the years of bloody massacres, the road to independence… – LETTER II |

President The leaders of Greek Cypriots, including Makarios, were not happy that their enosis aspirations did not materialize and that they could not unite with Greece. Moreover, the independent state was not a purely Greek state, but a joint state with the Turks. According to the Greeks, the Turks were given too many rights. It is no coincidence that they started to complain soon after gaining independence.

The adopted constitution was indeed very complex and created a number of problems in governance. There are claims that the Turkish side sometimes abused the rights granted to it. In such a case, the only way out way was to try to govern with this document for a while, to achieve mutual trust between the two communities, and then to discuss changing the constitution.

But this is to keep the independent Republic of Cyprus alive way was And the Greeks were still thinking of joining Greece instead. Do not fulfill this desire way had: to neutralize the Turkish side and remove it from decision-making. For this purpose, a special “Akritas plan” was prepared.

Turkey Constantinos Karamanlis, who tried to maintain good relations with him, resigned as the Prime Minister of Greece in June 1963. Georgios Papandreou, an opponent of the Zurich-London agreements, headed the new government in early November. This encouraged the Greek nationalists in Cyprus.

In November 1963, Makarios appealed to the three guarantor countries, 13 amendments to the constitution offer did Changes the president and the vice president’s veto power cancellation (which would greatly reduce the influence of the Turks) and other provisions. Turkish Cypriot community to these changes protest he did and the tension on the island began to rise.

On the night of December 21, in Nicosia, the Greek police stopped a taxi driven by a Turk and tried to search the female passengers. According to the rules, in such a case, the participation of the Turkish police was also necessary. For this reason, first the taxi driver, and then the Turks living in the vicinity gathered, protest they started doing. Additional Greek police arrived at the scene. The tension eventually resulted in police firing and the death of two Turks.

During the next four days, the Greeks attacked Turkish villages, Turkish neighborhoods in the capital, and individual houses. Located on the island Turkey medical service of the regiment chiefcommitted against the family of Major Nihat Ilhan crime it was particularly salivating. The Greeks killed the minbashi’s wife and three young sons, who were not at home, and piled their bodies in a bathtub in the bath.

364 Turks and 174 Greeks were killed during these events, which lasted until December 25 and were named Bloody Christmas. 25,000 Turks migrated from small and mixed villages to settlements where more Turks live, almost all located in the north. Vice President Fazil Küçük, ministers, deputies including all Turks stopped participating in Cypriot state institutions.

UN According to Security Council Resolution No. 186, international peacekeeping forces were deployed in Cyprus in March 1964 along the “green line” separating the Greek and Turkish parts of Cyprus (including the capital Nicosia). So, in fact, the division of the island into two happened even then.

***

Despite the deployment of peacekeeping forces, tensions on the island fluctuated. Towards the end of May, attacks on the Turks increased again. Turkish settlements became ghettos, residents could enter and leave with the permission of the Greeks who besieged them.

Ismet Inönin Prime Minister which is Turkey the government is showing muscle, to the island military he was trying to look like he was going to intervene. In fact, Turkey did not have enough equipment for the landing operation. Moreover, Inonu managed to keep Turkey out of the Second World War during his presidency military he was not at all willing to take the road.

Foreign Minister Feridun Cemal Erkin by order of the Prime Minister USAinvited Ankara’s ambassador and informed him as an ally that Turkey was preparing to send troops to Cyprus. The purpose of taking this step is to get Washington into the situation, Greece and two such as Turkey NATO was to encourage him to mediate between his country.

USA President Lyndon Johnson’s reaction was not long in coming. Inönü’s expectations were justified. In his letter, the host of the White House considered interference on the island unacceptable, and invited Ismet Inönü and Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou to Washington for negotiations.

However, the letter was written in a very rude, undiplomatic and condescending manner. Johnson “has supported Turkey in the most healthy way for years” USAdoes not consider it correct to warn at the last moment, prohibits the use of American weapons during the intervention in Cyprus, and most importantly, in the event that the USSR attacks Turkey NATOsaid that he would not be involved.

It was at this time that US-Turkey relations, which had been developing steadily since the Second World War, first cracked. Ankara clearly understood that it is not right to trust Washington. The seed of anti-Americanism, which would later become a serious trend in Turkish public opinion, was sown by the US president himself.

Inonu to the USA on June 22-23 trip did Although Papandreou was also in Washington at that time, the tripartite meeting did not take place. Johnson met with the prime ministers separately. However, the fact that the White House stated that it based the Zurich-London agreements on the Cyprus issue benefited Turkey.

Nevertheless, on August 6, the Greeks attacked the port of Kokkina (Erenköy), which was a very important point for the Turks. Seeing that the situation of the defenders is difficult, the government of Turkey again military–weather ordered his forces to make a warning flight. But the Greeks did not stop this time. 64 Turks on August 9 plane bombarded and fired at the positions of the Greeks. During the operation, one of the Turkish planes was shot down, and Cengiz Topel, who left the plane through a catapult, to the Greeks captive fell and was killed with terrible tortures.

The intervention of Turkish aviation stopped the attack of the Greeks. The next three years were relatively quiet.

***

On April 21, 1967, a military coup took place in Greece and a junta of colonels was established. The head of the regime, George Popadapoulos, took a more aggressive position on the issue of Cyprus. Georgios Grivas, the former head of EOKA, who was released after the island’s independence, returned to Cyprus. Plus, thousands Greece military officer was sent to the island contrary to the agreements.

During this period, President Makarios already took a different position. He did not like the military junta coming to power in Greece and did not want to follow its orders. On the other hand, he was beginning to understand that under the current conditions, enosis was absolutely impossible. Makarios urged to be satisfied “not with what is desired, but with what is possible.”

On November 15, Greek forces attacked Boğaziçi and Geçitkale, two of the only remaining Turkish villages in southern Cyprus, killing 24 Turks. With this, the next, 1967 Cyprus crisis began.

In Ankara, the issue of withdrawing troops to Cyprus became urgent again. But Prime Minister During the meeting held by Suleyman Demirel at the General Staff, it became clear that Turkey does not have enough landing ships or transport for the amphibious operation. plane, has neither a helicopter nor a parachute. Nevertheless, the government decided to bluff.

This time, Washington intervened. President Johnson appointed Deputy Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance as a mediator to resolve the crisis. Carrying out shuttle diplomacy between Ankara, Athens and Nicosia, Vance succeeded in implementing Turkey’s demands. Grivas and Greece soldiers were removed from the island.

Despite the diplomatic resolution of the crisis, the Turkish government has decided that one day an intervention in Cyprus may be inevitable and it is necessary to be prepared for it. According to Demirel’s instructions, the construction of landing ships, each capable of carrying 1 tank and manpower, was started in Golcuk. 16 transports from foreign countries in a short period of time plane, 100 helicopters and 15 thousand parachutes were received.

These steps facilitated Turkey’s intervention in 1974…