Akritas plan
Encyclopedia
The Akritas plan was created in 1963 by the Greek Cypriot part of the government
in Cyprus
with the ultimate aim of weakening the Turkish Cypriot wing of the Cypriot government and then uniting Cyprus with Greece. The desired union of Cyprus with Greece was referred to as Enosis
.
colony
. In 1955, a Greek Cypriot army called EOKA
declared officially a revolution of the entire greek population (except for the communist) to stop the plans for the division of the 82% Greek island and expel the British forces (who were dening the right for greek education) from the island and unite with Greece on the ground of self-determination of the inhabitans. The Turkish Cypriots at this time were greatly concerned and appealed to the British to keep control of the island . The Greek cypriots were also concerned that a plan for independence instead of self determination was forwarded, that would be the first step for the 18% minority Turks to take over the Island forming an apparheit regime on the native christian population. But in 1960, the British gave in and turned power over to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. A power sharing constitution was created for the new Republic of Cyprus which included both Turkish and Greek Cypriots holding power in Government. Three Treaties were written up to guarantee the integrity and security of the new republic: The Treaty of Establishment, the Treaty of Guarantee, and the Treaty of Alliance. According to constitution, Cyprus was to become an independent republic with a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice-president with full power sharing between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
The Akritas plan was drawn by the minister of the interior who was a close associate of the Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios, although there is no evidence that Makarios advocated the Akritas plan. The plan’s course of action was to firstly persuade the world community that too many rights had been given to the Turkish Cypriots and the constitution had to be re-written if the government was to be workable. Britain and the USA had to be convinced that the Turkish Cypriots need have nothing to fear from Greek Cypriot political dominance of the island. The next step of the plan was to cancel international treaties that existed to safeguard the republic. If a way could be found to legally dissolve the treaties, then Union with Greece would be possible. The Treaties and Guarantees had been put into place by Britain, Greece and Turkey, they existed to safeguard the Republic and to protect the rights of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The plan stated that if the Turkish Cypriots objected the changes and "attempted to block them by force," then they should be ‘’violently subjugated before foreign powers could intervene’’.
In November 1963, the Greek Cypriot leader Makarios made a 13 point proposal to make the constitution more workable, these were rejected by the Turkish Cypriot Leadership on December the 16, 1963, which said that the proposed amendments would undermine the constitution and weaken the Turkish Cypriot wing of the government.
By the end of December, violence had erupted on the island. Many Turkish Cypriots fled their homes and lands and moved into enclaves
to protect themselves from Greek hostilities.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
with the ultimate aim of weakening the Turkish Cypriot wing of the Cypriot government and then uniting Cyprus with Greece. The desired union of Cyprus with Greece was referred to as Enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
.
Background to the plan
Up until 1960, Cyprus was a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
. In 1955, a Greek Cypriot army called EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
declared officially a revolution of the entire greek population (except for the communist) to stop the plans for the division of the 82% Greek island and expel the British forces (who were dening the right for greek education) from the island and unite with Greece on the ground of self-determination of the inhabitans. The Turkish Cypriots at this time were greatly concerned and appealed to the British to keep control of the island . The Greek cypriots were also concerned that a plan for independence instead of self determination was forwarded, that would be the first step for the 18% minority Turks to take over the Island forming an apparheit regime on the native christian population. But in 1960, the British gave in and turned power over to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. A power sharing constitution was created for the new Republic of Cyprus which included both Turkish and Greek Cypriots holding power in Government. Three Treaties were written up to guarantee the integrity and security of the new republic: The Treaty of Establishment, the Treaty of Guarantee, and the Treaty of Alliance. According to constitution, Cyprus was to become an independent republic with a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice-president with full power sharing between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
Formation of the Akritas Plan
Leaders of the Greek Cypriots had expressed their disapproval with the constitution and of their failure to achieve Enosis (union with Greece). A plan of action was required to firstly alter regime (where power and government positions were given on the criteria of religion, instead of qualifications), to declare a referendum, and according to the result to achieve Enosis. It was called the Akritas plan.The Akritas plan was drawn by the minister of the interior who was a close associate of the Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios, although there is no evidence that Makarios advocated the Akritas plan. The plan’s course of action was to firstly persuade the world community that too many rights had been given to the Turkish Cypriots and the constitution had to be re-written if the government was to be workable. Britain and the USA had to be convinced that the Turkish Cypriots need have nothing to fear from Greek Cypriot political dominance of the island. The next step of the plan was to cancel international treaties that existed to safeguard the republic. If a way could be found to legally dissolve the treaties, then Union with Greece would be possible. The Treaties and Guarantees had been put into place by Britain, Greece and Turkey, they existed to safeguard the Republic and to protect the rights of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The plan stated that if the Turkish Cypriots objected the changes and "attempted to block them by force," then they should be ‘’violently subjugated before foreign powers could intervene’’.
In November 1963, the Greek Cypriot leader Makarios made a 13 point proposal to make the constitution more workable, these were rejected by the Turkish Cypriot Leadership on December the 16, 1963, which said that the proposed amendments would undermine the constitution and weaken the Turkish Cypriot wing of the government.
By the end of December, violence had erupted on the island. Many Turkish Cypriots fled their homes and lands and moved into enclaves
Turkish Cypriot Enclaves
The Turkish Cypriot enclaves were enclaves inhabited by Turkish Cypriots before the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.-Events leading to the creation of the enclaves:...
to protect themselves from Greek hostilities.
See also
- CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
- History of CyprusHistory of Cyprus-Prehistory:Cyprus was settled by humans in the Paleolithic period who coexisted with various dwarf animal species, such as dwarf elephants and pygmy hippos well into the Holocene...
- Modern history of CyprusModern history of CyprusThis article covers the modern history of Cyprus, from 1878 to the present.-Cyprus as a Protectorate:In 1878 as a result of the Cyprus Convention, the United Kingdom received as a protectorate, the island of Cyprus from the Ottoman Empire in exchange for United Kingdoms military support to the...
- Timeline of Cypriot historyTimeline of Cypriot historyThis is a timeline of Cypriot history. To read about the background to these events, see History of Cyprus. See also the list of presidents of Cyprus.This timeline is incomplete; some important events may be missing...
- Cyprus disputeCyprus disputeThe Cyprus dispute is the result of the ongoing conflict between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, over the Turkish occupied northern part of Cyprus....
- Turkish Cypriot enclavesTurkish Cypriot EnclavesThe Turkish Cypriot enclaves were enclaves inhabited by Turkish Cypriots before the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.-Events leading to the creation of the enclaves:...
- Kokkina exclaveKokkina exclaveKokkina is an exclave of the internationally unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It was one of the Turkish Cypriot enclaves prior to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It is hemmed in on three sides by mountainous territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus with the...
- Cypriot refugees
- Cypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violenceCypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of sectarian conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from 1963 to 1974.-Background:...