Polycarpos Georgadjis
Encyclopedia
Polycarpos Georgatzis was a Cypriot politician. He served as the first Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Cyprus. He also served as provisional minister of Labour in the period leading to Cyprus being proclaimed an independent state
. Before entering the political stage he fought for EOKA
. His political career evolved from a staunch supporter of Makarios to becoming one of the archbishop's principal political rivals. He was assassinated in 1970.
. He became regional commander of EOKA operations in Nicosia
. He was nicknamed the Houdini in reference to his several successful escapes including once on 31 August 1956 from the Nicosia hospital
and once from Nicosia Central Prisons on 2 May 1958. After the end of the struggle he claimed to have been tortured whilst held captive by the colonial security forces.
, who held the official title of Minister of the Interior. British pressure had forced Makarios to distance Georgadjis, a former active EOKA member from the Ministry of Interior which was in charge of internal security, police and intelligence.
, officially swapped the ministries between the two men. Typically for the ex-EOKA ministers in Makarios' first Council of Ministers, Georkadjis was very young at the time, aged 29. He also had no higher education.
As Minister of the Interior, Georkadtzis quickly became notorious for using the police as his personal army. It is rumoured that he also set up a vast information network. He was also the leader of the underground Greek Cypriot pro-Enosis movement, initially known simply as the Organisation, which later clashed with the Turkish Cypriot TMT
in the intercommunal strife which began in December 1963. Georkadjis' code name in the Organisation was "Akritas", another name for the legendary Byzantine hero Digenis, an obvious link to the pseudonym of EOKA leader Georgios Grivas. Georkadjis is alleged to have authored the so-called Akritas plan (plan of action in case of clashes between the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus
). The document became famous after it was leaked to the press, and acquired its popular name from the codename signed under it. With Glafkos Clerides he established the first centre right party of Cyprus, attracting many of the EOKA members in its ranks.
, a Greek
political activist (and later politician), who opposed the rise of the military junta in Greece
, in his attempted assassination of dictator George Papadopoulos
on 13 August 1968. Panagoulis was arrested shortly after the failure of the attempt. Why Georkadjis, a confirmed anti-communist, would conspire with the communist Panagoulis to overthrow the dictatorship in Greece, remains unknown to this day. It is not likely Georkadtzis was acting out of ideology. It is much more probable that he attempted to use Panagoulis as part of some greater plan, since there were growing signs of disagreement between the government of Cyprus under President and Archbishop Makarios
and the military junta in Greece
. What is known is that Georkadtzis simultaneously attempted to ship explosives and weapons to Greece using diplomatic bag prerogatives.
Despite the torture he was subjected to, Panagoulis revealed nothing. However, the Georgadjis connection became known to the junta and Archbishop Makarios
, President of the Republic of Cyprus, was forced by the junta to ask for Georkadjis' resignation. The dictator Georgios Papadopoulos, the target of the attempt, had been godfather at the baptism of Georkadjis' first child, Constantinos, just a year earlier, which particularly incensed Papadopoulos.
in Cyprus planned a coup against Makarios (Operation Hermes). They approached Georkadtzis, who was still sidelined after his resignation, but continued to command a deep network inside the state, and the police force in particular. They asked him to plan and execute the assassination of Makarios which was intended to spark off unrest, so that the National Guard could then intervene and "restore order". Georkadjis agreed to co-operate.
Georkadjis' men shot at Makarios' helicopter just after it took off from the Archbishopric in Nicosia to convey the Archbishop to a memorial service for EOKA
hero Grigoris Afxentiou
in the mountains of Macheras. The machine was damaged and the pilot wounded, but a successful forced landing was made nearby and Makarios escaped, taking the pilot to Nicosia General Hospital with the aid of passers-by. The plan failed and the role of Greek officers Poulitsas and Papapostolou, who were part of Makarios' entourage, was revealed. Georkadjis attempted to appease Makarios by leaking the plan for Operation Hermes to Speaker of the House of Representatives Glafkos Klerides
, who forwarded it to Makarios. Makarios did not need to see the plan to know that the Greek officers in the National Guard and the junta of Athens were behind the attempt. He also did not want to escalate the crisis in his relations with the junta. Via selective leaks to the press from the Presidential Palace, the plan for Operation Hermes was exposed publicly, but denounced as a fake designed to shatter the confidence of the people in the National Guard. Makarios publicly stated his confidence in the National Guard to defuse the crisis, temporarily at least.
. He asked a close associate to accompany him, but dropped him off some distance from the meeting point and drove on alone. As Georkadjis' car approached another car parked at the meeting point, the occupants of the other car opened fire with automatic weapons. One of them then walked up to Georkadjis' car and delivered a coup de grâce
. They then drove off leaving Georkadjis dead at the scene. Fanis Demetriou, the police officer in charge of the investigation quickly found evidence pointing towards the same two Greek officers in Makarios' entourage who had been found to be involved in the Hermes plot. After he reported this to his superiors, Demetriou was ordered off the case. The two particular Greek officers were eventually only questioned several weeks later, at which time they gave identical accounts of their whereabouts on the night of the murder. They both left the island shortly thereafter and never returned.
