Paris Markou recalls father’s disappearance during 1974 invasion

Mia Milia, Cyprus. Paris Markou has recalled the disappearance of his father, Major Tasos Markou, during the second phase of the Turkish invasion in 1974 and described growing up in his absence.

Memories of his father

In an interview with Cyprus News Agency’s Emily Lambrou, Paris Markou said that although his father is widely regarded as a hero, to him he was simply his father.

Paris was six years old when Tasos Markou disappeared. He said he remembers his father wearing his uniform at home and described him as a calm, serious man whose presence made the family feel safe.

Military service

Years later, Paris Markou entered military life himself, gaining a different understanding of his father’s role.

“I understood what the uniform meant to him and the weight of the responsibility he bore,” he said. “A commander is not just someone who gives orders. He is the one to step to the front and the first to take the responsibility.”

The day of the disappearance

On the day he disappeared, Tasos Markou contacted his wife and asked her to take their children to her parents in Limassol for safety.

He told her that she should stand by their children and care for them from that moment because “my soldiers are now my children”.

Paris Markou said the words had hurt him when he was young, as he wondered how his father could describe his soldiers as his children when he had his own family.

He said he understood what his father meant only after joining the military.

Fear during the invasion

Paris Markou said he remembers the invasion as a period of fear and anguish.