Cyprus (Greeks v Turks)

[bernardbresslaw]

Great documentary on UK Turks (The Cyprus Problem), filling in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of how the current situation came about. Seems like the Greeks started it with a right-wing coup in Athens, but the Turks used this as an excuse to invade. The UK was also to blame for problems in the 50's & 60's which didn't help, and the US let the invasion happen as Kissinger though a partitioned island was the best solution anyway...

 

[Butcher's Coat]

Great documentary on UK Turks (The Cyprus Problem), filling in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of how the current situation came about. Seems like the Greeks started it with a right-wing coup in Athens, but the Turks used this as an excuse to invade. The UK was also to blame for problems in the 50's & 60's which didn't help, and the US let the invasion happen as Kissinger though a partitioned island was the best solution anyway...

Not quite.
Archbishop Makarios was a latter day terrorist with is EOKA - and murdered British troops there. The Island was under British rule then.
Cyprus got their independence in the 60's and Makarios was it's leader from then on.

Turkey invaded the Island in 1974, and has since then illegally occupied the top third of the Island.

I can go on.

 

[yorkyexile]

Not quite.
Archbishop Makarios was a latter day terrorist with is EOKA - and murdered British troops there. The Island was under British rule then.
Cyprus got their independence in the 60's and Makarios was it's leader from then on.

Turkey invaded the Island in 1974, and has since then illegally occupied the top third of the Island.

I can go on.

We`d noticed

 

[bernardbresslaw]

Not quite.
Archbishop Makarios was a latter day terrorist with is EOKA - and murdered British troops there. The Island was under British rule then.
Cyprus got their independence in the 60's and Makarios was it's leader from then on.

Turkey invaded the Island in 1974, and has since then illegally occupied the top third of the Island.

I can go on.

But Cyprus was given to the UK by the Ottaman empire and therefore we favoured the Turks on the island, despite them being in the minority?

 

[Butcher's Coat]

We`d noticed

I like to keep the uniformed up to speed

But Cyprus was given to the UK by the Ottaman empire and therefore we favoured the Turks on the island, despite them being in the minority?

Really???
Source??

 

[maygo]

I was on holiday in Ayia Napa a few years ago, and we decided to hire scooters and explore (apparently there's a 2,000 year old tree there or summit).
We passed through the demilitarized zone and ended up in this bizarre tiny village up in the hills, and ended up drinking bottles of beer in this bar/ old man's living room, in a scene which wouldn't have looked amiss in 1940 (minus the scooters)

 

[yorkyexile]

I like to keep the uniformed up to speed



Really???
Source??

And what about those of us in civvies?

 

[Butcher's Coat]

I was on holiday in Ayia Napa a few years ago, and we decided to hire scooters and explore (apparently there's a 2,000 year old tree there or summit).
We passed through the demilitarized zone and ended up in this bizarre tiny village up in the hills, and ended up drinking bottles of beer in this bar/ old man's living room, in a scene which wouldn't have looked amiss in 1940 (minus the scooters)

Fig Tree Bay where the tree is? Now known as Protaras.

There's a village called Dyrenia (spelling) that overlooks the Green Line just south of Famagusta, where you can overlook the area. The Turks have made a Turkish flag in the gorund into the hillside the other side of Famagusta which winds up the Cypriots to no end.
The Green Line to this day is still guarded by the UN.

And what about those of us in civvies?

Ha! got me there, obviously the "uninformed"
Fat fingers.

 

[The Archer]

My Mrs (no) was born on the British Base at Dhekelia in 1973, her father was in the Signals.

Her ma like plenty of the forces families lived at Famagusta and after the invasion ended up baracaded in their flat with a couple of other families cos they were on an upper floor. She tells a story of our lasses brother who was about 4 at the time climbing up to look out of the window and a bullet coming through above his head.

There was eventually a ceasefire and they let the foreigners out, escorted by the Ghurkas. They flew them back to Brize Norton in the clothes they stood up in and whatever they could throw in a case.

We went to Famagusta old town last year on a day trip on holiday and they took us to the beach with all the hotels etc still behind the wire.

Victoria Hislop has written a book The Sunrise - fictional but including lots of facts about the 1974 war as well as the historical build up. It's a good read.

 

[bernardbresslaw]

I like to keep the uniformed up to speed



Really???
Source??

The Brits created allies with the Turkish Cypriots when the Greek Cypriots started attacking us because of their wish to join Greece (Enosis). The Turks then demanded partition to protect their rights.

 

[The Archer]

But Cyprus was given to the UK by the Ottaman empire and therefore we favoured the Turks on the island, despite them being in the minority?

I don't think it was 'given'. We annexed it in 1914 when the Ottoman Empire sided with the Germans in WW1. Cyprus became a British colony in 1925 and EOKA started the campaign against the British in the 50s.

 

[Butcher's Coat]

My Mrs (no) was born on the British Base at Dhekelia in 1973, her father was in the Signals.

Her ma like plenty of the forces families lived at Famagusta and after the invasion ended up baracaded in their flat with a couple of other families cos they were on an upper floor. She tells a story of our lasses brother who was about 4 at the time climbing up to look out of the window and a bullet coming through above his head.

