THE CYPRUS QUESTION
by Okan Baysan
As a response to the recent posting concerning Cyprus in this
newsgroup, I would like to present the Turkish Cypriot perspective
so that one can have the opportunity to listen to both North and
South Cyprus before reaching a healthy conclusion.
HOW AND WHY DID THE CYPRUS ISSUE START?
Cyprus has been conquered and governed by various nations in its
history as a result of its strategic location in the eastern
Mediterranean. Among these were the Egyptians, Assyrians, Byzantines,
Lusignans, Venetians, Ottomans, and the British. When the island
gained its independence from the British in 1960, a partnership
government was established between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot
communities of the island.
Since the Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1820's,
the people who call themselves Greek Cypriots today thought that
they could obtain a similar independece, and eventually annex the
island to Greece with the hope of resurrecting the once Byzantine
Empire, by acquiring the permanently 'lost lands' (Megali Idea =
Great Dream/Idea). This desire of union with Greece, ENOSIS,
constitutes the entire roots of the Cyprus question today and is
in fact still alive among the majority of Greek Cypriots in South
Cyprus.
After the British extended their rule to Cyprus, starting in 1878,
the desire for ENOSIS -union of Cyprus with Greece - started
to show its presence among the members of the Greek Cypriots, and
in late 1940's and early 1950's their struggle became more obvious
all over Cyprus. Their primary target was the British, and with
the import of guns and weapons from Greece, Greek Cypriot agitation
for ENOSIS turned into an armed struggle, which resulted in the
killing of scores of innocent lives.
GREEK CYPRIOT ARMED STRUGGLE FOR ENOSIS & INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN
In 1955, a Greek Cypriot terrorist organization, EOKA, was
established in order to carry out these attacks in a more organized
manner, and soon, the British realised that the island had to be
granted to its actual owners, the Turkish Cypriots, whose origin
dates back to the Ottoman Conquest of the island in 1571, and the
Greek Cypriots, who have chosen to identify themselves as such
even though their roots do not lie in Greece.
The first president of the Republic of Cyprus was a Greek Cypriot,
Makarios, who publicly promoted ENOSIS, and the first Vice president,
a Turkish Cypriot, Fazil Kucuk. United Kingdom, Turkey, and Greece
signed a Treaty of Guarantee which gave them the obligaton to
protect and defend the island against any external attack that was
likely to come to Cyprus. The partnership republic also had a
7:3 ratio in its administrative organs, and it appeared to
function well in its early stages. The Greek Cypriot agitation
for ENOSIS, which had never dwindled after the bi-communal
republic was established, became more obvious than before, but
this time, the primary target was the Turkish Cypriots, the
co-partners of the 1960 Republic. With the so-called 13 point
proposals of Makarios, which would alter the 1960 constitution,
remove the Vice President's veto power, take away the rights
of the Turkish Cypriot community, and speed up the annexation of
Cyprus to Greece, ENOSIS, brought the partnership to an
end, and indeed, the Turkish Cypriots were denied their most
basic rights, and forced to live under inhumane conditions in
their own homeland.
1963-1974 was the worst decade in the history of the island, and
hundreds of innocent Turkish Cypriots were massacred, taken away
from their homes never to be seen again, buried in massgraves,
and relentlessly and barbarically attacked by their co-partners,
the Greek Cypriots and their sponsors, Greeks of mainland Greece.
And all this was the result of the sheer greed and the so-called
'civilised' respect of the Greek Cypriots towards their co-partners
and neighbours. In the meantime, Turkish Cypriots established
their own administration, the Turkish Cypriot transitional Administra-
tion in late 1960's in order to take care of the urgent needs of
the Turkish Cypriot community all over the island.
