During the days of the Turkish invasion, Nicosia International Airport became a real battlefield and a bone of contention between the warring parties. What happened during the days of Operation Attila in this place of the capital?
Last commercial flight
On July 15, 1974, a coup took place in Cyprus. Nicosia airport, along with all government buildings, was captured by the army. It remained closed until July 18, and when it opened, hundreds of tourists flocked there to quickly fly away from the country engulfed in civil strife.
The last commercial flight to arrive in Nicosia was in the early hours of 20 July, Cyprus Airlines flight CY317 on the London-Rome-Nicosia route. The pilot of the aircraft was Adamos Marneros. There were 10 people on board: one Greek Cypriot and one Turkish Cypriot family. On the eve of departure, Marneros learned from the news that Turkish troops were being loaded onto warships. Suspecting evil, he asked Nicosia to cancel the flight, but no one answered him. Therefore, on July 19 at 20:10 London time, the plane took off from London to Rome, where it again tried to contact the airline, but was informed that the situation on the island was normal. At 00:30 he flies from Rome to Nicosia.
Approaching Cyprus, Marneros notices five dots on the radar - Turkish warships leaving Antalya for Kerynia. He immediately asks permission to fly over Nicosia towards Famagusta in order to record the movement of ships from the east of the island. On the radar he can clearly see the entire Turkish fleet heading towards Cyprus. He marks the location of all the ships on a map, which he then passes on to the Cypriot police. By radio, he informs the military administration of Kerynia about the approaching danger, but they answer him that everything is under control. At 04:00, an hour and a half before the Turkish invasion, his plane lands at Nicosia airport. Even before Adamos Marneros left the airport, he witnessed how the sky over Cyprus was filled with Turkish paratroopers.
Operation Nika
In the following weeks until 16 August, Nicosia Airport became a battlefield due to its enormous strategic importance. The first clashes occurred on the night between July 21 and 22 and were tragic. Fifteen Greek Nord Noratlas military transport aircraft took off from Souda on Crete to deliver the first special forces battalion to Cyprus, tasked with defending Nicosia airport.
The operation was called “Nika”, and following the results of the Turkish invasion it was unofficially nicknamed the “suicide mission”. The planes had to fly close to the surface of the water so as not to be noticed by the enemy, and land in the dark. The squadron safely reached the island, but already over Cyprus, its own troops opened fire on it - the Cypriot National Guard, which no one had warned about the approach of reinforcements. The Nika 4 plane was shot down, everyone on board, except one military man, died.
Battle for the airport
The remaining commandos were able to land safely and on July 23-24, with the support of the National Guard, they gave battle to the Turks, confronting an entire regiment. Thanks to their dedication and courage, the Turks will not be able to capture Nicosia airport, but after the end of hostilities it will fall into the buffer zone.
This article was first published in the Cyprus Herald on July 21, 2021. Some information may be out of date.
