1974 Cypriot Coup D'etat - Chilling Footage of Cyprus on Eve of Turkish Invasion (1974)

On 18 July 1974, ITN's Michael Nicholson reported from the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. Three days before, a Greek-backed coup d'etat by the Cyprus National Guard had deposed the country's president, Archbishop Makarios III, and replaced him with Greek Cypriot nationalist Nikos Sampson. In the final hours before the Sampson regime implemented strict censorship laws, ITN's cameras recorded the evidence of the National Guard's violent takeover. They filmed troops manning checkpoints on street corners and guarding the burnt-out ruins of government buildings damaged by tank fire during the coup. Michael Nicholson also managed to secure an exclusive interview with Sampson after the acting president held his first press conference. Nicholson questioned Sampson on the legitimacy of the new regime, while Sampson repeatedly denied any involvement by the Greek government in what he insisted was a "revolution", rejecting Nicholson's description of the takeover as a "coup". Omenously, Sampson was asked whether he was worried about the prospects of a Turkish invasion. "No, I am not worried," he responded flatly. Turkish forces would invade Cyprus by sea and air just 48 hours later, leading to Sampson's resignation and imprisonment after a mere eight days in power.

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Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SDZ9XqZPNg