Ο Tassos Markou was born in Paralimni on September 18, 1936. She was his first child Mark's Member and Maria Xiourou.
Due to the financial difficulties and poverty that plagued the rural population of Cyprus at the time, the Markos family moved to Famagusta, where little Tasos learned his first letters at Agia Zoni Primary School and later at Agios Loukas Primary School.
In September 1948 he was admitted to the Hellenic High School of Famagusta after entrance exams. The first signs of responsibility began to appear in his character and honor, friendship, respect for fellow human beings and humanity then became the rules of life for the teenager Tasos Markou.
The levity of the soul then began to be accompanied by the levity of the body. His performance in sports then began to be remarkable. He participated in the sports team of the Famagusta High School, with which he took part in the XNUMXth All-Cypriot Student Games in which he won the gold and silver medals in javelin and shot put, respectively. As a reward for his achievements, the teachers' association of Famagusta High School awarded him the "Sunday" award for the year 1953-1954.
After graduating from the Famagusta High School, he goes to Athens to sit for the exams for the Evelpidon school, but due to a delay in his arrival, he misses the exams and returns to Cyprus where he is hired as an employee at the company P.K. Panagidis in Famagusta.
In May 1955 and while the liberation struggle of Cyprus had begun, Tasos Markou joined the E.O.K.A. and throws himself with all his strength into the struggle for the Freedom of his Homeland. At December 18 1955 the group he was part of seriously injures two English officers after an ambush. The information of the English leads Tasos Markos to be involved in the ambush and they are looking for him, but he manages after an agonizing effort to escape arrest and flee from the Organization in January 5 1955 in Athens.
There Tasos Markou manages to find a job and in this way to cover the tuition fees and to prepare for his great dream which has always remained his admission and study at Military Academy, which he succeeds in the next entrance exams.
During this period his mind was always on his country fighting for Freedom and his heart was beating the pulse of struggle. For this reason, the November of 1958, he secretly leaves the Ewelpid School and returns by air to Cyprus via Paris.
Upon his arrival in Cyprus, he is immediately transferred to a hideout in Nicosia where he meets the then general manager of P.E.K.A. Tasso Papadopoulos. With the nickname "Guras" takes over the administration of the Kythraia sector on the eve of Christmas 1958.
The taking over of the administration of the Kythraia sector and the presence of Tasos Markos in the area was then accompanied by the resolution of the serious problems that exist due to the successes of the English at that time. Tasos Markou does not take long to gain the trust and appreciation of his competitors and to reorganize his sector, turning it into a combatable part of the Organization.
The signing of the Zurich Agreement finds Tasso Markou in his Domain. He had then expressed the opinion that the militants had to obey the decisions of the political leadership in relation to the Agreements. In March 1959 the Struggle ends and the Fighters descend from the mountains and emerge from the hiding places. Tasos Markou then accepts with the ethics and modesty that govern the pure fighter the honorary events organized in honor of the Fighters.
At April 13 1959 Tasos Markou leaves for Athens to continue his studies at the Evelpidon School. There he throws himself back into the effort for success in school courses. In August 1959 he received his diploma from the school and took the honorable oath of the Greek Officer. With the rank of Second Lieutenant, he served at the Greek-Bulgarian border.
Characteristic of his morals and modesty was the answer he gave to Digenis when he had asked him then to send him a written report on his personal action in the Struggle for its summary in the memoirs of the Chief of the EOKA: "What I did, Chief, was my obligation to the Motherland. So I don't have anything to say about myself."
At 16 November 1961 at the invitation of the then president of the Republic of Cyprus, the late Archbishop Makarios III, he returns to Cyprus and December 4 1961 joins the newly formed Cypriot army with his rank Captain.
In May of 1963 performed his marriage with Mary Delifere with whom he later had two children Andri and Paris.
The Turkish Cypriot mutiny of December 1963 finds Tasos Markos on the ramparts of the fight for the defense of Nicosia. His contribution to the neutralization of the Turkish defensive positions and the liberation of groups of national guards in the area of the Severis Flour Mill was significant. In the spring of 1964, Tasos Markou advances with his men to the heights of Prophet Ilias in Pentadaktylo, creating there a strong line of defense north of Nicosia. Remarkable was his effort to protect civilians among the Turkish Cypriots, a fact that proved once again his human character and his high regard for human life.
Following the end of hostilities, the Cypriot Government intensified its efforts to acquire modern weapons. The honesty and diamond character of Tassos Marcos contributed to the assignment to the young Captain of the missions to secure this armament from Lebanon, Egypt and Czechoslovakia.
On November 22 1965 goes to Egypt a group of Cypriot engineers and a large number of reservists for training in the Russian anti-aircraft missiles provided by the Cypriot Government at the time. The responsibility for the smooth conduct of the training was then assigned to Captain Tasso Markou. The training of Cypriot operators was completed with great success in September 1966. However, the Russian missiles never reached Cyprus.
