13
(As of 0700 EDT)
(All times cited are Nicosia time, unless other-
wise specified.)
1. The Cease-fire appears to be holding .through-
out the.island today. .A spokesman for the TIN :peace
keeping force told the press this morning that there
had been no reports of any new firing incidents. -
2. By yesterday afternoon, Turkish units south-
east of Nicosia, had advanced as far as Pyroi, Athienou
and Troulli and had cut the road from Nicosia to the
port of Larnaca. According to Cypriot President
derides, the Turks were advancing from Pyroi yester-
day to cut the Nicosia-Limmasol vied�the last major
route south from the capital city. There is no
evidence available to confirm this, however, and the
Nicosia-Limmasol road is still believed to be open.
3. Elsewhere on the island yesterday, Turkish
units continued to advance along the Karpas Peninsula
and reached Galinoporni. In the west, scattered fight-
ing between the Greek National Guard and the Turks
resulted in what may be the beginning of a Greek with-
drawal'from the Kokkina-Limnitis area.
Cont'd
E-2, IMPDET
ass By:
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4. The Turks are making a concerted effort
to lay the blame for cease-fire violations on the
Greek Cypriots. In Ankara yesterday Minister of
Information Birgit held a. press conference to.tell
foreign correspondents that Turkey has .Complied
with the cease-fire and that the rest of:the world
should bring pressure on the "other side" to stop
fighting. He pointed to reports of Greek attacks.
on Turkish Cypriots and cited a gad Cross letter
noting that six had died in Paphos..: Birgit also
said that the Nicosia airport was surrounded to.pro-
tect against destructive acts by the Greeks. He
hoped, however, that his government would be able to
fly a large group of foreign correspondents from
Ankara to Cyprus today to get the story first hand.
5. The Turkish embassy in Nicosia has elab-
orated on this version of the cease-fire violations
by denying that :Turkish forces have advanced beyond
the .village of Pyroi. An embassy spokesman said that
the Turks had, captured Pyroi before the cease-fire.
On the morning of August 17 Turkish forces had been
surprised to find two Greek Cypriot tanks and a num-
ber of soldiers had re-entered the town after the
Turks had withdrawn to Just outside the town and
fighting to recapture the town ensued. This is in
general agreement with information given the US de-
fense attache by a Greek. Cypriot military leader.
The Turkish embassy explicitly deniedfany intent to
cut the Limassol road and said that-localscommanders
are under "Strict instructions" to observe the cease-
fire.
6.. Calm returned to Nicosia today following
a brief period of panic.yesterday after President
Clerides claimed in a BBC interview that Turkey was
trying to occupy all of Cyprus.. Clerides said that,
in the end, the Greek Cypriots would probably be
driven into the hills where they would make their.
"last stand." The statement apparently-touched off
a flight of civilians from the capital with refugees
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crowding the roads toward Limassol on the southern
coast and toward the Troodos Mountains and the Athna
Forest southwest of Nicosia.
GREECE
7. Defense Minister Averoff has told the US
ambassador that the movement of military forces from
the Athens area on August 11 was in response to the
possibility of a new military coup which came to the
government's attention in time. He said that Prime
Minister Karamanlis.went immediately to President
Gizikis and threatened to return to Paris unless the
President supported him. Gizikis agreed to transfer
the military units involved. Averoff said he now
felt that the government was no longer in danger of
a military coup, although he believed that younger
officers trained in military schools since 1967 had
to be kept under surveillance.
LATE ITEM
At noon Nicosia time today, 500 Greek Cypriots
shouting anti-American slogans began burning cars in
front of the US Embassy in Nicosia and started a fire
behind the building. Ambassador Davies reportedly
has been hit by gunfire and is seriously wounded.
A later report indicates that Cypriot President
Clerides is now in the US Embassy and is attempting
to get the ambassador to a hospital.
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