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I do not want others to refer this article as long as the article is in draft position. Wait it to be perfect stand-alone article. Alexyflemming (talk) 15:12, 19 March 2014 (UTC)

The Collapse of the partnership government

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A united Cyprus gained independence from British rule in August 1960, after both Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed to respectively abandon plans for enosis (union with Greece) and taksim (Turkish for 'partition'). The agreement involved Cyprus being governed under a constitution which apportioned Cabinet posts, parliamentary seats and civil service jobs on an agreed ratio between the two communities. Within three years, tensions between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in administrative affairs began to show. In particular, disputes over separate municipalities and taxation created a deadlock in government. In 1963 President Makarios proposed unilateral changes to the constitution, via 13 amendments. Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots rejected the proposed amendments, claiming that this was an attempt to settle constitutional disputes in favour of the Greek Cypriots[1] and as a means of demoting Turkish status from co-founders of the state to one of minority status removing their constitutional safeguards in the process. Turkish Cypriots filed a lawsuit against the 13 amendments in the Supreme Constitutional Court of Cyprus (SCCC). Makarios announced that he would not comply with whatever the decision of the SCCC would be,[2] and defended his amendments as being necessary "to resolve constitutional deadlocks" as opposed to the stance of the SCCC.[3] On 25 April 1963, the SCCC decided that Makarios' 13 amendments were illegal. The Cyprus Supreme Court's ruling found that Makarios had violated the constitution by failing to fully implement its measures and that Turkish Cypriots had not been allowed to return to their positions in government without first accepting the proposed constitutional amendments.[4] On 21 May, the president of the SCCC resigned due to the Makarios' stance. On 15 July, Makarios ignored the decision of the SCCC.[5] After the resignation of the president of the SCCC, the SCCC ceased to exist. The Supreme Court of Cyprus (SCC) was formed by merging the SCCC and the High Court of Cyprus and undertook the jurisdiction and powers of the SCCC and HCC.[6] On 30 November, Makarios legalized the 13 proposals.

In 1963, the Greek Cypriot wing of the government created the Akritas plan which outlined a policy that would remove Turkish Cypriots from the government and ultimately lead to union with Greece. The plan stated that if the Turkish Cypriots objected then they should be "violently subjugated before foreign powers could intervene".[7] On 21 December 1963, a Turkish Cypriot crowd clashed with the plainclothes special constables of Yorgadjis. Almost immediately, intercommunal violence broke out with a major Greek Cypriot paramilitary attack upon Turkish Cypriots in Nicosia and Larnaca. Though the TMT — a Turkish resistance group created in 1959 to promote a policy of taksim (division or partition of Cyprus), in opposition to the Greek Cypriot nationalist group EOKA and its advocacy of enosis (union of Cyprus with Greece) — committed a number of acts of retaliation, historian of the Cyprus conflict Keith Kyle noted that "there is no doubt that the main victims of the numerous incidents that took place during the next few months were Turks."[1] Seven hundred Turkish hostages, including women and children, were taken from the northern suburbs of Nicosia. Nikos Sampson, a nationalist and future coup leader, led a group of Greek Cypriot irregulars into the mixed suburb of Omorphita and attacked the Turkish Cypriot population.[8] By 1964, 193 Turkish Cypriots and 133 Greek Cypriots had been killed, with a further 209 Turks and 41 Greeks missing and presumed dead.

 
TRNC founder and former President Rauf Denktaş.

Turkish Cypriot members of the government had by now withdrawn, creating an essentially Greek Cypriot administration in control of all institutions of the state. After the partnership government collapsed, the Greek Cypriot led administration was recognized as the legitimate government of the Republic of Cyprus at the stage of the debates in New York in February 1964.[9] Widespread looting of Turkish Cypriot villages prompted 20,000 refugees to retreat into armed enclaves, where they remained for the next 11 years,[10] relying on food and medical supplies from Turkey to survive. Turkish Cypriots formed paramilitary groups to defend the enclaves, leading to a gradual division of the island's communities into two hostile camps. The violence had also seen thousands of Turkish Cypriots attempt to escape the violence by emigrating to Britain, Australia and Turkey.[11]

Turkish Cypriots did not self-segregate themselves: then–United Nations Secretary General, U Thant's S/5950 (10 September 1964) report (paragraph 180) UNFICYP carried out a detailed survey of all damage to properties throughout the island during the disturbances; it shows that in 109 villages, most of them Turkish-Cypriot or mixed villages, 527 houses have been destroyed while 2,000 others have suffered damage from looting. As a result, the Turkish Cypriot Provisional Administration was founded on 28 December 1967.

The Turkish Cypriots' withdrawal from the government and their retreat into enclaves was a voluntary action, prompted by their desire to form a state of their own; the then–United Nations Secretary General, U Thant, in 1965 stated that Turkish Cypriots had furthered a policy of "self-segregation" and taken a "rigid stand" against policies which might have involved recognizing the government's authority.[12]

1974 events

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On 15 July 1974, the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 backed a Greek Cypriot military coup d'état in Cyprus. President Makarios was removed from office and Nikos Sampson took his place. The Greek Cypriot coupists proclaimed the establishment of the "Hellenic Republic of Cyprus".[13][14] Turkey claimed that under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, the coup was sufficient reason for military action to protect the Turkish Cypriot populace, and thus Turkey invaded Cyprus on 20 July. Turkish forces proceeded to take over the northern four-elevenths of the island (about 37% of Cyprus's total area). The coup caused a civil war filled with ethnic violence, after which it collapsed and Makarios returned to power.[citation needed]

On August 2, 1975, in the negotiations in Vienna, a Population Exchange Agrement was signed between community leaders Rauf Denktaş and Glafcos Clerides under the auspices of United Nations.[15][16] On the basis of the Agreement, 196,000 Greek Cypriots living in the north were exchanged for 42,000 Turkish Cypriots living in the south[17] (the number of settlers was disputed[18]). The Orthodox Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso, Agios Andronikos and Agia Triada chose to stay in their villages,[19] as did also Catholic Maronites in Asomatos, Karpasia and Kormakitis. Approximately 1,500 Greek Cypriots and 500 Turkish Cypriots remain missing.[20]

 
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus maintains a buffer zone between the north and the south.