In the trial of the men in the teams that shot at the President's helicopter, the court noted the leading part Georkadjis played as chief instigator and planner of the attempt, but did not call him to account as he was already deceased.
Georkadjis' widow Fotini married Tassos Papadopoulos
, then Minister of Labour, within months of her husband's death. Papadopoulos and Georkadjis had been close friends, and Papadopoulos had been best man at Georkadjis' wedding.
Though Georkadtzis planned and executed an operation to assassinate the President of the Republic, and though his role in this has been acknowledged by the courts, the yearly church service in his memory is attended by prominent figures among the Greek Cypriot political leadership and at least one street has been named after him. A museum honoring the most distinguished aspects of his life is active in his birthplace in Palaichori, formally opened in 2002 by the then President Glafkos Clerides.
Zürich and London Agreement
The Zürich and London Agreement for the constitution of Cyprus started with an agreement on the 19 February 1959 in Lancaster House in London, between Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom and Cypriot community leaders...
. Before entering the political stage he fought for EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
. His political career evolved from a staunch supporter of Makarios to becoming one of the archbishop's principal political rivals. He was assassinated in 1970.
EOKA years
Georgadzis joined the ranks of EOKA in his twenties and assumed the nom de guerre LaertesLaertes
In Greek mythology, Laërtes was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. He was the father of Odysseus and Ctimene by his wife Anticlea, daughter of the thief Autolycus. Laërtes was an Argonaut and participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar...
. He became regional commander of EOKA operations in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
. He was nicknamed the Houdini in reference to his several successful escapes including once on 31 August 1956 from the Nicosia hospital
Nicosia Old General Hospital
Nicosia Old General Hospital was the main hospital of Nicosia, Cyprus from 1936 to 2006. In 2006, its patients were transferred to the Nicosia New General Hospital, and it was demolished in 2010 amidst some controversy over whether it should have been preserved.The decision for erecting a purpose...
and once from Nicosia Central Prisons on 2 May 1958. After the end of the struggle he claimed to have been tortured whilst held captive by the colonial security forces.
Provisional Minister of Labour
Georgadtzis was appointed Minister of Labour in the transitional government set up immediately before the Republic of Cyprus became independent. The Ministry of Labour, however, was effectively run by Tassos PapadopoulosTassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician. He served as the fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.His parents were Nicolas and Aggeliki from Assia. He was the first of three children...
, who held the official title of Minister of the Interior. British pressure had forced Makarios to distance Georgadjis, a former active EOKA member from the Ministry of Interior which was in charge of internal security, police and intelligence.
Minister of the Interior
Following the first elections in 1960, Archbishop Makarios IIIMakarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
, officially swapped the ministries between the two men. Typically for the ex-EOKA ministers in Makarios' first Council of Ministers, Georkadjis was very young at the time, aged 29. He also had no higher education.
As Minister of the Interior, Georkadtzis quickly became notorious for using the police as his personal army. It is rumoured that he also set up a vast information network. He was also the leader of the underground Greek Cypriot pro-Enosis movement, initially known simply as the Organisation, which later clashed with the Turkish Cypriot TMT
TMT
TMT may refer to:* Tandem mass tag, a label used for quantitative mass spectrometry–based proteomics* Tarsometatarsal articulations* Technology, Media, Telecommunications – an investment sector, e.g., late-1990s TMT bubble...
in the intercommunal strife which began in December 1963. Georkadjis' code name in the Organisation was "Akritas", another name for the legendary Byzantine hero Digenis, an obvious link to the pseudonym of EOKA leader Georgios Grivas. Georkadjis is alleged to have authored the so-called Akritas plan (plan of action in case of clashes between the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
). The document became famous after it was leaked to the press, and acquired its popular name from the codename signed under it. With Glafkos Clerides he established the first centre right party of Cyprus, attracting many of the EOKA members in its ranks.
Links to failed Greek PM assassination
In 1968, Georkadtzis offered assistance to Alekos PanagoulisAlexandros Panagoulis
Alexandros Panagoulis was a Greek politician and poet. He took an active role in the fight against the Regime of the Colonels in Greece. He became famous for his attempt to assassinate dictator Georgios Papadopoulos on 13 August 1968, but also for the torture that he was subjected to during his...
, a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
political activist (and later politician), who opposed the rise of the military junta in Greece
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
, in his attempted assassination of dictator George Papadopoulos
George Papadopoulos
Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos was the head of the military coup d'état that took place in Greece on 21 April 1967 and leader of the military government that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974. Papadopoulos was a Colonel of Artillery...
on 13 August 1968. Panagoulis was arrested shortly after the failure of the attempt. Why Georkadjis, a confirmed anti-communist, would conspire with the communist Panagoulis to overthrow the dictatorship in Greece, remains unknown to this day. It is not likely Georkadtzis was acting out of ideology. It is much more probable that he attempted to use Panagoulis as part of some greater plan, since there were growing signs of disagreement between the government of Cyprus under President and Archbishop Makarios
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
and the military junta in Greece
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
. What is known is that Georkadtzis simultaneously attempted to ship explosives and weapons to Greece using diplomatic bag prerogatives.