15 JULY 1974 GREEK INVASION & 20 JULY 1974 TURKISH PEACE OPERATION
Eleven entire years of untold suffering and ethnic cleansing of the
Turkish Cypriots, just because they constituted a barrier to the
fulfillment of the Greek Cypriot desires for ENOSIS, reached its
peak with the invasion of GREECE on 15 July 1974, when the military
government then ruling Greece finally decided to annex the island
officially.The colonels of Greece organized a Coup D'etat on this
day and installed a criminal and a murderer as the puppet president
of Cyprus, remotely controlled by Athens. This criminal was in fact
the butcher of many Turkish Cypriots for more than a decade.
Death toll reached unbelievable numbers in Cyprus and hundreds of
Turkish and Greek Cypriots paid the cost of the Greek invasion with
their very lives.
Turkey, as one of the Guarantor powers, asked United Kingdom to
act together and bring the order in Cyprus back to what it was
in 1960. Refusing to cooperate, Turkey was forced to act alone
and intervene the situation in order to protect the lives and
rights of the Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus, as well as put an
end to the Greek expansionism and aggression in the island. So
5 days after the Greek Invasion, Turkish Peace Operation of
20 July 1974 was started with the orders of the then prime minister
of Turkey, Bulent Ecevit. It was the most important day in the
lives of the Turkish Cypriots to see the Turkish Peace troops
coming to their rescue, and it was the most exciting day that
they waited to see during the preceeding 11 entire years of
Greek suppression and aggression. Their dreams came true with
the arrival of Turkish Peace troops on 20 July, and they regained
their FREEDOM in their own homeland.
DEVELOPMENTS AFTER 1974
When the Peace Operation was victoriously completed and the Turkish
Cypriots were freed from Greek barbarism during the preceeding
decade, their political evolution started to accelerate. In 1975
the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was established in the
Turkish Cypriot controlled of northern Cyprus, and the first
Turkish Cypriot national assembly was formed. In the meantime,
various agreements were signed between Turkish Federated State of
Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration in south Cyprus,
which still identified itself as the so-called Republic of Cyprus
and illegally and unconstitutionally continued to enjoy the
recognition and financial aid of the United Nations even though
this administration should, according to the 1960 constitution,
consist of the Turkish Cypriot members as well. Among these
were the Population Transfer Agreements signed by the leaders
of both communities in order to allow Greek Cypriots in the north
to move to south, and Turkish Cypriots in the south to move to
north for their own safety and security. This resulted in the
creation of two homogeneous communities each of which had a different
religion, culture, language, ethnic background, and values.
Continued negotiations to reunite the island and establish a
federal government hopelessly continued during the following years
despite the fact that the Greek Cypriot claims over the entire island
have not showed any change whatsoever.
TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
As a result of the failure in the negotiations and the continued
support of United Nations for the Greek Cypriot demands, and their
accepting the Greek Cypriot administration as the only so-called
government in Cyprus, as well as their non-recognition of the
existence of the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus, the national
assembly of the Turkish Federated State in the north unanimously
voted for the establishment of the TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN
CYPRUS on 15 November 1983. This was to assert the Turkish Cypriots'
existence and their demands in the establishment of a future
just and fair federal republic in Cyprus. Even though TRNC enjoys
Turkiye's recognition only as of now, it does have trade relations
with European, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries and it also
maintains consulates or representative offices in various countries.
INALIENABLE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS
In order to appreciate fully the Turkish Cypriot position,
it should be noted that the very survival of the Turkish Cypriots
living as a free people, and in security, in their own homeland,
depends on adherence to, and respect for, the following
principles:
(a) the equal political status of the two national Communities,
(b) bi-zonality,
(c) the security of the Turkish Cypriot people,
(d) the continuation of the adequate and effective guarantee of
Turkiye, which the Turkish Cypriots regard as teh only effective
guarantee of their right to live, of their very existence and
of their security,
(e) the participation of the two peoples, as politically equal
entitites, with equal effectiveness and right of say, in
decisions of the Legislature and the Executive,
(f) the so-called "three freedoms" to be regulated and applied in
such a way as to ensure that the security of the Turkish Cypriot
people is not endangered in any way and that the bi-zonal
structure of the proposed federation is not impaired,
(g) the federal government to hav eonly the powers and functions
agreed to be assigned to it by the federated states, and the
residual powers to remain within the federated states.
