Georgios Karayiannis

Who is Georgios Karayiannis?

Georgios Karayiannis was an officer of the Greek Army. Having retired with the rank of General, he was approached on April 18, 1964 by his former colleague General George Grivas and offered the leadership of the newly formed Greek Cypriot Cypriot National Guard, which post Karayiannis accepted. From April to August 1964 Karayiannis commanded and organised the Cypriot National Guard, whose stated mission was to defend the island against possible Turkish military invasion, and to counter the paramilitary forces of the Turkish Cypriot group known as Turkish Resistance Organization or TMT.

Grivas arrived in Cyprus himself on June 10, 1964 and used the popularity he gained in Cyprus and Greece during the EOKA era to coerce the governments of Greece and Cyprus into appointing him supreme military commander of Cyprus. On July 22 Grivas set himself up in an office at the National Guard headquarters and began to issue orders directly to National Guard units. This incensed Karayiannis who submitted his resignation, which was not accepted.