Cyprus: from 1821 Greek War of Liberation to mid-19th century
The gradual and promising developments were reversed in 1821. In 1818 Archbishop Kyprianos became a member of the Philike Hetaireia, a secret organization that planned to establish an independent Greek state out of the Ottoman Empire. Kyprianos was fully aware of Cyprus’ isolated position and its resident Turkish garrison, and only felt able to promise financial and material support.
In 1821 revolts broke out all over the Greek-speaking provinces of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish governor of Cyprus, having previously requested reinforcements from Syria, received permission from the Sultan to launch campaign of crackdown. The archbishop and other prominent members of the secret organisation were hanged on grounds of treachery. The crackdown effectively destroyed the Greek Cypriots chance of joining the Greek rebellion. It also indelibly stamped Greek Cypriots with a loathing of the Ottoman administration and a desire for Enosis, or union with the independent Greece that was born of this traumatic period.
http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/history ... index.html
The flag shown above was used in the region of Kokkinochoria during the independence war of 1821. People in Cyprus then fought for enosis (Union) with Greece.
The Greek letter Π placed in the middle of the flag represents the village of Paralimni, where soldiers were recruited and organized. The other villages in the region of Kokkinochoria are Protaras, Derynia, Agia Napa, Frenaros, Sotira, Liopetri, Avgorou and Xylofagoy.
A surviving flag from the 1821 war is shown at the Museum of National History in Athens. The flag, is white with a blue Greek cross in the middle and the words: "SHMEA ELLHNHKI PATRIS - KYPROU", which literally translates into: "Flag of The Greek land of Cyprus".
The above flag was going to be the Cypriot Revolutionary Flag against Ottoman rule, but when 3 Cypriot Bishops were beheaded by the Ottomans, Cypriots then decided it was all too hard and immediately put on their Vrakaes and headed for the nearest Ottoman Kafeneio to sip Geek or was it Ottoman coffee....
Did the Greek also decide it was all too hard back in 1821? They certainly did not. There persisted with their struggle against all odds whilst Cypriots were just too scared.
The consequences of our inaction are evident to this day.
May the memory of EOKA be eternal, for they are the one's that paid the eternal price by trying to free our shackles of slavery which clearly should have been done way back in 1821....
