1

The Cyprus Peace Operation:

Why It Is Called The Peace Operation

A Brief History of Cyprus

Cyprus is a Mediterranean island located roughly 75 miles from Turkey’s

Southern Coast. It was captured in 1571 by the Ottoman Empire from Venice, a
strong city state and a naval power that controlled a large part of the
Mediterranean. After 300 years the island was <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' işgal etmek ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> occupied </b></a> by Britain in 1878, <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('sözde','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> ostensibly </b></a>
to protect the ailing Ottoman Empire against Russia. Britain established naval
bases that would control the Eastern Mediterranean and protect its colonial
interests in the Middle East. To <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('
yıpratmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b>
erode </b></a> Ottoman claims on Cyprus most of the island’s Turkish
population was "encouraged" or induced to emigrate to the Turkish mainland,
gradually reducing the Turkish Cypriots to a minority. <br><br>

After World War II the island’s Greek-speaking majority <a HREF="23063.htm"

onMouseOver="drc('sesini yükseltmek','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> clamored</b></a>

for independence while most of them called for its <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' egemenlik','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> annexation </b></a> to Greece. In the face of stiff resistance
from Britain which still regarded Cyprus as invaluable to its strategic interests
in the region, the Greek Cypriots <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('
mücadele başlatmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return
true;"><b> waged </b></a> a violent campaign of terrorism against the British
 2

with their infamous EOKA organization. British civilians and their families were
targeted in the campaign, along with Turkish Cypriots that opposed the end of
colonial rule. The Turkish community preferred the rule of law and equal
citizenship under Britain to living under Greek rule as a second-class minority
with its obvious possible consequences, as they have been graphically <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('gösteri yapmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> demonstrated </b></a> in the
Balkans for the past hundred years. <br><br>

Cyprus Becomes An Independent Republic

In 1960 a <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('uzlaşma ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> compromise </b></a>
was reached between all parties when Britain granted Cyprus its independence
in return for keeping its military bases on the island. Under the treaties signed
in Zurich and London Cyprus became a Republic where Greek and Turkish
Cypriots would be equal citizens under the law, and represented in the
government in proportion to their respective populations. Archbishop Makarios
of the Greek Orthodox Church became the President, while the Turkish
community leader Dr Fazil Kucuk his Vice-President. Some of the ministerial
posts in the Republic’s cabinet were filled by Turkish Cypriots. Britain, Greece
and Turkey were signatories and the guarantors to the treaties. The Zurich and
London treaties provided for joint or unilateral <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('tek taraflı','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b>unilateral</b></a>

military intervention in the event that the Republic’s constitution and the rights
<a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' onaylamak','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;"onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> granted </b></a> to the two
communities under the treaties were violated. <br><br>
 3

Greeks Renounce The Treaties They Signed

In 1963 Greek Cypriots renounced the treaties and the Republic’s constitution,
called for the complete Greek control of the island and its annexation to
Greece. Turkish members of the island’s <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('müşterek ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> joint </b></a> police and military forces were disarmed, while
Greek militias <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('-den oluşmak ','IELZ
HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> comprised of
</b></a> former terrorists and army regulars attacked Turkish villages
throughout the island. <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('zülum
acımasızlık ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b>
Atrocities </b></a> were committed against unarmed Turkish Cypriot civilians
which <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' kızdırmak ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> enraged </b></a>
the people of Turkey who called for military <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' müdahale ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> intervention </b></a> to protect the
Turkish community. Britain was not interested in getting involved. Greece, the
other guarantor of the treaties, was already heavily involved : as the main
provocateur and the supplier of arms, logistics and finances to the Greek
Cypriot Militia. The treaties of London and Zurich allowed Turkey and Greece to
maintain a <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' belirti iz ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> token </b></a> military
presence on the island, of 600 and 1200 troops, respectively. By 1970 the
number of Greek army regulars on Cyprus had grown to over 16,000, while the
Military Dictatorship in Greece had <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('donatmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> equipped </b></a> the Greek Cypriot National Guard to a <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('çetin zorlu ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> formidable </b></a>
 4

military force with tanks, armor and heavy artillery. The Military Junta in
Greece operated in Cyprus as if it had already annexed it to its territory, and
threatened Turkey with an all-out war and the breakup of NATO if it intervened
under the Zurich and London treaties.

