With the 1959 Zurich and London agreements , Turkey, Greece and UK agreed on independent Cyprus state under Turko-Greko equal sovereignty. The beginning of guarantor rights of the three countries dates back to 1959 an 60 agreements.
The 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus remained valid for only three years due to problems in practice. Greek Cypriots wanted to put an end to the separate Turkish Cypriot municipal assemblies, which were allowed by the British in 1958 and subject to scrutiny in the 1960 treaties.
The fear of the Greek Cypriots was that the Turks would create a division on the island. The fear of the Turks was ENOSIS. In other words, terminating the Turkish presence on the island and united with Greece. Like on the island of Crete.
The anger within the Greek Cypriot community was exacerbated by the fact that Turkish Cypriots were given more government posts than the population registers predicted. The Turkish Cypriot community accounted for 20% of the population and 30% of public works were allocated by constitution. In addition, the vice-president position was reserved for the Turkish population, and both the president and vice-president had veto power on key issues.
In December 1963, President Makarios proposed thirteen constitutional amendments after the government blocked the Turkish Cypriot legislators.
Tired of these dilemmas and believing that the constitution was preventing ENOSIS, the Greek Cypriot leadership believed that the rights granted to Turkish Cypriots under the 1960 Constitution were very broad and designed the Akritas plan.
In 1960, the constitution was disbanded, and on 21 December 1963, there were incidents of social violence, including the bloody Christmas, in which Greek Cypriot police also played a role.
Bloody Christmas events
On the night of December 20, 1963, Zeki Halil and Cemaliye Emirali were killed as a result of firing on cars in Tahtakale district of Nicosia.
At first, 30 turkish villages were subjected to attacks. In total, 103 villages were attacked. The district of Küçük Kaymaklı of Nicosia was under siege. There was an attack on the Turks in Kanlıdere. Turkish houses were opened in Larnaca and Tuzla and nine people were killed. The inhabitants of the 13 Turkish villages in the region migrated to the larger Turkish villages as of 23 December.
On 1 January 1964, the Daily Herald reported the following:
"I was horrified when I came to Turkish homes. They were completely destroyed, except for the walls. I doubt that even a napalm attack could cause such destruction."
A total of 24 Turks were burned to death in the attacks of Ayvasıl village on 20-21 December.
On 24 December 1963 11 people were killed in the Kumsal district of Nicosia. 4 of them were the family of Retired General Nihat İlhan. In the bath tub of İlhan's house, his wife Mürkün İlhan and his children Murat, Kutsi and Hakan were found dead. The house where the massacre was made was later opened to visitors as the Barbarism Museum.
700 Turkish hostages were taken, including women and children, in the northern suburbs of Nicosia. The violence led to the deaths of 364 Turks and 174 Greek Cypriots, the destruction of 109 Turkish Cypriot villages and the displacement of 25,000-30,000 Turkish Cypriots. The British Daily Telegraph later described it as "anti-Turkish pogrom".
The intense clashes in the areas under the control of Turkish Cypriot militias and the failure of the constitution stood out as the reason for a possible Turkish intervention.
US President Johnson, has threatened openly to Turkey in June 1964. Because a war in Cyprus , could bringing the Soviets threat.
This crisis resulted in the termination of Turkish Cypriot participation in the island administration and claiming that the administration had lost its legitimacy. In some regions, Greek Cypriots prevented Turkish Cypriots from traveling and entering government buildings, while some Turks refused to retreat following the calls of the Turkish Cypriot administration. So they began to live under a complete siege (such as today's Gaza or Kashmir). The structure of the Republic was unilaterally changed by Makarios and Nicosia was divided by the Green Line with the deployment of UNFICYP troops. The freedom of travel and access to basic needs of the Turks were further restricted by the Greek Cypriot forces.
Conflicts began again in 1967, with Turkish Cypriots pushing for greater freedom of travel. As before, problem couldn't solved until Turkey has been announced that it will intervene against possible ethnic cleansing.
Following the threats of Turkey, a consensus was reached for The removal of some Greek troops from the island, departure of EOKA leader Georgios Grivas from Cyprus and the Cypriot government to lift some restrictions on access to the resources of Turkish populations.
In November 1973, group of colonel led by Dimitrios Ioannides in Greece seized the country's rule. In March 1974, the intelligence of the Republic of Cyprus informed to Makarios that EOKA-B, which was financially and administratively supported by the junta in Greece, would carry out a coup. Thereupon, on 25 April 1974, a declaration was issued and EOKA-B was declared illegal on the island, and nearly 2000 EOKA-B members were arrested.
In early July 1974, Makarios asked the Greek President to end his assassination and coup plans. On July 3-5, soldiers and policemen began to clash with each other on the island. Makarios claimed that the junta administration was behind this and wanted these events to come to an end.
Coup
The Greek Junta asked Makarios to leave control of the island on 15 July 1974 because of these statements. The same day, the troops of the junta raided the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. However, because Makarios had previously received intelligence, he and two of his aides took a military armor from the backyard of the palace and fled to Paphos. A helicopter picked him up from the UK base in Akrotiri and took him to London.
"The independence of Cyprus is endangered and its people are in danger," Makarios said at meetings held on 16-17 July, when the United Nations Security Council itself was recognized as the legal leader of the Republic of Cyprus.
Nikos Sampson, one of EOKA's prominent figures, was announced to the world as the interim president of the new government, and the next day he used the presidential powers to declare the Hellenic Republic of Cyprus.
The news of a coup in Cyprus was learned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the morning of July 15, 1974, in an encrypted message sent by the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia. The situation in Cyprus led Turkey's serious assessment to require a military intervention. As the Treaty gives guarantor states to intervene right to Cyprus
Before using the right to intervene given by the Republic of Cyprus Treaty of Guarantee, Turkey opened its plan to another guarantor state UK. Because of want to act together in consultation with the UK authorities.
Britain does not agree of Turkey to act alone. But on the other side Turkey was decided that the Turkish Armed Forces should prepare, during the negotiations, .
On July 16, the foreign ministry officials informed the British and US embassies of Ankara. On July 16, 1974, PM met with the heads of opposition parties for nearly three hours. The next day, he went to London to negotiate.
Turkey delegation has made seperate meetings with British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan , US deputy Secretary of State Joseph Sisco to discuss the Cyprus issue. Britain adopted the attitude of the United States and pushed to discourage the Turkish delegation.
The Turkish delegation moved from London to Ankara at 8:30 pm on July 18, 1974 . When Prime Minister Ecevit arrived in Ankara , had a meeting with the commanders of the General Staff. After meeting, The prime minister stated that the purpose and name of the operation was "Peace Operation". Following the General Assembly meeting, the Council of Ministers convened and unanimously decided to intervene in Cyprus. The written decision of the Council of Ministers was delivered to the General Staff on the morning of 19 July 1974.
Thus, the Cyprus operation began. As a result of the operation, which lasted 5 days in two stages, 10 years of massacres and civil war ended.
The Turkish peace operation aimed at an illegitimate coup administration. Turkey has used its guarantor rights. Because the bi-communal state on the island was actually ended.
This mistake of the Greek Junta soon led to their overthrow in Greece. And the Greek people found peace there also.
Today's South Side is built on this unlawful foundation. As long as Greeks ignoring the legitimate rights of the Turkish Cypriots, Turkey will continue to use its guarantor rights stemming from international agreements.
So It is completly such an idiotic attitude that India is worried about the words of Kashmir and tries to match this situation with the Cyprus issue.