There was eventually a ceasefire and they let the foreigners out, escorted by the Ghurkas. They flew them back to Brize Norton in the clothes they stood up in and whatever they could throw in a case.

We went to Famagusta old town last year on a day trip on holiday and they took us to the beach with all the hotels etc still behind the wire.

Victoria Hislop has written a book The Sunrise - fictional but including lots of facts about the 1974 war as well as the historical build up. It's a good read.

No fun out there in 1974.
I have a lot of Cypriot pals who were in effect refugees in their own country due to the Turkish invasion.

 

[bernardbresslaw]

I don't think it was 'given'. We annexed it in 1914 when the Ottoman Empire sided with the Germans in WW1. Cyprus became a British colony in 1925 and EOKA started the campaign against the British in the 50s.

According to Wiki, in 1878...

As exchange for control of Cyprus, the UK agreed to support Turkey in the Russian-Turkish war. This agreement was formalised as the Cyprus Convention.

 

[Royal 8er]

Not quite.
Archbishop Makarios was a latter day terrorist with is EOKA - and murdered British troops there. The Island was under British rule then.
Cyprus got their independence in the 60's and Makarios was it's leader from then on.

Turkey invaded the Island in 1974, and has since then illegally occupied the top third of the Island.

I can go on.

Readers Digest is such a must for accurate historical recording and analysis...isn't it.
No 1 for greedminds.

 

[bernardbresslaw]

Readers Digest is such a must for accurate historical recording and analysis...isn't it.
No 1 for greedminds.

FFS, do you have to spoil every thread?

 

[Pepe]

The term 'invaded' would be heavily disputed by the Turkish.

Turkish Cypriots were being 'ethnically cleansed' by the Archbishop and General Grivas oversaw British Troops being shot on the streets and they still have 'Oki' day over there which is no to the British.

An island turned on its head to a certain degree with both nationalities living alongside each other with Turkish Cypriots residing in Larnaca etc and Greek Cypriots as far north as the Karpaz.

Fascinating stuff, Turkish Army didn't cover themselves in glory when they landed mind although they did tell the Greeks that they would run them into the sea if they carried on. We (the British) who wanted to give the place up after Suez as we couldn't afford it and were made to keep it by the Americans (thankfully given the current situation) told the Turks not to be shooting at our residence in Shakespeare Avenue or there would be problems.

 

[Butcher's Coat]

The Brits created allies with the Turkish Cypriots when the Greek Cypriots started attacking us because of their wish to join Greece (Enosis). The Turks then demanded partition to protect their rights.

Cyprus was a British protectorate from 1878.
And we had it until the 1960's when we gave them independence, but we kept the sovereign bases as the bargain.
Britain still keeps the bases & listening posts.
As for siding with the Turkish Cypriots, well I would beg to differ, - just depends on who wrote whatever history book you are referring to.
I know through Cypriot friends that the Brits were EQUAL to all under their power, not siding with anyone.

 

[bmp1970]

Fig Tree Bay where the tree is? Now known as Protaras.

There's a village called Dyrenia (spelling) that overlooks the Green Line just south of Famagusta, where you can overlook the area. The Turks have made a Turkish flag in the gorund into the hillside the other side of Famagusta which winds up the Cypriots to no end.
The Green Line to this day is still guarded by the UN.



Ha! got me there, obviously the "uninformed"
Fat fingers.

That Turkish flag on the hillside is in Nicosia not Famagusta

Great documentary on UK Turks (The Cyprus Problem), filling in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of how the current situation came about. Seems like the Greeks started it with a right-wing coup in Athens, but the Turks used this as an excuse to invade. The UK was also to blame for problems in the 50's & 60's which didn't help, and the US let the invasion happen as Kissinger though a partitioned island was the best solution anyway...

What channel was it on Bernard?

 

[Butcher's Coat]

The term 'invaded' would be heavily disputed by the Turkish.

Turkish Cypriots were being 'ethnically cleansed' by the Archbishop and General Grivas oversaw British Troops being shot on the streets and they still have 'Oki' day over there which is no to the British.

An island turned on its head to a certain degree with both nationalities living alongside each other with Turkish Cypriots residing in Larnaca etc and Greek Cypriots as far north as the Karpaz.

Fascinating stuff, Turkish Army didn't cover themselves in glory when they landed mind although they did tell the Greeks that they would run them into the sea if they carried on. We (the British) who wanted to give the place up after Suez as we couldn't afford it and were made to keep it by the Americans (thankfully given the current situation) told the Turks not to be shooting at our residence in Shakespeare Avenue or there would be problems.

Don't think so, Mount Olympus is the eyes and ears of the Eastern Med, and the Middle East.
Very strategic, and of course RAF Akrotiri is an excellent airfield to launch air strikes from.

 

[Pepe]

Cyprus as a country has been handed all over the place with nobody really wanting it. The Republic love to wave their Greek flags about but in truth the Greeks are not arsed about them and never have been.

The Turks have given minimal handouts to The Turkish Cypriot Goyt which is as corrupt as it gets.