All the above missions prove the confidence that the Cypriot Government had in the person of the then young Captain which stemmed from his high administrative skills, his excellent character and his honesty.
In November 1971, Tasos Markou is promoted to the rank of Major. In the meantime, his feelings against the Greek junta and its offshoots in Cyprus are becoming more and more intense. The interception of a coup plot document in February 1972 by Tasso Markou and a group of his colleagues and the promotion of this document to the Cypriot Government decisively contributed to the thwarting of the planned coup.
In the spring of 1973 is transferred to 12th Regular Group based in Kythrea where he undertakes staff duties. There he takes the lead in the defense organization of the area and in the preparation to repel any hostile action.
Her treacherous coup July 15, 1974 he finds Tasso Markou in Kythrea from where he departs after permission for the Archdiocese where he organizes the defense of the Megaros.
With the event of the Turkish invasion on July 20, 1974, Major Tasos Markou organizes a defense line with a small number of reserves in the area of the village of Hamit Mandres where the Turkish invasion forces had previously dropped paratroopers. In the afternoon of the same day, Major Marcos was put in charge of the forces neutralizing the Becchiogio enclave. During the battle Major Markos displayed rare characteristics of heroism and self-sacrifice and his contribution to the success of the offensive was decisive. Her evening July 21, 1974, advances at the head of a force of about 100 men to the area of Dicomos ΄where he reinforces the defense units of 361 IT in the area, with the mission of intercepting the advancing Turkish Invasion Forces.
On July 23, 1974, after the cease-fire agreement, Major Tasos Markos is entrusted with the formation of the defensive line from Mia Milia to Koutsoventis. From July 23th up to July 29, 1974, constitutes it 315 IT which is made up of reservists and soldiers from disbanded units and builds fortifications and mines the area.
At the same time, the idea of overthrowing the coup d'état and restoring constitutional order with the expulsion of corrupt Greek officers and the control of the National Guard by democratic Cypriot officers is swirling in his mind. His objective was to create conditions for effective defense, even if conditions allowed a surprise strike and a counterattack to drive out the Turkish invasion forces. For reasons unknown until now, the move to overthrow the coup data was never manifested, perhaps due to the non-response of various factors which were approached by Major Markou at the time.
The evening of July 30, 1974, returns to his unit in the area of Mias Milias disappointed but at the same time determined to intercept the upcoming advance of the Turks towards the area of Famagusta. He creates new defensive positions, mans new outposts and requests reinforcements from GEEF which are never sent to him. A new scene similar to the straits of Thermopylae is being set up in the area of Mias Milia - Koutsoventi. The contemporary Leonidas of Cypriot History organizes the defense of the area all day and at night plans his actions in case of an attack by the Turks and inspects the defense works.
Her early mornings 14st of August 1974, the tragedy of Cyprus began to unfold. The battalion of Tasos Markos receives merciless bombardment by the Turkish air force. Tasos Markou asks the GEEF for support from the artillery units operating in the area and reinforcements in men and war material, but the GEEF's response never reached the tooth and nail fighting heroic Major. Tasos Markou, anticipating his abandonment by GEEF, decided to deal with the emerging situation with the meager means he had at his disposal. The battle was unequal but the hero Major and his men defended their homeland with stubbornness and bravery.
Around 10:00 am the defense line in the area had been broken and the Turkish tanks had entered the Nicosia – Famagusta road. The drama began to conclude. In a last ditch effort to fend off the advancing Turkish Tanks by creating a new defensive line and after ensuring the orderly folding of his men to avoid being cut off in the already devastated area, Major Markos moved north towards the Kythraia area with two of his men . A little later he ordered his two men to leave and he himself moved towards the area of Kefalovrysos Kythraia. The last contact with Major Tasos Markou was made by radio by the Commander of the Kythraia Tactical Group on the afternoon of August 15, 1974. Since then he remains missing.
Major Tassos Markou, faithful to the oath of the Greek officer, remained immovable on the ramparts of the defense of his homeland, fought with unparalleled heroism, courage and self-sacrifice and is today the most heroic figure among the Greek Cypriot Officers. Special Glory and Honor belongs to the heroic and immortal - whether he lives missing or fell in the field of Honor - Major Tassos Markou. Such men and such officers were born in our little Cyprus.
Appreciating the magnitude of his heroism and giving him the appropriate honor, the homeland promoted Tasos Markos to the rank of Major General on October 26, 2002. In honor of the Hero Officer, one of the largest camps of the National Guard was named after him, naming the ¨ Camp of Major General Tasos Markos ¨.
Source: https://www.pyrovolitis.org.cy