Turkish Cypriots Become Hostages On Their Homeland

In less than 3 years the Turkish Cypriot citizens of the Republic of Cyprus had
been reduced from equal citizens to a community of virtual <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' tutsak rehine ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> hostages </b></a>
living under siege in various <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('yerleşim bölgesi','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> enclaves </b></a> and protected safety
zones throughout the island, most of their rights under the constitution having
been suspended. Since they could not travel freely unless they wanted to
emigrate, and restrictions had been placed on their freedom by the Greek rulers
of the island, many of them depended for their livelihood on aid from Turkey.
The Turkish Cypriots’ survival depended on Turkish Air Power which kept
Greek armor and artillery at bay. Most Turkish males had been <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('askere almak ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> conscripted </b></a> on a
permanent military service to protect the Turkish villages, enclaves and safety
zones from Greek occupation. In respect to Turkey’s obligations as a member
of the NATO Alliance, the man who had kept the country out of World War II
exercised an extraordinary degree of <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('dizginleme kontrol altına alma ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> restraint </b></a>
in the face of public calls for military intervention. Ismet Inonu, who was the
Prime Minister at that time, exhausted all diplomatic initiatives to end the crisis
and return Cyprus to the rule of law as intended under the treaties and the
Republic’s constitution. This was in vain, since neither the Greek Cypriot
Government nor the Government of Greece had any intention of giving up their
 5

objective of <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' (iktidardakileri)

devirme ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b>
subverting </b></a> the multi-ethnic Republic of Cyprus, and turning the island
into an all-Greek territory. The Government of Greece shipped Colonel Grivas, a
former guerilla officer to train the Greek Cypriot National Guard in guerrilla
warfare and to complete the island’s ethnic transformation.<br><br>

Turkish Air Power Stops Ethnic Cleansing

The reluctant old soldier who told Winston Churchill that Turkey would never
fight a war again tried all diplomatic channels for a peaceful solution, including
appeals to President Johnson and European leaders, but in vain. Prime Minister
Inonu first used Turkish Air Power in 1964 when the Greek National Guard <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('(plan harekat ) başlatmak ','IELZ
HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> launched </b></a>
an <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('baskın ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> assault </b></a> with tanks and
heavy artillery against the Turkish enclaves and safety zones. Turkey became
the first to use air power successfully to prevent ethnic cleansing. As it was
also recently demonstrated by NATO in the Balkans, the Turkish Air Force at
that time became the only guarantee of survival for the Turkish community in
Cyprus. With Inonu’s reluctance for a full-scale military intervention, conditions
for Turkish Cypriots constantly <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('kötüye gitmek ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> deteriorated </b></a>
as they became the <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' maşa (mecazi)
','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> pawns
</b></a> in a game of power between the Greeks that wanted to unite with
Greece and the other Greeks that wanted an all-Greek but independent Cyprus.
Archbishop Makarios was reluctant to <a HREF="23063"
onMouseOver="drc('vazgeçmek ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> relinquish </b></a>
his power in favor of union with Greece. <br><br>
 6

The Cyprus Peace Operation: How The Turkish Army Restored Democracy To Greece

The breaking point for Turkey came in 1974 when a former EOKA terrorist <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('mahkum etmek ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> condemned </b></a> to death by
the British seized power and became the president of Cyprus. Mr Samson, tired
of the military stalemate, made no secret of his intentions. He was confident
that his Greek National Guard was now powerful enough to take full control of
the island and, with the help of the Military Junta in Greece and the Greek Army,
to <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' engellemek ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> thwart </b></a>
any intervention by Turkey. When Britain did not respond to his call for joint
intervention, the Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit decided to exercise his
<a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' imtiyaz ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> prerogative </b></a> under the treaties
of London and Zurich. The Turkish Military Operation he ordered partitioned
Cyprus into Greek and Turkish sections, ending years of violent ethnic conflict.
While the two communities had to be separated, and there naturally had to be
an exchange of populations between the Turkish one-third and the Greek two-
thirds of the island, this was a small price to pay for the peace that has <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('vuku bulmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> reigned</b></a> on Cyprus
between the two communities since 1974. Another reason this was termed the
Cyprus Peace Operation is the fact that the Turkish intervention restored
democracy to Greece, ending years of the brutal <a HREF="23063"
onMouseOver="drc(' baskı ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> oppression </b></a> of the Greek people under a Military
Dictatorship. When it became clear that the Greek generals in power could not
make good on their bluff of an all-out war against Turkey, the regime collapsed
and democracy was restored. Who would have imagined that Greece, the cradle
 7

of ancient democracies, would one day have to thank the Turkish Army for its
democracy ? <br><br>