Despite the torture he was subjected to, Panagoulis revealed nothing. However, the Georgadjis connection became known to the junta and Archbishop Makarios
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
, President of the Republic of Cyprus, was forced by the junta to ask for Georkadjis' resignation. The dictator Georgios Papadopoulos, the target of the attempt, had been godfather at the baptism of Georkadjis' first child, Constantinos, just a year earlier, which particularly incensed Papadopoulos.
Attempt to overthrow Makarios
In 1970, juntist Greek officers of the National GuardCypriot National Guard
The Cypriot National Guard , also known as the "Greek Cypriot National Guard" or simply as "National Guard", is the combined arms military force of the Republic of Cyprus...
in Cyprus planned a coup against Makarios (Operation Hermes). They approached Georkadtzis, who was still sidelined after his resignation, but continued to command a deep network inside the state, and the police force in particular. They asked him to plan and execute the assassination of Makarios which was intended to spark off unrest, so that the National Guard could then intervene and "restore order". Georkadjis agreed to co-operate.
Georkadjis' men shot at Makarios' helicopter just after it took off from the Archbishopric in Nicosia to convey the Archbishop to a memorial service for EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
hero Grigoris Afxentiou
Grigoris Afxentiou
Grigoris Pieris Afxentiou was a guerrilla fighter who fought against the British rule of Cyprus and is considered a national hero. In the hierarchy of EOKA he was second in command to general Georgios Grivas...
in the mountains of Macheras. The machine was damaged and the pilot wounded, but a successful forced landing was made nearby and Makarios escaped, taking the pilot to Nicosia General Hospital with the aid of passers-by. The plan failed and the role of Greek officers Poulitsas and Papapostolou, who were part of Makarios' entourage, was revealed. Georkadjis attempted to appease Makarios by leaking the plan for Operation Hermes to Speaker of the House of Representatives Glafkos Klerides
Glafkos Klerides
Glafcos Ioannou Clerides is a Greek-Cypriot politician and the fourth President of the Republic of Cyprus.Clerides was the eldest son of the lawyer and statesman Ioannis Clerides....
, who forwarded it to Makarios. Makarios did not need to see the plan to know that the Greek officers in the National Guard and the junta of Athens were behind the attempt. He also did not want to escalate the crisis in his relations with the junta. Via selective leaks to the press from the Presidential Palace, the plan for Operation Hermes was exposed publicly, but denounced as a fake designed to shatter the confidence of the people in the National Guard. Makarios publicly stated his confidence in the National Guard to defuse the crisis, temporarily at least.
Assassination
A week later, Georkadjis drove to a secret night rendezvous in an open area outside the village of Mia MiliaMia Milia
Mia Milia is a suburb of the city of Nicosia, Cyprus, located northeast of the city. The town functions as a separate municipality. In 1960 the population consisted of 1073 inhabitants but the town has grown substantially since, as the city of Nicosia expanded.The UN is planning a water treatment...
. He asked a close associate to accompany him, but dropped him off some distance from the meeting point and drove on alone. As Georkadjis' car approached another car parked at the meeting point, the occupants of the other car opened fire with automatic weapons. One of them then walked up to Georkadjis' car and delivered a coup de grâce
Coup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
. They then drove off leaving Georkadjis dead at the scene. Fanis Demetriou, the police officer in charge of the investigation quickly found evidence pointing towards the same two Greek officers in Makarios' entourage who had been found to be involved in the Hermes plot. After he reported this to his superiors, Demetriou was ordered off the case. The two particular Greek officers were eventually only questioned several weeks later, at which time they gave identical accounts of their whereabouts on the night of the murder. They both left the island shortly thereafter and never returned.
In the trial of the men in the teams that shot at the President's helicopter, the court noted the leading part Georkadjis played as chief instigator and planner of the attempt, but did not call him to account as he was already deceased.
Georkadjis' widow Fotini married Tassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Papadopoulos
Tassos Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician. He served as the fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.His parents were Nicolas and Aggeliki from Assia. He was the first of three children...
, then Minister of Labour, within months of her husband's death. Papadopoulos and Georkadjis had been close friends, and Papadopoulos had been best man at Georkadjis' wedding.
Though Georkadtzis planned and executed an operation to assassinate the President of the Republic, and though his role in this has been acknowledged by the courts, the yearly church service in his memory is attended by prominent figures among the Greek Cypriot political leadership and at least one street has been named after him. A museum honoring the most distinguished aspects of his life is active in his birthplace in Palaichori, formally opened in 2002 by the then President Glafkos Clerides.
Quotes
- "Anything can happen now. To Makarios, people are like lemons: when they are squeezed dry, he throws them away." Quoted soon after the failed assassination attempt on Makarios on 8 March 1970. Georgadjis was removed from a plane whilst trying to flee to Beirut.