Independent Cyprus and Partition

The London Accord of 1959 granting Cyprus independence had put in place a government structure that safeguarded the rights of the Turkish Cypriot minority. But in 1963 Archbishop Makarios submitted a plan to "simplify" the constitution and with it remove most of the rights of the minority. This of course was unacceptable to the Turks. In December 1963 hostilities broke out with EOKA attacking Turkish Cypriot enclaves in the South of the island. The situation escalated until in 1964 a UN resolution sent peace keeping troops to stabilise the situation. Their original 3 month assignment has gone on to this day.

Things remained in the balance for some time, and the death toll mounted to over five hundred. Troops from mainland Greece landed on the island further strengthening the calls for Enosis. The Turkish Defence Organisation or TMT mobilised to defend Turkish Cypriots from the Greek threat. The Turkish Cypriots barricaded themselves in enclaves for protection and they were blockaded by the Greek Cypriots.

Calls for Taksim (or partition) grew from the Turkish minority, while, due to the takeover in Greece by the military junta President Makarios renounced Enosis. In 1974 the military junta in Greece led a coup against President Makarios aiming to enforce Enosis. As a guarantor power to the London Accord Turkey intervened, landing troops in the North of the island. Greek Cypriots fled to the south, while Turkish Cypriots escaped to the north. Atrocities were committed by both sides at this time. The "Attila Line" became the effective partition of the two communities and remains today. In 1975 the North declared itself the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus.

Various negotiations have taken place since then, but have been fruitless. In 1983 the North declared full independence as the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus or TRNC, the only country to recognise the Republic is Turkey. Talks to resolve the situation went on through the 1980's and 1990's unsuccessfully.

As of the 1st May 2004 the Greek South of Cyprus has become a member of the European Union. The United Nations under Kofi Annan tried very hard to negotiate a re-unification of the island, and the Annan plan was put to a referendum in both North and South Cyprus on the 24th April 2004. The North voted overwhelmingly for acceptance of the plan, but the South rejected it. It is not clear at this time what the outcome of this will be. There is much speculation and hope in the North that the long standing international embargo of the community will now be relaxed allowing much needed investment into the North. What is clear is that there will have to be more changes in the near future following the referendum, and with Turkey soon to begins it's own accession talks with the EU.

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