Turkiye has not territorial claims in Cyprus. On the contrary, it
is Greece, which is expansionist. Greece is the party which wants
to annex Cyprus, and thereby to condemn the Turkish people of
Cyprus to annihilation.
Turkiye's intention is quite clear: It is to ensure and protect the
survival and rights of the Turkish Cypriot people. Nobody should
expect Turkiye to allow the Turkish Cypriot people to be abandoned
to death and oppresion, once again.
GREEK CYPRIOT POSITION, and their SYSTEMATIC,
DECEIVING and FAKE PROPAGANDA
The Greek Cypriots tried and managed to convince the world with
their relentless political propaganda that the Cyprus issue
started in 1974 with the "invasion", as they call it, of Turkey.
Somehow, they don't see the FACT that there has been no gunshot,
no killing, no massacres, and no more massgraves in Cyprus with
the conclusion of Turkish Peace troops.
They also artificially created a "missing people" issue with the
blame on the Turkish side. In fact, the Greek military regime
who organised the Coup D'etat on 15 July 1974 is responsible for
the missing and all the unaccounted people. Rumors that Turkey
hold some Greek Cypriot prisoners of war are nothing more than
intentional creations of Greek Cypriot fake propaganda in order
to make political gains in the international arenas against Turkey
and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. There are also more than
800 Turkish Cypriot missing people and the families of those
people came to believe that they will never see their loved ones
again, and returned to normal lives eventually.
Refugee problem is another artificially created propaganda material
for the Greek Cypriot politcal gains because all population transfers
were made based on the international agreements for the safety and
security of each community. The leaders or both communities signed
these agreements. Let's also not forget the FACT that one third
of the Turkish Cypriot population also had to move, for their own
security , but the Turkish Cypriot administrations have never made
a political propaganda out of this even today.
The Greek Cypriot administration of South Cyprus imposed political,
cultural, economic and sports embargo on Northern Cyprus and
they are trying to achieve what they could not achieve with arms,
that is, ENOSIS -union of Cyprus with Greece - at the dawn of
the 21st century.
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*APPENDICES
(1) Enosis Claims of the Greek Cypriot leaders with their own
words
(2) Greek official's statement on the missing people issue
(3) Population Transfer Agreement
(4) Proof of Greek Invasion on 15 July 1974, with Makarios's
own words.
*(1)
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"The noble struggles of the people never come to an end. These struggles
although undergo transformation, are never terminated. The struggle of the
people of Cyprus too will go on.
The Zurich and London Agreements form a landmark in the course of this
struggle, but at the same time, are a starting point and bastion for further
struggles, with the object of capitalizing on what has been achieved for
further conquests."
From Makarios's speech delivered on 01/05/1962
"Greek Cypriots must continue to march forward to complete the work began by
the EOKA heroes... The struggle is continuing in a new form, and will go
until we achieve our goal..."
From Makarios's sermon at Kykko Monastery on 08/15/1962
"The aim of the Cyprus struggle was not the establishment of a Republic. These
agreements only laid the foundations."
From Makarios's statement made on 03/13/1963
"Union of Cyprus with Greeceisan aspiration always cherished within the hearts
of all Greek Cypriots. It is impossible to put an end to this aspiration by
establishing a Republic."
From Makarios's statement to the correspondent of London
TIMES on 04/09/1963
"It is true that the goal of our struggle is to annex Cyprus to Greece."
From Makarios's interview published in the Uusi Suomi of
Stockholm on 09/05/1963
"... No power is able to close the Cyprus question. We shall keep it open and
will never close it under any circumstances or conditions... until we close it
through our union with Greece, a genuine Enosis without exchanges..."
