BirKibrisli wrote:Question 1 is about the Ottoman conquer of Cyprus and the following administrative order...Here is the opening paragraph in full translation:
"The Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus in 1571,at a cost of 80,000 martyrs,in order to stop the pirates based on Cyprus from attacking ships sailing through the Mediterranean,and to help the Orthodox Greeks who were oppressed by the Catholic Venetians."
The ottoman rule lasted for 307 years in practice and 352 years legally...
During this time Cyprus experienced a liberty not seen in her long history.
The Turks liberated the Orthodox church and brought the freedom of religion to Greek Cypriots...By accepting the Archbishop as the political representative of his people,Ottoman rule gave Greek Cypriots the right to take their grievances directly to the Palace...
The Greek Cypriots responded by supporting the Greek uprising of 1821 by means of money,ammunition and soldiers,and by trying to massacre the entire Turkish Cypriot population in the same year...
During the Ottoman rule the economic situation of the Greek Cypriots improved immeasurably...This was the result of the great tolerance shown to them by the Ottomans...
The island's administrative system was redrawn,and brought under 17 districts run by "KADIs"...Greek Cypriots as well as Armenian and Maronite Cypriots were given representation rights on the Administrative Council... Hence for the first time in their history,Greek Cypriots had a say in the running of their island...Also by means of tax collection by the Church,and the liberties in the education system,Greek Cypriots enjoyed an early form of self-rule...
There you are,you ungrateful sods....Now you know how good you had it under the Ottomans....What say you...????????
Birkibrisli,
below article copied from http://www.cyprusirc.net/irc/news.php
under the title Cyprus History.Read below one as well and do your comments and tell us what is the differences the book you reading and below article.
VENETIAN PERIOD (1489 - 1571)
The Venetian rule was worse than the Frankish for the Cypriots. The Venetians treated Cyprus as a colony and tried to export the island's resources by imposing large taxes. The Venetians were aware of the impending Turkish invasion and hurriedly constructed the Nicosia and Famagusta walls. In Nicosia the walls were smaller than the previous Lusignan ones, with 11 bastions and 3 gates and a moat. In the process they destroyed a lot of the fine buildings from the Lusignan rule. Currently the walls of Nicosia and the gates, especially Famagusta Gate, are a prime example of the Venetian period architecture. Squat, rounded towers were also built at Xylofagou, Pyla, Kiti and Alaminos in Larnaca district, while the castle of Kyrenia was strengthened. The Venetians also exploited the salt production from the Salt Lake in Larnaca. An important handicraft of this period was the laces of Lefkara. Apparently Leonardo de Vinci was so impressed by the laces of Lefkara that he bought a cloth to take back to the cathedral in Milan. But while the new conquerors built their stronghold the residents on the island continued to live in poverty.Β
The Ottoman Turks needed only the capture of the island to gain control of the Eastern Mediterranean and in 1570 Sultan Selim ll demanded the cessation of Cyprus to Turkey, claiming that its conquest by Egypt in the last century made it legitimately a part of the Sultanate. Venice refused and so the Turks declared war on Cyprus. They invaded Larnaca and were met with no resistance, as the Cypriots were happy to see the demise of the Venetians. The Venetian strongholds of Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta were the only opposition found on the island.
The first to fall was Nicosia, after a siege of six weeks where walls were finally broken into by the resolute efforts of the Turks. When the news of the Nicosia capture reached Kyrenia garrison they quickly surrendered as they were undermanned already.
Only Famagusta was left and Mustapha Pasha held back for several months until he received reinforcements. They came in the spring of 1571. Then he launched his attack on Famagusta, and after five months the Venetian commander Bragadino was forced to surrender.
Once the European powers learned of Cyprus' capture they took a somewhat late action. In October 1571 a fleet put together by the Holy League of Spain, Genoa and Venice defeated the Turks in the great sea battle of Lepanto, at the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. But this did little to change the continuing expansion of the Ottoman Empire or the future of Cyprus who was now abandoned for more than three centuries to Turkish rule.
