Greece’s secret intelligence service has taken another step toward transparency, releasing scores of declassified documents from the 1950s, Kathimerini reported on Wednesday. The documents cover Communist activities within Greece and abroad, as well as developments in neighboring countries, with plans to gradually open more of the archives in the future.
A total of 123 documents, comprising roughly 2,000 scanned pages from 1953 to 1959, are now available on the National Intelligence Service (NIS) website.
This marks the second batch of declassified files published by the NIS. The first release, two years ago, focused on Cyprus and included documents from the Turkish invasion in July and August 1974 and its aftermath. That release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the invasion, which followed an unsuccessful coup by supporters of union with Greece.
The latest files shed light on Communist activities in Greece and among Greeks abroad, as well as intelligence on Turkey, the Balkans, and the Middle East. The period covered came shortly after the 1946–49 Greek Civil War, when the Communist Party was banned.
The NIS announced it intends to establish a regular practice of publishing declassified materials, provided they are at least 50 years old.