The abusive, homicidal spouse is unrepentant, but wants back:

Want To Buy Some Modern Greek Fiction?

Since the Greeks realized their mistake in openly pursuing Cyprus’ annexation
to Greece, they have pretended since the partition that they only wanted to live
happily as a <a HREF="23063" onMouseOver="drc('birleşmiş ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> unified </b></a> nation of
equal Cypriots under the Cypriot flag until the Turkish Army came along and
separated them from their beloved Turkish. <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc('yurttaş ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> compatriots </b></a> With an intensive misinformation
campaign they made the world forget how they dishonored their own
constitution and treaty obligations, and their treatment of the Turkish
community, which left no option but the partitioning of the island and the
physical separation of the two communities. Greek Lobbyists are <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' yetenekli ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> adepts </b></a> at <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' saptırmak ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;"
onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> distorting </b></a> and manufacturing
facts and <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' hayal meyal ','IELZ
HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> blurring </b></a>
the perceptions of the most sensible and educated people. The process could
be called "Kalamari Politics". Many people in Europe and North America have
bought this modern Greek fiction spread by the low-end members of the news
media which appeals to latent ethnic. <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' önyargı ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> prejudices </b></a> Greek Propaganda focuses on "the need
for the reunification of the island nation", an idea as absurd as the reunification
of a couple that tried to kill each other. <a HREF="23063.htm"
 8

onMouseOver="drc(' mantıksız ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();

return true;"><b> Preposterous </b></a> analogies have been drawn to "the
Berlin Wall". Anyone remotely familiar with history and geography know that
there are two distinctly different nations on Cyprus separated by ethnic and
religious differences <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('ciddileştirmek,
kötüleştirmek ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return
true;"><b> aggravated </b></a> by historical <a HREF="23063.htm"
onMouseOver="drc(' keder ','IELZ HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd();
return true;"><b> grievances </b></a> and violent conflict. The Green Line that
divides the two communities is not a Berlin Wall, it is the restraining order that
keeps an <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(' ağzı bozuk ','IELZ
HELP:'); return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> abusive </b></a>
spouse at bay. Since 1963 Turkish Cypriots have seen nothing but hostility
from Greek Cypriots, not the least of which is the fact that they have turned this
issue into a Christian Crusade against the Moslems. In fact, the only thing the
Greeks have not tried so far is a genuine and credible offer of goodwill and
friendship. The Greeks have not fooled the Turkish Cypriots even into sitting at
a <a HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc(görüşme' ','IELZ HELP:'); return
true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> negotiating </b></a>
table, but their propaganda seems to have been bought by several politicians in
Europe and North America who wish to put Cyprus again on the agenda. In
view of the recent events in Bosnia and Kosovo, and the solutions <a
HREF="23063.htm" onMouseOver="drc('zorla kabul ettirmek’ ','IELZ HELP:');
return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> imposed </b></a>
with a lot of difficulty by the application of international military force, it defies
any logic why anyone would even consider taking Cyprus back to the
conditions of 1963. Do they need another slaughter televised on CNN?
<br><br>

History and <a HREF="23063" onMouseOver="drc('çağdaş ','IELZ HELP:');

return true;" onMouseOut="nd(); return true;"><b> contemporary </b></a>
 9

events show that the Cyprus Peace Operation partitioning the island was and
still is the best solution for the lasting peace. For the Turkish Cypriots the only
other viable( kabul edilebilir) option, if the international recognition is still
withheld(saklamak, and sanctions(onay) not lifted, is to unite with the
motherland.
Taken from the web site named www.dailynews.com
Prepared by;
2306 Ramazan MALGİL/32.kısım