From Makarios's public speech at Larnaca on 05/16/1965
"Either the whole of Cyprus is to be united with Greece or [it will] become a
a holocaust... The road to the fulfillment of national aspirations may be
full of difficulties, but we shall reach the goal -which is Enosis- alive
or dead."
From Makarios's speech, at Rizokarpasso, 05/26/1965
"Freedom for us means only the integration of this southern outpost of
Hellenism into the national entity..."
Tasos Papadopoulos on U.N. day in Limassol, 10/23/1967
"... I shall never violate my oath, and I shall never deviate from my goal.
I have desired ENOSIS, and I have never struggled for anything else other
than its achievement."
Makarios, in an interview with Eleftheros Kosmo
and Ta Simerina, Athens, 08/19/1970
"Cyprus is Greek. Cyprus was Greek since the dawn of its history, and
will remain Greek.
Greek and undivided we have taken it over.
Greek and undivided we shall preserve it.
Greek and undiveded we shall deliver it to Greece."
Makarios, in a speech at Yialousa on 03/14/1971
"Greek and undivided we have taken it over. Greek and undivided we shall
preserve it. Greek and undivided we shall deliver it to Greece."
Makarios, Yialousa, 03/14/1971
"The struggle of Cyprus is the struggle of all Hellenism. Cyprus, where the
Greek virtue is being tested, is today the place where the Greek history and
Greek struggle are continuing."
Spyros Kyprianou at a meeting in Limassol on 03/24/1971
to celebrate the Greek Independence Day
"I am in favour of ENOSIS. ENOSIS is the national aspiration of Greek
Cypriots."
Makarios, in an interview withthe ITN correspondent,
Mr. Robert Southgate, published on 09/21/1971
"If your aim is the launching of a struggle for ENOSIS, then both I and
the people of Cyprus are ready to enter such a struggle provided it is
backed by the Greek Government."
Makarios, in his reply to the Greek Government's
note of 02/11/1972 as reported in the Greek Cypriot
press on 03/16/1972
"Those who disagree with the way of handling Cyprus' national problem and
call themselves ENOSISTS accuse and call the others, the overwhelming
majority of the Greek Cypriot people, anti-ENOSISTS. The charge is false
and inadmissible. All Greek Cypriots are and will be ENOSISTS.
Makarios, in a speech at the unveiling if the statue
of EOKA man Michalakis Savva at Akaki village on
11/05/1972
"I have struggled for union of Cyprus with Greece, and ENOSIS will always
be my deep national aspiration as it is the aspiration of all Greek
Cypriots. My national creed has never changed and my career as a national
leader has shown no inconsistency or contradiction. I have accepted
independence instead of ENOSIS because certain external conditions and
factors have not allowed a free choice.
If I had any ambitions, my greatest ambition would be for my name to be
associated with ENOSIS."
Makarios, in an interview with Mme Maria Rejane
of the French Magazine "Le Point", published on
02/19/1973
"ENOSIS has always been for the Greek Cypriots a deep rooted national
aspiration. To me independence is a compromise. In other words, if I had
a free choice between independence and ENOSIS, I would support ENOSIS."
Makarios, in an interview with the correspondent
of Frankfurter Rundshau as published in the Cyprus
Mail on 05/16/1974
"The Cyprus State should be dissolved only in the event of ENOSIS."
Makarios, in a letter to General Gizikis, President
of Greece, dated 07/02/1974
"The Greek Cypriot leadership prepared the AKRITAS PLAN in order to knock the
Turks out and realize ENOSIS -union of Cyprus with Greece- ..."
Aristos Katsis, a Greek historian, in his article
published by the Greek Cypriot daily Phileleftheros on
11/10/1979
"My first goal will be to get rid of the concessions and promises given by
Vasiliou. Our goal is the same. [It is] to liberate Varosha, Pentadaktylons,
Kyrenia, Morphou, Karpasia, Cyprus."
