Cyprus-Forum.com

[Main_Source]

To call the invasion a 'peace operation' is a joke. Turkey even tried to land on Cyprus in the 1950's, we all know Turkey has coverted Cyprus for along time. Kicking people out of there homes and commiting gruesome acts of violance and terror on mostly simple people, who have never been interested in politics, is not a peace operation. Your a joke Insan...do you keep a straight face when posting your beliefs?

[insan]

To call the invasion a 'peace operation' is a joke. Your a joke Insan...do you keep a straight face when posting your beliefs?

If what I said about intervention souds like joke to you; ask any TC to tell you the fact about TC perspective on intervention of 1974. And I don't think that they are missing something about their history which most of them witnessed it in the last 50 years.

[Bananiot]

EOKA and its leadership, against all odds (and advice from Greece) started an armed struggle to gain independence from Brittain that was doomed to fail miserably. Firstly, EOKA excluded the left from this struggle (Grivas issued an order asking the left to keep well clear). Secondly, by striving for enosis EOKA alienated the TC's who could never envisage such a future in the light of what happened to the turkish speaking Cretans after Crete joint Greece. Then, the armed struggle was not the method that suited Cyprus best for achieving independence. Different tactics would have yielded better results, no doubt, such as passive resistance. Then, appointing a well known nationalist (Grivas) who sided with the Germans to fight the greek resistance fighters in occupied Greece, was another grave mistake that had a small island devided in three really, taking up arms against the British Empire. The day it started the writing was on the wall. I believe all our problems started in 1955 on April 1st. Its ok to lay the blame on the Brits (now the Americans) but we should start first with our thick head.

[insan]

EOKA and its leadership, against all odds (and advice from Greece) started an armed struggle to gain independence from Brittain that was doomed to fail miserably. Firstly, EOKA excluded the left from this struggle (Grivas issued an order asking the left to keep well clear). Secondly, by striving for enosis EOKA alienated the TC's who could never envisage such a future in the light of what happened to the turkish speaking Cretans after Crete joint Greece. Then, the armed struggle was not the method that suited Cyprus best for achieving independence. Different tactics would have yielded better results, no doubt, such as passive resistance. Then, appointing a well known nationalist (Grivas) who sided with the Germans to fight the greek resistance fighters in occupied Greece, was another grave mistake that had a small island devided in three really, taking up arms against the British Empire. The day it started the writing was on the wall. I believe all our problems started in 1955 on April 1st. Its ok to lay the blame on the Brits (now the Americans) but we should start first with our thick head.

Bananiot, your post tells a lot about what was the aim of EOKA. Wasn't Grivas a monarcho-fascist? I can't think Grivas and his gang as liberation fighters. Ain't it Grivas one of the man who devoted his life for megali idea?

[Bananiot]

Of course he was. He participated in the ill-fated greek expedition to Asia Minor in 1919 as an officer in the greek army. During the German occupation of Greece he organised the X (chi) unit that collaborated with the Germans against ELAS, the leftist resistance group which was the biggest by far and by 1943 had liberated almost all rural Greece. In 1955 he came to Cyprus and this was the begining of the end of our country.

[insan]

BASILEIOS DIGENIS AKRITAS

The one great work of Byzantine folkloristic literature is known as "The Epic of Basileios Digenis Akritas."

Basileios was the hero’s Christian name, and "Digenis" defines one who is born of two nations or races. Basileios’ mother was the beautiful daughter of the Byzantine strategos (i.e., military governor) of an eastern Byzantine province along the borders facing the Muslim enemy. Basileios’s father, however, was an Arab emir and a Muslim by faith who converted to the Orthodox Christian faith. The "Akritas" is a border baron, a military chief who is responsible for defending the frontiers, the "akra," against foreign invaders in a life-and-death struggle for Hellenism and the Christian faith.

The very same struggle is still going on in places like Northern Epiros and the island of Cyprus. The importance of the "akritai" to the defense of Greek culture and Greek Christianity was never forgotten.

During the Greek Cypriot struggle in the 1950’s to win their independence from Great Britain, the codename of the leader of the freedom fighters, George Grivas, was "Digenis Akritas." It was, in fact, the "Akritika," the ballads of the Basileios Digenis Akritas epic, which continued to inspire the Cretans in their heroic struggle against the Turks, until they finally won their independence in 1898. During the German occupation of Greece, the poet Angelos Sikelianos wrote his "Akritika," poems in honor of the modern Greek "akritai," who were now defending Hellenism within the boundaries of the Greek State. Tapping the various streams flowing out of the classical and Byzantine past which created modern Hellenism, Sikelianos rallied the desperate Greeks to persist in their struggle for survival.

http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/148/nation.htm

[insan]

http://www.threemonkeysonline.com/three ... .php?id=33

Cyprus - A recent history.

Author: Tom O'Carolan



The Archbishop was given the task of collecting taxation; a task that he and his fellow bishops carried out with such zeal that occasionally both Greek and Turkish Cypriot peasants came together to resist the imposition!


