Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) has declassified intelligence reports compiled by the Greek Intelligence Service (KYP) during July and August of 1974.

This release includes 58 documents recording the events of those two months, which EYP has now made public.

“In an effort to contribute to a deeper understanding of the developments and conditions surrounding the coup against Archbishop Makarios and the Turkish invasion, EYP has, on this 50th anniversary of the Cyprus tragedy, made public 58 reports prepared by KYP during those dramatic months,” stated the official press release.

The 58 documents, according to the announcement, essentially constitute “a diary of developments during a traumatic period in Greek history.” They are now available “for historians and interested parties to study, extract data, and draw conclusions.”

EYP notes that even a cursory reading of the materials, despite the time that has passed, reveals “many elements that are both impressive and emotionally stirring.”

In his message about the declassification, EYP Director Themistoklis Demiris emphasized that 50 years later, “if the passage of time doesn’t mandate, it certainly permits us to look back as an exercise in national and institutional self-awareness.”

Professor Evanthis Hatzivassiliou of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens described the documents as crucial. He noted that, in combination with other available sources, they would aid in building a comprehensive understanding of those pivotal events.

EYP also clarified that this is the first time it has declassified archival material, “naturally adhering to the procedures required by relevant legislation.” The press release further notes that, according to the Director, there is intent to continue such initiatives, allowing the agency’s historical perspective, shaped by its unique characteristics, to be considered in studying particularly sensitive periods in Greek history.