Cyprus-Forum.com

[magikthrill]

First of all does everyone know what EOKA stands for?

National Organization of Cypriot Fighters.

EOKA is in no way related to Greece. SO what is this national referring to? Guesses anyone?

[Alexandros Lordos]

In my opinion the reason EOKA got so wide support among the GC population was EXACTLY because they wanted their liberation from the British. If you do a good search you will see how the British were oppressing every aspect of life of the Cypriots, and were actually holding back any efforts for development. Even the leftists did not oppose Eoka for it's liberation cause, they opposed it because of its Enosis cause. And it was not only the leftists. It was the big capital also.

One can distinguish the liberation cause from the Enosis cause of Eoka if he looks at what support Eoka B received among the population. As you know Eoka B’s one and only cause was Enosis. It was in fact very low.

I think MicAtCyp is touching the truth of the matter here. I'll try to make a further distinction along the same lines.

The most positive aspect of EOKA was the anti-colonial struggle. The British were not eager to give up on Cyprus, like they were doing with other colonies, because of its strategic significance. By making the life of the British harder, the EOKA struggle led them to revise their plans and settle for having the bases instead of controlling all of Cyprus.

The most negative aspect of EOKA was the witch-hunt for "traitors". By attacking Cypriots who were thought to be collaborating with the British, EOKA deeply divided the Cypriot community - between right and left, GC and TC.

[Alexandros Lordos]

Resorting to non violent illegal acts can be a justifed means of overcomming oppresion in my view.

Erol, I see you are in favor of the "Ghandi" approach.

I have also felt in the past that a non-violent struggle would have had better long term results. Even justified wars tend to bring out the worst in people, because violence is violence, killing is killing, destruction is destruction, however noble the cause might be. It is easy to get carried away by Hollywood blockbusters, but war is never good - at the very best, it is a necessary evil. Wars may be the proving ground of genuine heroes, but they are also an opportunity for criminals to do as they like. The line between murder and resistance is very fine indeed.

The same of course can also be said about the Turkish Invasion of 1974.

[Bananiot]

It is very important to know and understand the position of AKEL prior, during and after the EOKA struggle in order to be able to reach the correct conclussions. In the summer of 1944, before the end of the war, Sir Cosmo Parkinson visited Cyprus as a representative of the British government in order to "discuss with representatives of the Cypriot people" the future of the island after the war. The Brits meant of course the constitutional aspect, always within the British Empire but it was the first step towards the call for the constitutional assembly (diaskeptiki in greek). AKEL mobilised the masses and called "never to meet Sir Cosmo". Leading slogan by the mobilised masses was "Down with Sir Cosmo", "long live the national restoration and enosis". In 1947 AKEL welcomed the call for the constitutional assembly but this time the church and the nationalists did not participate in the assembly that aimed at deciding the constitution of Cyprus. In fact the extreme right accused AKEL then of treason. The Brits gave proposals for limited self rule.and this led AKEL to leave the assembly. Probably, the Brits gave such a limited offer in order to "force" the communists to leave since they did not want to give the leadership to AKEL, in the absence of the right.

By the way, Ploutis Servas claims that in 1944 the Brits offered self rule to Cyprus in ten years but I think this is only claimed by Servas. I think something to this extend was talked about during the Makarios-Harding meetings, according to Kranidiotis.

Thus, the claim that AKEL was always against enosis is not correct. AKEL, for long periods made enosis its flagship and enosis was still on for AKEL even during the 60's.

[insan]

I think for a better understanding what was the situation on GC side regarding the Enosis; the then political movements in Greece, Greek Civil War, Government of Radical Nationalists and Greek irredentism should also be well examined.

Interest Groups and the Post-war Irredentist Revival

a. The Greek National Claims, 1945-46 As has been noted, Greek irredentism was far from dead and buried in the aftermath
of disaster in Asia Minor. While banished from the realm of practical politics, it remained a powerful underlying factor. It took another World War to trigger itsresurgence. In 1945 a consensus cut clean across the civil war divide, to the effect that her gallant war record and suffering under enemy occupation entitled Greece to a new, perhaps the final, bout of national restitution. Irredenta were not limited to the Dodecanese Islands, Northern Epirus and Cyprus – all three being areas with compact Greek populations. The Communist Party advanced claims on Turkish Thrace while its ‘nationalist’ opponents clamoured for territorial acquisitions to the north.
47
Both sides tried to outbid each other in patriotic fervour. After the December fighting and the Varkiza agreement, the communist Left was increasingly isolated, its supporters persecuted and its activities penalised. Opting for abstention from the general elections in 1946 and for armed struggle later on, it forfeited any chance of participating in mainstream politics. The result was that the Communist Party and its affiliated organisations were barred from public life. Thus,
from an early stage, the irredentist discourse was effectively monopolised by the forces of the incipient ethnikophrosyne. Following the Varkiza agreement, irredentist groups of more or less clear right-wing
leanings proliferated. They were soon joined in their campaign by a host of other groups, from established professional associations to explicitly anti-Communist and royalist organisations. Thessaloniki became the centre of their campaign and with good cause. The city was situated near the vulnerable northern frontier, the extension of which these groups claimed. There was a strong element originating from various
Greek communities in adjacent Balkan countries, with a record of organisation and strong connections with local patrons and politicians.
48
Soon, these groups would compete for public attention and scant government funds.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/hellen ... Paper6.pdf

[turkcyp]

deleted by the author...

[Alexandros Lordos]

We need to find a way to honour their youthful idealism and courage and remember their sacrifices without alienating out Turkish Cypriot fellow citizens, and without sacrificing our intelligence to a veneer of lies.

Well said.