The Cypriot Nationalist Organization (OKE or Organosi Kyprios Ethnikistis) was a previously unknown group that claimed responsibility for a May 2004 grenade attack on the home of Nicos Anastassiades, a Cypriot opposition figure and leader of the Democratic Rally of Cyprus (DISY) party.  The attack did little damage and there were no reported injuries. <P><br /><br />Shortly after the attack, the OKE sent a claim of responsibility to a local news station.  In its claim, the group expressed anger over Anastassiades' support of a failed referendum weeks earlier which would have unified Cyprus.  The OKE called Anastassiades a "traitor" and demanded that he resign in a week's time.  After the deadline passed, and Anastassiades did not resign, the group issued a new threat threatening the politician and his family, but no further action was taken by OKE. <P><br /><br />The referendum, which apparently sparked the attack against Anastassiades, was an effort by the United Nations to unify Cyprus before the country acceded to the European Union.  Cyprus has been separated since 1974 between a Turkish-Cypriot north, and a Greek-Cypriot south.  The partition occurred when Turkish troops invaded Cyprus after the Greek military government attempted to gain influence by backing a military coup on the island.  The referendum was carried out separately in the Turkish and Greek areas respectively.  The Turkish north passed the referendum, but the Greek side rejected it, ensuring that Cyprus would not be unified before it joined the EU.  The entire of island of Cyprus is now technically a part of the EU, but European law and economic policy only applies to the Greek half.  Further re-unification talks have stagnated since the failure of the 2004 referendum.   <P><br /><br />Little is known about OKE's ideology.  Although the attack suggests the group is ultra-nationalist, some Cypriot officials believe that the group had previously been responsible for handing out anarchist pamphlets.  Furthermore, the fact that they attacked Anastassiades after his campaign had failed indicates that the group might simply have a grudge against the politician himself, and not any overarching philosophy.  <br />