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Cyprus is marking its 65th Independence Day today with the annual military parade in Nicosia, a celebration that carries both pride and a reminder of the island’s complicated road to freedom.
The Republic of Cyprus was officially born on August 16, 1960, when the Zurich and London agreements brought an end to British colonial rule following the EOKA liberation struggle. But it wasn’t until three years later, in July 1963, that the Council of Ministers chose October 1 as the official day of celebration, shifting it from the height of summer to allow for full honors and international diplomatic attendance.
“Independence didn’t arrive in a neat package,” says historian accounts of that period. “It was fought for, negotiated, and ultimately woven into the fabric of a divided but determined people.”
A Day of Pride and Ceremony
At 9 a.m., the Independence Day parade rolled through Nicosia. President Nikos Christodoulides took the salute alongside Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas, Greece’s Deputy Minister of National Defense Thanasis Davakis, and the Chief of the National Guard Lieutenant General Georgios Tsitsikostas.
The parade featured motorized and foot units, aircraft flyovers, and contingents from the National Guard, Cyprus Police, Fire Service, Civil Defense, Forestry Department and Health Services. The ceremony opened with a 21-gun salute, echoing across the capital as a tribute to the island’s sovereignty.
From Struggle to Statehood
Independence was the result of years of turmoil and sacrifice. The armed campaign of EOKA in the late 1950s, aimed at ending British rule and seeking union with Greece, eventually shifted into a compromise: a sovereign Republic where power was shared between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
The Zurich and London agreements laid the groundwork for this new state, with Archbishop Makarios III sworn in as the first President and Dr. Fazıl Küçük as the first Vice President. The establishment of the Republic was celebrated in August 1960 with ceremonies attended by international dignitaries, events now captured in yellowing newspaper clippings and grainy black-and-white photographs that remain part of Cyprus’ collective memory.
Looking Forward
Sixty-five years on, Cyprus continues to grapple with the legacies of division and conflict. But Independence Day remains a powerful symbol, not only of past struggles, but of resilience, identity, and the ongoing aspiration for unity and peace.
As the bands played and jets roared over Nicosia today, the message was clear: Cyprus may be a small island, but its story of independence remains a defining chapter in modern history.
