British Colonialism and the Fall of Cyprus

British Colonialism and the Fall of Cyprus

Introduction

“Actions by the Greek government and the newly independent government of Cyprus led and provoked the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.”

Decades ago the Greek military dictators planned a rebellion in Cyprus, radically eradicating Archbishop Makarios, its Greek-Cypriot leader. After that Turkey retaliated by taking over more than one-third of the island in a 2 waves invasion. For years, Greek Cypriots asserted that the Americans were guilty for failing to put off if not for starting the 1974 events. The government of Britain also came under condemnation, as a backer of Cypriot independence, for deteriorating to take militarily action to put off the crisis. The Cyprus crisis further exacerbated the relations between Turkey and Greece, and endangered critically NATOs unison. Cyprus was found under a failing British rule with the end of World War II. The geo-strategic significance of Cyprus was very important for Britain as it hosted a key air base and many spying facilities which offered the capability for a powerful presence in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean, to secure the oil supplies of Britain. The amenities in Cyprus were utilized as a launch-pad for a number of operations in the region like in opposition to Egypt all through the Suez crisis. In 1954, when George Grivas, the Greek Colonel, began the Union with Greece also known as “Enosis Campaign,” the reaction from the British was instant and in several cases ruthless. The violence shot up, ethnic tensions elevated and Cyprus initiated becoming unaffordable and problematic for the deteriorating British economy. The abandonment of British in 1960 came along with the independence of Cyprus under the treaties of Alliance, Guarantee and Establishment, which left the facilities of military still under American and British control. The growing rivalry between West and East rapidly supported Cyprus not just as a grip in the eastern Mediterranean however as the non-sinkable air-carrier at NATO's southern flank. The spying facilities turned out to be vital for the United States under the UK-USA Agreement in keeping an eye on the Middle East and the Soviet Union. However, the new government malformed and ethnic tensions elevated once again. At first glance, the invasion seems like a simple case of one nation being aggressive towards a weaker smaller nation. However that is not the case in Cyprus. These issues involves three larger powers; Greece, Britain, and Turkey as well as two ethnic groups within Cyprus. The issues involve two religions as well. I believe that once the British gave Cyprus its independence in 1960 the table was set for a Turkish invasion. A huge faction of Greek Cypriot's never wanted to be an independent nation; they wanted the island to be annexed by Greece. As I see it, this was the principle cause of the invasion. The ethnic violence that Greek Cypriots escalated upon the Turkish Cypriots inflamed the Turks who also had a long standing claim to the island as being ...