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Pavlos Kouroupis (Παύλος Κουρούπης; 1929 – 20 July 1974) was an officer in the Hellenic Army, at the time of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, he was a Lt. Colonel and CO of the 251st Battalion of the Cypriot National Guard, the unit closest to the Turkish landing site. With his unit, he opposed the Turkish army at the Battle of Pentemili beachhead, stalling its advance for two days. He was forced to retreat before vastly superior Turkish numbers. He was presumed dead during the defence of Keryneia. According to published reports in the Greek press, the Greek Intelligence Agency attempted a rescue of Kouroupis and other Greek Army officers who were held captive in Turkey. The rescue operation failed and since that time the fate of Kouroupis is unknown.

Life and education
Kouroupis was born in 1929 in Dentra, Messinia to a rural family. He was the third of six siblings. He grew up in Dentra and went to school in Kalamata. Since an early age he wanted to become an officer of the Hellenic Army. In 1952 he graduated from the Evelpidon Military Academy.

Following his graduation from the military academy, he studied at and graduated from the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also concluded his studies at the Higher War School of Greece with honours. At around that time he married Maria Karvouni, and subsequently, to the couple was born a daughter, Evangelia.

Military career
In 1972, Kouroupis, who was a tagmatarchis at the time, was transferred to Cyprus and became commander of the 251 tagma of the Hellenic Army. In 1974, he was at Kyrenia and was instructed to defend the city from the Turkish invasion of Cyprus which had just started. He had only two lochoi at his command and he was defending the city against the numerically far superior 50th battalion of the Turkish army which was landing at the beach with the Battle of Pentemili beachhead just commencing.

Kouroupis defended the beachhead with the 1st lochos and a support lochos of heavy armaments. The military forces under Kouroupis's command also included officers working at the lochos headquarters, military cooks, and people who had been ordered back to military service. Kouroupis also had a small force of 5 T-34 tanks at his disposal.

Kouroupis's forces were against a superior Turkish battalion force which was supported by aircraft, artillery and naval forces. Despite that, the two companies under Kouroupis's command were able to halt the advance of the Turkish forces and confine them in an area 350 m by 1 km. Kouroupis with a force of about 250-300 men was able to halt the advance of a Turkish force of 3500 men of the Turkish battalion Tsakmak.

The battle lasted for approximately two days and with support from the Greek side not materialising, while the Turkish forces were being continuously reinforced, Kouroupis ordered his forces to retreat toward Kerynia to defend the city. Once close to the city, Kouroupis's men were encircled by a Turkish force. He told his men to disperse from a flank that had not yet been blocked by the Turkish army. The men refused to leave but he ordered them to do so. Kouroupis and his second in command remained intending to provide cover for the retreating men. From this point, Kouroupis's whereabouts have remained uncertain.

Disappearance and rescue attempt
Following the conclusion of the Battle of Pentemili beachhead, the fate of Kouroupis is unknown. On 27 March 1995, Greek reporter Petros Kasimatis wrote in Eleftheros Typos that a Greek intelligence agent in the guise of a fisherman had reported to the Greek intelligence agency that 6 prisoners of war were held at a prison in Bolu, Turkey and another 7 at a prison in Denizli. According to the Kasimatis report, the Greek intelligence officer was able to briefly communicate with the Greek officers at Bolu, after he bribed the Turkish guards.

According to Kasimatis, one of the detainees was Kouroupis. All detainees were in very bad condition. The Kasimatis report also mentions that following the intelligence received by the field intelligence officer who had posed as a fisherman, the Greek intelligence service organised a rescue attempt to free Kouroupis and other Greek prisoners at Bolu. During the rescue attempt, fire was exchanged and a Greek intelligence officer was killed. Since that time, the fate of Kouroupis is unknown. To date, the Greek government has not commented on the rescue attempt.

Posthumous honours and legacy
Colonel Kouroupis was posthumously awarded the rank of Lieutenant General of the Hellenic Army, the highest military rank of the Hellenic Army. Pavlou Kouroupi Street, in the Aglantzia suburb of Nicosia, Cyprus is named after him.