The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
HISTORY OF ATHENS
The
Greek Military Junta
(Regime of the Colonels)
The Cyprus Dispute and fall of the Junta
1964-1974: Peacemaking efforts
At
the same time as it established a peacekeeping force, the Security
Council also recommended that the Secretary-General, designated
a mediator to take charge of formal peacemaking efforts. U Thant,
the then UN Secretary-General, appointed the Finnish diplomat
Sakari Tuomioja.
Tuomioja
rejected union on the grounds that it would be inappropriate for
a UN official to propose a solution that would lead to the dissolution
of a UN member state. The United States held a differing view.
In early June, following another Turkish threat to intervene,
Washington launched an independent initiative under Dean Acheson,
a former Secretary of State.
In
July he presented a plan to unite Cyprus with Greece. In return
for accepting this, Turkey would receive a sovereign military
base on the island. The Turkish Cypriots would also be given minority
rights, which would be overseen by a resident international commissioner.
Makarios rejected the proposal, arguing that giving Turkey territory
would be a limitation on enosis and would give Ankara too much
power in the island’s affairs. A second version of the plan
was presented that offered Turkey a 50-year lease on a base. This
offer was rejected by the Greek Cypriots and by Turkey. After
several further attempts to reach an agreement, the United States
was eventually forced to give up its effort.
Following
the sudden death of Ambassador Tuomioja in August, Galo Plaza
was appointed to take his place. In March 1965 Plaza presented
a report criticizing both sides for their lack of commitment to
reaching a settlement. While he understood the Greek Cypriot aspiration
of enosis, he believed that any attempt at union should be held
in voluntary abeyance. Similarly, he considered that the Turkish
Cypriots should refrain from demanding a federal solution to the
problem.
Although
the Greek Cypriots eventually accepted the report, despite of
its opposition to immediate enosis, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots
rejected the plan, calling on Plaza to resign on the grounds that
he had exceeded his mandate by advancing specific proposals. The
Greek Cypriots, however, made it clear that if Galo Plaza resigned
they would refuse to accept a replacement. U Thant was left with
no choice but to abandon the mediation effort. The end of the
mediation effort was effectively confirmed when, at the end of
the year, Plaza resigned and was not replaced.
In
March 1966, a more modest attempt at peacemaking was initiated
under the auspices of Carlos Bernades, the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative for Cyprus. Instead of trying to develop
formal proposals for the parties to bargain over, he aimed to
encourage the two sides to agree to settlement through direct
dialogue. However, ongoing political chaos in Greece prevented
any substantive discussions from developing. The situation changed
the following year.
On
21 April 1967, a coup d'état in Greece brought a military
Junta to power. Just months later, in November 1967, Cyprus witnessed
its most severe fighting since 1964. Responding to a major attack
on Turkish Cypriot villages in the south of the island, which
left 27 dead, Turkey bombed Greek Cypriot forces and appeared
to be readying itself for an intervention. Greece was forced to
capitulate.
Following
international intervention, Greece agreed to recall General George
Grivas, the Commander of the Greek Cypriot National Guard and
former EOKA leader, and reduce its forces on the island. Capitalizing
on the weakness of the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots proclaimed
their own provisional administration. Makarios immediately declared
the new administration illegal. Nevertheless, a major change had
occurred.
Along
with most other Greek Cypriots, the Archbishop began to accept
that the Turkish Cypriots would have to have some degree of political
autonomy. He also realized that unification of Greece and Cyprus
was unachievable under the prevailing circumstances. Between May
1968 and July 1974 four more rounds of talks failed because of
the lack of movement of both parties.