Bulgarian Military Intelligence Report on Turkish Military Operation in Cyprus

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENCE
General Staff

SECRET
Copy No 1
TO: CC BCP FIRST SECRETARY AND
CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COUNCIL, COMRADE TODOR ZHIVKOV


INFORMATION No 15

We received information that in the last days of February this year, the Turkish Land Forces Headquarters has issued an order to the 1st Turkish Army (Istanbul) to prepare within twenty days an operations plan for an offensive operation against Greece under the code name Kaluch (Sword).

In previous years (1967 and 1968) when relations between the two countries had been strained on the Cyprus question, the Turkish Military Headquarters had prepared another operations plan, under the code-name Kalkan (Shield), intended for possible military operations against Greece and Cyprus.

The preparation of the Kaluch plan is possibly either a constituent part of the Kalkan plan or a thoroughly new plan. It is intended for the preparation and action of Turkish Land Forces in the event of new complications on the Cyprus question as well as in the event of further strains of the existing contradictions between the two countries over the exploration of oil-fields in the Eastern part of the Aegean Sea.
As it is known, lately both Greece and Turkey have each started oil fields exploration separately in the Aegean sea close to the Asia Minor coast. Since the islands in close proximity to the coast are dominated by Greece, the two countries renewed the dispute exactly on their maritime borders.


DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF AND
CHIEF OF THE INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT

LT. GEN. ZIKULOV



No 0483/1.3.1974
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