In 1975, the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus (Kıbrıs Türk Federe Devleti) was declared as a first step towards a future federated Cypriot state, but was rejected by the Republic of Cyprus and the United Nations.

The Declaration of the Independence

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After eight years of failed negotiations with the leadership of the Greek Cypriot community,[citation needed] the north unilaterally declared its independence on 15 November 1983 under the name of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.[21] This was rejected by the UN and the Republic of Cyprus. In 2010, UN's International Court of Justice's ruled that "International law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence".[22]

Reunification referendum

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In recent years, the politics of reunification has dominated the island's affairs. The European Union decided in 2000 to accept Cyprus as a member, even if it was divided. This was due to their view of Rauf Denktash, the pro-independence Turkish Cypriot President, as the main stumbling block, but also due to Greece threatening to block eastern EU expansion. It was hoped that Cyprus's planned accession into the European Union would act as a catalyst towards a settlement. In the time leading up to Cyprus becoming a member, a new government was elected in Turkey and Rauf Denktash lost political power in Cyprus. In 2004, a United Nations–brokered peace settlement was presented in a referendum to both sides.[23] The proposed settlement was opposed by both the president of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, and Turkish Cypriot president Rauf Denktaş; in the referendum, while 65% of Turkish Cypriots accepted the proposal, 76% of Greek Cypriots rejected it.[citation needed] As a result, Cyprus entered the European Union divided, with the effects of membership suspended for Northern Cyprus.[23]

Post referendum

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Denktaş resigned in the wake of the vote, ushering in the pro-solutionist Mehmet Ali Talat as his successor. However, the pro-solutionist side and Mehmet Ali Talat lost momentum due to the ongoing embargo[citation needed] and isolation, despite promises[clarification needed] from the European Union that these would be eased. As a result, the Turkish Cypriot electorate became frustrated. This led ultimately to the pro-independence side winning the general elections in 2009 and its candidate, former Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu, winning the presidential elections in 2010. Although Eroğlu and his National Unity Party favours the independence of Northern Cyprus rather than reunification with the Republic of Cyprus, he is negotiating with the Greek Cypriot side towards a settlement for reunification.[citation needed]

In 2011, Turkish Cypriots protested against economic reforms made by the Northern Cyprus and Turkish governments.

References

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  1. ^ a b [1][dead link]
  2. ^ "Pre-Rejection of SCCC decision by Makarios : The fact that the decision of the SCCC would not be implemented by Makarios was made quite clear. Non-implementation of the decision of a Constitutional Court is sufficient reason to compel the resignation of its President" (PDF). Emu.edu.tr. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  3. ^ [2][dead link]
  4. ^ Stephen, Michael, (1987) Cyprus: Two Nations in One Island Bow Educational Briefing No.5. London, Pages 1–7
  5. ^ "Supreme Court of Cyprus - FAQ" (in (in Greek)). Supremecourt.gov.cy. Retrieved 2014-02-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  6. ^ "HUDOC Search Page". Cmiskp.echr.coe.int. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  7. ^ Cyprus – The Republic of Cyprus countrystudies.us, U.S. Library of Congress
  8. ^ Andrew Borowiec, 2000. Cyprus: A troubled island. Praeger/Greenwood p.56
  9. ^ Cyprus-Mail, 09.03.2014 UNFICYP: a living fossil of the Cold War
  10. ^ Antiwar.com. In Praise of 'Virtual States', Leon Hadar, 16 November 2005
  11. ^ Quoted in Andrew Borowiec, 2000. Cyprus: A troubled island. Praeger/Greenwood p.58
  12. ^ "(Report S/6426 10.6.65)". Humanrights.coe.int. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  13. ^ Strategic review, Volume 5 (1977), United States Strategic Institute, p. 48.
  14. ^ Allcock, John B. Border and territorial disputes (1992), Longman Group, p. 55.
  15. ^ "Links to documents". Un.org. 2002-09-09. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  16. ^ Murat Metin Hakki (2007). The Cyprus Issue: A Documentary History, 1878-2006. I.B.Tauris. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1-84511-392-6.
  17. ^ Katholieke Universiteit Brussel, 2004 "Euromosaic III: Presence of Regional and Minority Language Groups in the New Member States", p.18
  18. ^ Tozun Bahcheli; Tozun Bahcheli Barry Bartmann; Henry Felix Srebrnik (2004). De Facto States: The Quest for Sovereignty. Psychology Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-7146-5476-8. Retrieved 27 November 2012. ...the number of settlers was disputed between Turkish and ..
  19. ^ Famagusta Gazette 30.01.2014
  20. ^ Rainsford, Sarah (2006-11-21). "Europe | Bones of Cyprus missing unearthed". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  21. ^ "General Information". Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Public Information Office. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  22. ^ "Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo" (PDF). Icj-cij.org. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  23. ^ a b "Immovable object". The Economist. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
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