Timeline of events in Cyprus, 1974 refers to the timeline of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. * 15 July 1974 – The Cypriot National Guard and EOKA B led by the Greek Junta launch a coup to overthrow the democratically-elected President, Archbishop Makarios III. * 15 July 1974 – Rauf Denktaş, the Turkish Cypriot leader, tells his Bayrak radio audience that "Our duty in this situation, which we believe is a matter between Greek Cypriots, is to protect our international security, to take defensive measures and not to interfere in any way in inter-Greek Cypriot events". * 18 July 1974 - The large-circulation Turkish newspaper Hürriyet publishes a vicious anti-Greek poem entitled "Kin" or "Hatred" in English. The first 2 lines are "As long as the vulgar Greek exists in this world, By A