THE TURKISH PERIOD (1571-1878)Β
The Cypriots welcomed arrival of the Ottoman Turks mainly because of their recognition of the Greek Orthodox Church. One of the first actions of the Turks was to restore the Archbishopric. They also abolished the feudal system and freed the serfs. But it did not make the Cypriots any happier as the Turks were able to exploit the Church for their own benefit - for the purpose of collecting taxes. Most of this tax money went to Istanbul and the Cypriots had very little benefit from it.Β
In 1821 the revolution against Turkish rule in Greece resulted in an emotional response from the Greek-Cypriots. So to avoid any spread of revolt on the island the Turks took brutal action. They executed the island's leading churchmen including the Archbishop. This silenced the Greek-Cypriots but also alienated them.
After Greece won her independence the cracks in the Ottoman Empire began to accumulate. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 new powers began to show their strength in the Mediterranean. The most active were the British who had a sea-route to India via the Canal. Cyprus was suddenly on the map again as an important strategic base in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In 1877 the war between Russia and Turkey provided the opening move. In return for a defense agreement by which Britain would come to Turkey's aid if Russia made further incursions on Turkish territory. Turkey was to cede Cyprus to Britain. By this agreement - the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1878 - the British were to remain in occupation of the island as long as the Russian threat continued.
BRITISH PERIOD (1878-1960)
The Ottoman Empire was reaching its lowest point while the British Empire was reaching its zenith. Hence Cyprus, while still a Turkish province, was becoming more closely tied to Britain. In 1914 with the outbreak of WW1 the island was joined to Britain who had declared war on Turkey. The following year they had offered the island to Greece as an incentive for Greece to enter the war on the side of the allies. But Greece refused wishing to stay neutral.
The Greek-Cypriots wished for a closer link with their mother country. They looked upon Greece as the center of the Hellenic world to which they had belonged for a large part of their history and where they owed their religion, language and way of life. After Cyprus was crowned a British colony in 1925 demands for Enosis (union with Greece) became more vociferous. In 1931 the first serious riots occurred resulting in a deportation of a number of Greek-Cypriot leaders including churchmen. This was the first mega confrontation in a wary relationship that was destined to last another 30 years.
The Greek-Cypriot resentment of the British was more political than personal. Despite being colonial subjects the people of Cyprus enjoyed a fast pace of material advancement under the British. This was because the British encouraged trade and spent money on communications, public works and farming. However there was a close association with the British as they fought with them during the Second World War.Β
The Turkish-Cypriots were opposed to their aims as they represented 18% of the population and felt that as the island had been part of Turkey for 300 years they were not pleased for the possibility of it being part of Greece and were anxious for British rule to be maintained on the island. The British in turn were determined to hold onto the island due to its Middle Eastern/Eastern European defense location.
Archbishop Makarios lll, elected in 1950, led the Enosis campaign, fulfilling both roles as a political leader and a religious one too.Β
In 1954 certain events took place, which were the catalysts in starting the conflict. Firstly, Britain withdrew from Egypt and made Cyprus their Middle Eastern Headquarters. Secondly, the Greeks demanded self-determination for Cyprus be recognized by the UN and were turned down. In April 1955 a series of bomb attacks put an end to the talks and started the violence. This was led by the guerrilla group EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston - The National Organization of Cypriot Fighters). The group's leader was an ex-colonel George Grivas who called himself Dighenis after a Cypriot well-known hero. He made several hit-and-run tactics and bombings in Troodos. This provoked a public outcry in Britain. It was a classic example of guerrilla warfare as the EOKA made themselves extremely scarce and were thought to be about 300 men holding down about 20,000 troops and 4,500 police.Β
The British decided to pursue a firmer line and as Archbishop Makarios had given the EOKA movements his blessing the British deported him. But in 1957 Britain received pressure from the UN and released Makarios but he was not allowed to return to Cyprus.
But this made the Turkish alarmed at Britain's more lenient attitude and so formed their own resistance groups. Clashes started between the two ethnic groups with more attacks aimed at the British raised the death toll considerably and speeded up matters.
In early 1959 representatives from the British, Greek and Turkish governments met and agreed to establish an independent Cypriot state within the British Commonwealth to be governed by its two communities on a proportional basis. This agreement was signed by the three powers and also Archbishop Makarios for the Greek-Cypriots and Dr Kutchuk for the Turkish-Cypriots. This meant the end of the Enosis for the Greeks and partition for the Turks. Cyprus for the first time in its history had independent rule.
