The importance of organizing activities of the Turkish Cypriot Community in the process of becoming a state (1957-1960)

Abstract

In this study, organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1957 and 1960 was examined. This study claims that this process was important, because it formed the basis of Turkish Cypriots’ becoming a state.

It can be said that there are two main views about organization process of Turkish Cypriots in researches which were examined for this study. Researchers such as Ahmet An and Niyazi Kızılyürek allege that this process was Turco-British collusion to divide Turkish and Greek Cypriots who had lived together peacefully for centuries. According to researchers such as Ahmet C. Gazioğlu and Ulvi Keser; Turkish Cypriots started an organization process to protect themselves from Greek Cypriots’ hostility and attacks.  However, it seems that the relationship between organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community and Turks’ becoming a state has not been handled yet.

After the Great Britain took over the rule of Cyprus from the Ottoman Empire by the Cyprus Convention in 1878, the British established a Legislative Council. Greek Cypriots who desired to realize enosis (union with Greece) made attempts to pass enosis memorandums in the Council. On the contrary, Turkish Cypriots who saw union with Greece as a threat to their safety avoided these attempts with help of the British. Moreover, Turks published various newspapers and journals to voice their objections to enosis. Both these efforts and anti-Turkish feelings caused Greek Cypriots’ attacking Turkish Cypriots. In order to protect themselves from these attacks and conduct effective struggle against enosis, Turkish Cypriots set up assemblies, political parties, farmer and trade unions, social associations and armed organizations from 1918 to 1957. However, it was 1957 when these organization activities became continuous process. Hence the Turkish Cypriot Community was organized in terms of, military, administration, economy and culture during the period between 1957 and 1960. Turkish states which were founded between 1964 and 1983 were based on these organizations.   

Considering this fact, the study is composed of two main parts. The first part summarizes the organization efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1918 and 1957. The second part focuses on the organization process of the Turkish Cypriot Community between 1957 and 1960.