Glafkos Klerides, Eleftherotipia, 02/13/1993
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*(2)
Statement of Greek Minister on Greek Cypriot Missing Persons
Source: The Tragedy of Turkish Cypriot Missing Persons in Cyprus -Third Decade-
June 1989
Mr Evangelos Yannopolos, the then Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs,
said on 4/7/1988 the following which was published in Eleftherotipia
newspaper in Nicosia.
"The two myths in Cyprus must be exposed as lies. The first myth
is the case of missing persons and the second is the myth of the invasion
of Cyprus by Turkey. The Greek Cypriots presented as missing persons were
actually the victims who were killed during the Sampson Coup. As regards the
invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, it was the Greek military that staged the
coup and toppled Makarios at a time when he was an internationally recognized
President of Cyprus. How is it possible to topple Makarios and start
slaughtering the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and impose a mad man
like Sampson to head the Cyprus Government and yet expect no reaction from
Turkey."
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*(3)
VOLUNTARY REGROUPING OF POPULATIONS
On 2 August 1975, at the third round of the Vienna Talks, an
Agreement was reached between the representatives of the two
peoples of Cyprus, President Denktas and Mr. Clerides, for the
Voluntary Regrouping of Populations. (U.N. Document, S/11789,
2 August 1975)
This Agreement, reached under the auspices of the U.N. Secretary
General and implemented in September 1975 under U.N. supervision,
consolidated the peace reached as the result of the Turkish Peace
Operation. The voluntary regrouping of populations made it
possible for the two peoples of Cyprus to live in complete
security in their respective zones. No intercommunal fighting or
acts of violence took place in Cyprus since the implementation
of the Agreement of 2 August 1975. The peace achieved by the
Turkish Peace Operation became a permanent feature in the Island.
Source: The Crux of the Cyprus Question
Turhan Feyzioglu, Necati M. Ertekun
Population Exchange Agreement
Signed on August 2, 1975.
(1) The Turkish Cypriots at present in the south of the island will be allowed,
if they want to do so, to proceed north with their belongings under an
organized programme and with the assistance of the United Nations Peace
keeping Force in Cyprus.
(2) Mr. Denktas reaffirmed, and it was agreed, that the Greek Cypriots at
present in the north of the island are free to stay and that they will be
given every help to lead a normal life, including facilities for education
and for the practice of their religion, as well as medical care by their
own doctors and freedom of movement in the north.
(3) The Greek Cypriots at present in the north who, at their own request and
without having been subjected to any kind of pressure, wish to move to the
south, will be permitted to do so.
(4) The United Nations will have free and normal access to Greek Cypriot
villages and habitations in the north.
(5) In connexion with the the implementations of the above agreement, priority
will be given to the reunification of families, which may also involve
the transfer of a number of Greek Cypriots, at present in the south, to
the north.
Source: U.N. Document S/11789
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*(4)
MAKARIOS ADDRESSING THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL
UNITED NATIONS
SECURITY COUNCIL Official Records
1780th Meeting: 19 JULY 1974
New York
18.
...It is clearly an invasion from outside, inflagrant violation
of the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.
The so-called coup was the work of the Greek officers staffing and
commanding the National Guard.
19.
... the Greek officers serving with the National guard....
recruited many members of the terrorist organization EOKA-B.
21.
The coup caused much bloodshed and took a great toll of human
lives...
...It was an invasion which violated the independence and
sovereignty of the Republic. And the invasion is continuing
so long as there are Greek officers in Cyprus.
25.
It may be said that it was the Cyprus Government which invited
the Greek officers to staff the National Guard. I regret to say
that it was a mistake on my part...
32. As I have already stated, the events in Cyprus do not constitute
an internal matter of the Greeks of Cyprus. The Turks of Cyprus
are also affected. The coup of the Greek junta is an invasion, and
from its consequences the whole people of Cyprus suffers, both
Greeks and Turks.
Source: U.N. Security Council Official Record of the 1780th meeting.
"Makarios' address on 19 July 1974"