Nikos Sampson was a Greek Cypriot journalist and politician, best known for his involvement in the events surrounding the division of Cyprus in 1974. Sampson was born on December 16, 1935, in Cyprus, and died on May 9, 2001, in Athens, Greece.
As a journalist, Sampson worked for various newspapers and media outlets, focusing on nationalistic and anti-British sentiments in pre-independence Cyprus. He became associated with the EOKA paramilitary organization, which aimed at achieving Enosis, or union with Greece.
During the tumultuous period of 1974, Sampson played a significant role in the coup d'état, led by Greek military junta, which executed a successful coup against the Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios III. At that time, Sampson was appointed as the President of Cyprus by the junta, in a move widely viewed as an attempt to annex Cyprus to Greece.
However, Sampson's rule was short-lived as Turkey launched a military intervention just days later, resulting in the division of Cyprus between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Sampson was arrested and imprisoned for his role in the coup, but was later released and fled to Greece, where he lived until his death.
Nikos Sampson's name has become synonymous with the coup and subsequent division of Cyprus. He remains a controversial and divisive figure, representing different viewpoints depending on one's political persuasion and stance on the Cyprus issue.
