Cyprus-Forum.com

[Strahd]

26th of August 1955

The third Cypriot National Comitee sends to the Brittish government the following message voted by the total of the 600 representatives

"The Cyprus National Comitee is condemnig the extension of the overrulling of the Cypriots under the English as unfair and inhumaine and is calling the Great Britain to comply with the moral law and the will of the Cyprus People to withdraw from the rulling of the island. The comittee is calling the English Nation and all the free people of the world to support the will for independent people of Cyprus." (K. Amantou Short History of Cyprus p. 146-8)

28th of August 1955 (or the British empire begins its revenge to th people of Cyprus)

Facing the facts the English Government calls to Lancaster House London a meeting between England, Greece and Turkey to study the Cyprus problem!!!!!

It is going to be held between the Ministers of the Exterrior, MacMillan GB, Stefanopoulos Greece anf Fatin Rustu Zorlou Turkey. The amazingly effective diplomacy of Britain involves for the first time in the Britain-Cyprus conflict the...Turkish Cypriots, and finally Turkey which is persuaded to play the role of the major protector of the interests of the Cypriot islamic minority which of course leads to the involvement of Greece.

Thus the English goverment haunted by the international opinions of keeping with force under collonial rule 500000 Cypriots, changes status to a referee to a plasmatic opposition between the two neighbours and allies Turkey and Greece. In turn to establish the prollogned presence of British presence on the island and taking advantage of the nationalistic and imperealistic philosophy of Turkey pushes the Turkish governmet to start having outragous claims on the island. An island that a few years ago was virtually unkown to Turks is now turned with the help of the Brittish a major national matter for the easyly manipulated Turkish masses.

At the same epoch and a day before the metting, the Brittish minister McMillan sends a telegram to the Turkish prime minister urging him to take action to deminish the Greeks in Constantinopole which is the beginning of the end of the Greek community of Constantinopole and the Slaughtery of the Greeks on Imvros and Tenedos.

[cypezokyli]

strahd
welcome to the forum.

just a couple of comments.

revenge is not typical in english politics. they have been too long in politics to let their emotions overcome their interests

it is well known that england has huge responsibilities when it comes to the cyprus problem. since we tend to get stuck on those, i will like to present also our mistakes. so that will come closer to the whole picture. and thats what we want, isnt it?

the english were ofcource against enosis, for reasons of their own interests. they were open though for other solutions. how would you comment on the 1948 proposal ? or the discussion between makarios and harding ? as far as i can recall harding was only discussing with makarios and not with turkey or tcs. (proposals which didnot exclude the possibility of enosis and we rejected ) .and thats in october 1955 . after of what you posted! it seems to me that sth doesnt make sense hier. that is if they wanted to include turkey , why was harding was only discussing with makarios ?

a second point , is that some analysts view the fact that greece (with the urge of makarios ) tried to internationalise the problem by bringing it in the UN (1954, 56, 57,58), was a tactical mistake, a mistake that gave turkey the opportunity to accuse greece of imperialism and continuation of megali idea. some even say, that was the time that turkey started getting involved in the conflict.

third and assuming that our leaders at the time bothered to read some international events. knowing how england used the religious difference to split india and pakistan already in 1947, what was the best we could have done in order to avoid the british strategy working here? on the contrary , what did we actually decide to do ?

At the same epoch and a day before the metting, the Brittish minister McMillan sends a telegram to the Turkish prime minister urging him to take action to deminish the Greeks in Constantinopole which is the beginning of the end of the Greek community of Constantinopole and the Slaughtery of the Greeks on Imvros and Tenedos.

that i have to admit i didnot know. not the fact that turkey used cyprus to attack minorities. i mean the english involvement, even if it wouldnt surprise me. would you mind posting us that telegram ?

.......
let me predict some answers :
do you feel more british than gc

[Strahd]

While this conference was going on there was an alarming burst of anti-Greek rioting and demonstrations in Istanbul, probably stage-managed in the first instance but running rapidly out of control. The targets were the Greek merchants and the Greek Orthodox church while the Turkish press was full of stories which complained of the treatment of the Muslims in Western Thrace. No effort seemed to have been made by Turkish police to protect the pillaged churches and shops, and 29 out of 80 Greek Orthodox churches, 4000 shops and 2000 homes in Istanbul were completely destroyed. The message was clearly meant to be that Turkish forbearance was not to be too much counted on.

The telegram said
"TAKE STRONGER ACTION BECAUSE MORE DEFFINITE MEASURES ARE NEEDED AGAINST THE GREEK MOVEMENT OF INSTABUL"

By the way Imvros and Tenedos were not minorities they were 100% Greek islands that belonged to Turkey and were ethically cleansed between 1930-1975 with the topping of the terrorist actions by the Turks during the invasion of Turkey in Cyprus.