Operation Niki

Operation Niki
Operation Niki
Part of Turkish invasion of Cyprus
	A Hellenic Air Force Noratlas on a training mission in Ellinikon International Airport, Athens, 1979
Type	Clandestine airlift
Location	Nicosia airport, Cyprus
Planned by	Greece
Objective	Reinforcement of Cypriot forces
Date	21–22 July 1974
Executed by	Hellenic Air Force 354th Sqdn. "Pegasus"; 115 Combat Wing; (20 Noratlas and 10 C-47 aircraft); Cypriot National Guard Cypriot anti-aircraft 195 MEA/AP battalion;
Outcome	Reinforced Cypriot forces with significant losses
Casualties	Aircraft crew and 33 commandos killed in action; 10 commandos wounded in action; Destruction of three aircraft.

Operation Niki (Greek: Επιχείρηση Νίκη), named after the goddess Nike, was a clandestine airlift operation during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that was carried out on 21–22 July 1974, with the aim of transporting a battalion of Greek commandos from Souda, Crete to Nicosia, Cyprus. Upon their arrival, the aircraft were engaged in friendly fire, which resulted in the loss of 33 men and the destruction of three aircraft.^[1]^[2]

^ Μήτσαινας, Γεώργιος Δ. (2004). Ελληνικά Φτερά Στην Κύπρο [Greek Wings in Cyprus] (in Greek). Ταξιδευτής. ISBN 960-630-182-6.
^ Φασουλάς, Γιάννης; Σκάλκος, Γιάννης (2011). Νίκη στη νεκρή ζώνη [Victory in the Dead Zone] (in Greek). Αγαθός Λόγος. ISBN 978-960-99749-5-0.

[Mitsenas-1] Μήτσαινας, Γεώργιος Δ. (2004). Ελληνικά Φτερά Στην Κύπρο [Greek Wings in Cyprus] (in Greek). Ταξιδευτής. ISBN 960-630-182-6.

[Fasoulas-2] Φασουλάς, Γιάννης; Σκάλκος, Γιάννης (2011). Νίκη στη νεκρή ζώνη [Victory in the Dead Zone] (in Greek). Αγαθός Λόγος. ISBN 978-960-99749-5-0.

[1]

[2]