Nikos Sampson
Nikos Sampson
Cypriot politician, journalist and EOKA terorrist
Born	December 16, 1935 Cyprus
Died	May 9, 2001 Nicosia, Cyprus
Nationality	Cypriot
Religion	Cypriot Orthodox Church

Nikos Sampson (Greek: Νίκος Σαμψών; December 16, 1935 – May 9, 2001) was the de facto president of Cyprus installed by the coup d'état that overthrew Archbishop Makarios, President of Cyprus, in 1974. The ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus ( Greek: Ekklēsía tês Kýprou) is one of the fourteen or fifteen independent (' autocephalous Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Makarios III (Μακάριος Γ born Mihail Christodoulou Mouskos (Greek Μιχαήλ Χριστοδούλου Μούσκος) on August 13, ^[1] Sampson was well known as a Greek nationalist and member of EOKA, which sought Enosis (Union) of the island of Cyprus with Greece. EOKA ( Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston ( Greek for National Organisation For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Enosis (butterfly. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία He remained President for only eight days but the puppet regime that installed him failed to gain diplomatic recognition from any country.

The EOKA period

Sampson was born Nikos Georgiadis in the Cypriot port city of Famagusta. "Magusa" redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Magusa (moth. He began his working life as a correspondent for The Cyprus Times. He adopted the name Sampson to distinguish him from countless others who bore this surname. It was also his nom de guerre during the resistance campaign against British rule in Cyprus, waged from 1955 to 1959. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Joining EOKA, he became known to the British Army and police as one of its most feared resistance fighters. EOKA ( Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston ( Greek for National Organisation The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force He and his supporters instigated a number of killings carried out along Ledra Street. These included three police sergeants, for one of which Sampson was tried in May 1957. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) He confessed, but was acquitted because of suspicions that his confession had been coerced. But a month after this acquittal, he was convicted of weapons possession, which carried a death sentence under the emergency regulations of the time.

Sampson was working as a photographer-reporter at the time and he used to photograph the bodies of the people he killed to be published in the newspaper he was working for. The police became suspicious about how Sampson was always the first reporter to arrive at the murder scene and he was arrested.

The death sentence was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment and Sampson was flown to the United Kingdom to serve it. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He was released a year and a half later under a general amnesty as part of the 1959 London agreement but remained in exile in Greece until Cyprus gained formal independence in August 1960, with Archbishop Makarios as its first President. Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Exile means to be away from one's home (ie city state or country while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened by prison or death upon return Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He returned to Nicosia shortly after Independence Day, receiving a hero's welcome. An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the Anniversary of a Nation 's assumption of independent Statehood, usually after ceasing

The 1960s

Sampson returned to newspaper publishing, admitting in 1961 in a series of newspaper articles that he was responsible for the death of police officers in 1956 during the resistance campaign against British rule. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1960 he set up the newspaper Makhi which was one of the first Greek newspapers in circulation in the nation of Cyprus. Makhi ( Greek: Μάχη meaning "Battle" or "Struggle" is a Greek-language Cypriot daily Newspaper with

Sampson actively participated clashes between the Greek and Turkish communities in December 1963 which eventually led to a United Nations peacekeeping force being dispatched to Cyprus. Greek Cypriots ( Greek: Ελληνοκύπριοι Turkish: Kıbrıslı Rumlar are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace The effect of these clashes between in the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus was the departure of the Turkish Cypriots from government and the segregation of the Turkish Cypriot community into enclaves. Turkish Cypriots ( Turkish: Kıbrıs Türkleri or Kıbrıslı Türkler Greek: Τουρκοκύπριοι are the ethnically Turkish inhabitants of the Sampson was particularly active in the mixed suburb of Nicosia known as Omorfita/Kucuk Kaymakli, with a majority Turkish Cypriot population where he took part in the fierce battles that took place at the end of December 1963 between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot irregulars for the control of the whole suburb.

The 1974 coup

In 1970 Sampson became a member of the Parliament of Cyprus as a leader of one of the main parties of Cyprus, Progressive Party (Proodeftikoi). Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The House of Representatives ( Greek: Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων Vouli ton Antiprosópon; Turkish: Temsilciler Meclisi In 1971, EOKA head General Grivas returned to Cyprus and gave the campaign for enosis further momentum, forming EOKA-B. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Georgios Grivas ( George Grivas; Greek: Γεώργιος Γρίβας) (May 23 1898 - January 27 1974 also known by his nom de guerre EOKA ( Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston ( Greek for National Organisation Following the death of Grivas in January 1974, the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 gave active support to EOKA-B. Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group.

On July 15, 1974, Makarios was deposed by a military coup on which was led by Greek officers of the Cyprus National Guard. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.

Aftermath

After the coup, the Greek military junta installed Sampson as Cyprus' second president, having picked him from a list of "several candidates". ^[2] The puppet government he led failed to gain international recognition from any other country and Sampson was forced to resign eight days later, after Turkey invaded Cyprus, taking control of the northern third of the island.

In an interview with Reuters, on the 25th of July 1974 Sampson claimed to have been unaware of the impending coup that had installed him. This article is primarily about Reuters prior to its 2008 merger with Thomson He went on to claim that after military officers had insisted he "saw the possibility of civil war and accepted". ^[3] Nonetheless, Sampson was prosecuted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for treason in 1976. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1979 he was allowed to go to France for medical treatment which lasted for most of his prison sentence, before returning to Cyprus in June 1990. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Following his release from prison in 1992, he went back to the newspaper publishing business. On May 10, 2001, he died in Nicosia following a protracted bout against cancer. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.

References

• Cyprus. By Paul D. Hellander, 2003 ISBN 1740591224
• The Cyprus Question and the Turkish Position in International Law By Zaim M. Necatigil, 1993 ISBN 0198258461