The Greek War of Independence of 1828-29, and the consequent liberation of Greece from Turkey, changed the situation in Cyprus. Britain had supported the Greeks in their struggle, and once Greek independence had been achieved, British policy was to support the Turkish Empire against Russia. Under British and French protection, trade began to increase in the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus enjoyed a degree of economic prosperity. With the improved situation, a growing number of young Greek Cypriots went to Athens for their education and the ‘great idea’, to unite the island with mainland Greece, began to take hold of the newly educated population.

[erolz]

Magikthrill your right...EOKA was set up primarilly to rid the British from Cyprus.

With respect that is revisionist rubbish. EOKA's clear aim was to achieve ENOSIS. This meant ridding Cyprus of anyone who stood in the way of ENOSIS. Thus attacks on British,TC and GC that did not support ENOSIS enough.

A lot of the trouble with EOKA and Turkish Cypriots had come into force when the British Empire decided to sack all the Greek Cypriot police officers and replace them with Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots subsequently arrested young Greek Cypriot men who were seen as colaborators with EOKA and therefore subject to hanging. Then what you got was EOKA killing Turkish Cypriot police officers...to EOKA they where killing police officers of the British, to the Turkish Cypriot community, they were just killing Turkish Cypriots.

And Britain was supposed to do what? Police Cyprus against GC terrorists (from their persepctive) with GC police - many of whom were EOKA members and sympathisers? EOKA were shooting British army and civilians in the back.

Its the classic divide and conquer tactic used by the Britsh.

Not it's a natural consequence of the GC resort to violence to achieve political aims. Did the British make GC start a terrorist organiation - just so they could then use TC police and create a situation of divide and conquer?

EOKA B was the more far right organisation, which had links to the Greek junta. Although, I find many Turkish Cypriots refuse to distinguish betwen EOKA and EOKA B, because its easier to do so.

I am very aware of the differences between the two AND the similarites. Both were terroist organisations. Both sought to use illegal violence to achieve political aims. Both contain many of the same people - at the most senior levels - like grivas.

My dad was about 16-18 when he used to help out EOKA in Nicosia during the mid-50's. To this day, he has never had problems with me having Turkish Cypriot friends and has always been outgoing when they come round my house. He also used to tell me his favourite player in the Cyprus team was a Turkish Cypriot goalkeeper...to which he met at Hackney Marshes after he emigrated.

Take from it what you will but I will always know EOKA for originally wanting to rid Cyprus from the British.

Well try looking at what the EOKA leaders said at the time EOKA existed. If everything they said is clearly that their objective was ENOSIS - yet you still say you wil believe otherwise what conclusion am I going to draw? That you have more interest in presenting a propaganda view of history - divorced from reality, rather than accepting the reality of the past.

EOKA was a terrorist organisation. It sought to use violence to achieve poliitcal aims. It's politcial aim was ENOSIS. It was run by a right wing thug called Grivas.

EOKA B was a terrorist organisation. It sought to use violence to achieve political aims. It's political aim was ENOSIS. It was run by a right wing thug called Grivas.

These are the facts.

[magikthrill]

so what you are trying to say erol is that any revolutionist organization that seeks the independence of its nation is a terrorist organization?

seems to me like youre a right wing thug yourself?

[Kifeas]

EOKA and its leadership, against all odds (and advice from Greece) started an armed struggle to gain independence from Brittain that was doomed to fail miserably. Firstly, EOKA excluded the left from this struggle (Grivas issued an order asking the left to keep well clear). Secondly, by striving for enosis EOKA alienated the TC's who could never envisage such a future in the light of what happened to the turkish speaking Cretans after Crete joint Greece. Then, the armed struggle was not the method that suited Cyprus best for achieving independence. Different tactics would have yielded better results, no doubt, such as passive resistance. Then, appointing a well known nationalist (Grivas) who sided with the Germans to fight the greek resistance fighters in occupied Greece, was another grave mistake that had a small island devided in three really, taking up arms against the British Empire. The day it started the writing was on the wall. I believe all our problems started in 1955 on April 1st. Its ok to lay the blame on the Brits (now the Americans) but we should start first with our thick head.

Of course he was. He participated in the ill-fated greek expedition to Asia Minor in 1919 as an officer in the greek army. During the German occupation of Greece he organised the X (chi) unit that collaborated with the Germans against ELAS, the leftist resistance group which was the biggest by far and by 1943 had liberated almost all rural Greece. In 1955 he came to Cyprus and this was the begining of the end of our country.

Unfortunately bananiot, This is one of the few times that I have to agree with you.

However, we need to make a distinction between the goals of the struggle, the personality and role of Grivas on the one hand and on the other hand, the heroic sacrifice of young people like Avxentiou, Matsis and many others, who sincerely believed that their participation in the struggle was done for noble reasons. I hope you do not disagree with that.