The Cyprus Civil War - Causes, Consequences and Legacy

Civil War in Cyprus

The hatred and antagonism in Cyprus have lived for ages, right from the Ottoman Empire. Looking at the history of the country, it is easy to trace the source of animosity between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. But somehow, some people believe that the historic enmity that was witnessed during the eruption of the civil war was due to the fall of Constantinople in the 15 ^th century. This argument is always used by advocates of essentialism to explain their current position, demanding that the enemy has not changed throughout the ages ( Goldman, 2016) . When looking at the literature and other information provided books and articles, the list of causes of civil war spanned from both internal and external forces.

Roots of Civil Wars

Under British rule, Cyprus did not engage in atrocities and conflicts in the 20 ^th century that occurred between the Turks and Greeks in the Greco-Turkish war that took place in 1923. The mean cause of the civil war in Cyprus was the idea of reunion which the Turkish Cypriots did not want. In the following years, the Greek Cypriots continue to pursue the enosis, and in 1931, a revolt opened causing six deaths, several injuries and Britain Government House in Apoel Nicosia burnt. After that, several restrictions were imposed by the colonial government, which saw about 2,200 convicted of crimes ( Goldman, 2016) . The struggle for enosis was put on hold in 1945 as World War II set in. Plans for the new constitution started as the colonial government made plans and invited the Cypriots to create a Consultative assembly.

By 1954, several institutions had been formed to prepare for a conducive climate for the main Turkish objective; the division Taksim (the Island) into Turkish and Greek parts. In 1955, the Ethnic Organosis Kyprion Agonoston (EOKA) was founded, and in April the same year, they opened a series of attacks on the British rule. As the demand of enosis grew further, the Turkish Cypriots become convinced that it was time to segregate the island into a Turkish sector to the north and a Greek industry to the south.

Implementation of the Constitution and the Crisis of 1963-1964

At this time, the island was moving toward the universal war. A few endeavors to display a typical settlement had fizzled. The Zurich-London understandings were utilized as the establishment of the 1960 Cyprus constitution. From the plans of the constitution, Cyprus was to a free and neutral state with Turkish Cypriot VP and a Greek Cypriot president yet the questions set in regards to assessments and separate districts. Repeated undertakings to comprehend the discussions failed. Over the long haul, on 30 November 1963, Makarios sent to the three underwriters a thirteen-point suggestion arranged, in his view, to abstain from hindrances to the working of the lawmaking body (Klinke et al., 2018). The thirteen included constitution alterations, including the surrender of the veto control by both the VP and the president. Turkey at first rejected it, and several days after, 1963 turned into a Bloody Christmas in Cyprus.

Serious violence erupted in Nicosia during a police check on 21 ^st Dec 1963. On this day, a Greek Cypriot was on duty and as he was checking the identification documents, and suddenly, hostility erupted between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot, which left two Turkish Cypriot dead. The brutality of the Greek was profoundly felt in that more than 150 villages from the Turkish Cypriots had to flee their homes to little enclaves dispersed all over Cyprus(Beardsley et al., 2017). A full refugee issue was brought up because of the Greek Cypriots assaults on Turkish Cypriots all through the island. The Turkish Cypriots ended up as virtual detainees and prisoners in their territory. On 21st December 1963 battling began between the Nicosia communities. Fighting spread as days progressed to all over the island.

Meanwhile, the power-sharing government did not come to be. How this transpired is a champion among the most unfriendly issues in present-day Cypriot history. The Turkish Cypriots argued that they were compelled out. A few Turkish Cypriots pulled out from the lawmaking body. In any case, those who wanted to remain in their employment were kept from doing so by the Greek Cypriots who now had power. Also, numerous Turkish Cypriots wouldn't go to the grounds since they felt that their lives were at risk as a result of the progressing mercilessness in the island. After that, measures were now being put to reduce the hostility. Finally, on 27 December 1963, a transitional peacekeeping team led by the Joint Truce Force was assembled by Turkey, Britain, and Greece (Ker-Lindsay, 2017). After the affiliation government fell, the Greek Cypriot governance was seen as the actual organization of Cyprus when talks were ongoing in New York in February 1964.

Peacemaking Efforts

In the wake of setting up a force that could keep the peace between the states, the Security Council also endorsed that the Secretary-General, in talks with the parties and the Guarantor Powers relegate a judge to accept accountability for official peacemaking attempts. U Thant, by then, the UN Secretary-General, chose Sakari Tuomioja to act as a Finnish minister (Beardsley et al., 2017). Tuomioja stated that inclusivity was mandatory and believed enosis was the most genuine reason for a mutual settlement; he rejected affiliation since it would be ill-advised for a UN expert to give feedback that would provoke the deterioration of a UN part state.

At the start of June, due to the Turkish failure to mediate, Washington impelled a free movement under Dean Acheson, a past Secretary of State. He showed a plan to bring peace and unite Cyprus with Greece in July (Guéhenno, 2018). If Turkey acknowledged this proposition, they would secure a sovereign armed force establishment on the island. At the same time, the Turkish Cypriots could receive minority rights, which would be overseen by a global occupant chief. Makarios declined the recommendation, claiming that giving Turkey area would be controlled on enosis will make Ankara a steady state in the island's endeavors.

At the moment, recommendations were made that Turkey could be leased the enosis for fifty years. Both Turkey and the Greek Cypriots declined the offer. After a few attempts to accomplish a comprehension, the U.S surrendered its worry on the issue. The abrupt demise of Tuomioja in 1965saw Galo Plaza appointed as a mediator of the matter. He looked at the problem in terms of the community ( Goldman, 2016). Later in 1965, Plaza wrote a criticizing report indicating that the two parties were not willing to settle at common ground irrespective of the effort that had been put across. The Greek Cypriots accepted the report, but the Turkish Cypriots rejected it and demanded Plaza’s resignation. Another legal framework was developed by Plaza, containing amendments that could end the conflicts and civil war, but Turkey still rejected it and which led to the deterioration of the apparent situation ( Fazal et al., 2018) . Constant threats were staged by Turkey against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus, which prompted the UN intervention. Finally, Plaza resigned, and his position was never replaced. In 1966, Carlos Bernades proposed that parties should use direct dialogue to settle the matter.

References

Beardsley, K., Cunningham, D. E., & White, P. B. (2017). Resolving civil wars before they start: The UN Security Council and conflict prevention in self-determination disputes. British Journal of Political Science , 47 (3), 675-697.

Fazal, T. M., Kalyvas, S. N., Call, C. T., Campbell, S. P., Doucet, L., Risse, T., ... &

Guéhenno, J. M. (2018). The United Nations & Civil Wars. Dædalus , 147 (1), 185-196.

Goldman, M. (2016). Turkey, Cyprus, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Heydemann, S. (2018). Ending Civil Wars: Constraints & Possibilities. Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences .

Ker-Lindsay, J. (2017). The four pillars of a counter-secession foreign policy: Lessons from Cyprus.

Klinke, A., Renn, O., & Lehners, J. P. (2018). Ethnic conflicts and civil society: proposals for a new era in Eastern Europe . Routledge.