From: sera@zuma.UUCP (Serdar Argic)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,talk.politics.soviet,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,soc.history
Followup-To: soc.culture.turkish,talk.politics.mideast,soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.europe,soc.history
Subject: Re: The massacre of Turkish Cypriots in Paphos and Famagusta.
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 19:28:07 EDT
Reply-To: sera@zuma.UUCP (Serdar Argic)
Distribution: world

In article <BuFCKu.9Br@news.cso.uiuc.edu> varnavas@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (varnavas constantine) writes:

>First of all, how was the coup against the Makarios government on July 15
>an "invasion by Greece".  Did Greek forces landed on the island and forcefully
>occupied it or annexed it.  A coup is one thing and an invasion is another.

Your ignorance cramps my conversation.

        The  Letter  Sent by Archbishop Makarios to the President of  the 
        Greek Republic, General Phaedon Gizikis on 2 July 1974

        Mr President,

          It  is with profound grief that I have set out for you  certain 
        inadmissable  situations and events in Cyprus for which I  regard 
        the Greek government responsible.

           Since  the clandestine arrival of General Grivas in Cyprus  in 
        September 1971, rumours have been circulating and there have been 
        reliable  indications that he came to Cyprus at  the  instigation 
        and  with the encouragement of certain circles in Athens.  In any 
        case, it is certain that from the first days of his arrival here, 
        Grivas  was in touch  with officers from Greece  serving  in  the 
        National  Guard  from whom he received help and  support  in  his 
        effort  to set up an unlawful organisation and allegedly to fight 
        for   Enosis.   And   he  established  the  criminal   EOKA   'B' 
        organization,  which  has  become the cause and  source  of  many 
        sufferings for Cyprus.  The activity of this organization,  which 
        has  committed  political murders and many other crimes  under  a 
        patriotic  mantle advancing Enosis slogans,  is well  known.  The 
        National  Guard,   which  is  staffed  and  controlled  by  Greek 
        Officers,  has  been from the outset the main supplier of men and 
        material  to EOKA 'B',  the members and supporters of  which were 
        euphemistically self-styled the 'Enosis camp'.

           I  have many times asked myself why an unlawful and nationally 
        harmful  organization which is creating division and  dissension, 
        causing rifts in our internal front and leading the Greek Cypriot 
        people  to civil strife,  is supported by Greek officers.  And  I 
        have  also  many  times wondered whether  such  support  has  the 
        approval  of  the Greek government.  I have done a great deal  of 
        thinking and made many hypothetical assumptions in order to find a 
        logical reply to my questions.  No reply, under any prerequisites 
        and  assumptions  could be based on  logic.  However,  the  Greek 
        officers'  support for EOKA B constitutes an undeniable  reality. 
        The  National  Guard  camps in various areas of  the  island  and 
        nearby  sites  are smeared with slogans in favour of  Grivas  and 
        EOKA  B and also against the Cyprus government  and  particularly 
        myself. In the National Guard camps, propaganda by Greek officers 
        in favour of EOKA B is often undisguised.  It is also known,  and 
        an  undeniable  fact,  that the opposition Cypriot  press,  which 
        supports  the  criminal  activity of EOKA B  and  which  has  its 
        sources  of  finance in Athens,  receives guidance and  direction 
        from  those  in charge of the 2nd General Staff  Office  and  the 
        branch of the Greek Central Intelligence Service in Cyprus.

           It is true that frequent complaints were conveyed by me to the 
        Greek  Government  about  the  attitude  and  conduct  of  certain 
        officers,  and  I  have  received  the reply that  I  should  not 
        hesitate  to report them by name and state the  specific  charges 
        against  them so that they could be recalled from Cyprus.  I  did 
        this  only  in one instance.  This is an unpleasant task for  me. 
        Moreover,  this  evil cannot be remedied by such means.  What  is 
        important  is  the uprooting and prevention of the evil  and  not 
        merely the facing of its consequences.

           I am sorry to say,  Mr President, that the root of the evil is 
        very deep,  reaching as far as Athens.  It is from there that the 
        tree of evil, the bitter fruits of which the Greek Cypriot people 
        are tasting today, is being fed and maintained and helped to grow 
        and spread. In order to be absolutely clear, I say that cadres of 
        the  Greek military regime support and direct the  activities  of 
        EOKA B terrorist organization. This explains also the involvement 
        of Greek officers of the National Guard in illegal activities and 
        in  conspiratorial and inadmissible situations. The guilt of  the 
        circles of the military regime  is proved by documents which were 
        found recently in the leading cadres of EOKA B.  Plenty of  money 
        was  sent  from  the National Center for the maintenance  of  the 
        organization and directives were given concerning the  leadership 
        after  the death of Grivas and the recall of Major Karousos,  who 
        had  come  to  Cyprus with  him,  and  generally  everything  was 
        directed from Athens.  The genuineness of the documents cannot be 
        called  into  question because even those which  are  typewritten 
        have  corrections made by hand and the handwriting of the  writer 
        is known. I attach one such document.

           I  have  always adhered to the principle,  and I have on  many 
        occasions stated,  that my co-operation with the Greek government 
        for  the  time  being is for me a  national  duty.  the  national 
        interests dictate harmonious and close cooperation between Athens 
        and Nicosia.  No matter what Greek government was in power it was 
        to  me the government of mother country and I had  to  co-operate 
        with  it.  I cannot say that I have a special liking for military 
        regimes,  particularly  in  Greece the birthplace and  cradle  of 
        democracy.  But  even in this case,  I have not departed from  my 
        principle about co-operation.  You realize, Mr President, the sad 
        thoughts  which  have been preoccupying and tormenting  me  since 
        ascertaining  that  men of the Greek government  are  incessantly 
        hatching conspiracies against me and, what is worse, are dividing 
        the  Greek  Cypriot people and pushing them  towards  catastrophe 
        through civil strife.  I have more than once so far felt,  and in 
        some cases I have almost touched, a hand invisibly extending from 
        Athens and seeking to liquidate my human existence.  For the sake 
        of National expediency,  however,  I kept silence.  Even the evil 
        spirit  which  possessed the three defrocked Cypriot bishops  who 
        have  caused a major crisis in the Church emanated  from  Athens. 
        However,  I said nothing in this connection.  I am wondering what 
        the object of all this is.  I would have continued to keep silent 
        about the responsibility and role of the Greek government in  the 
        present  drama of Cyprus if I had been the only one to suffer  on 
        the scene of the drama. But covering things up and keeping silent 
        is  not  permissible  when the entire Greek  Cypriot  people  are 
        suffering,  when  Greek  officers of the National Guard,  at  the 
        instigation of Athens,  support EOKA B in its criminal  activity, 
        including   political   murders  and  generally  aiming  at   the 
        dissolution of the state.

           The  Greek government must take great responsibility for  this 
        attempt to abolish the state of Cyprus. The Cyprus state could be 
        dissolved only in the event of Enosis. However, as long as Enosis 
        is   not  feasible  it  is  imperative  that  Cyprus  should   be 
        strengthened  as  a  state.  By its whole  attitude  towards  the 
        National  Guard issue,  the Greek government has been following a 
        policy calculated to abolish the Cyprus state.

           A  few months ago the National Guard General Staff  consisting 
        of  Greek  officers,  submitted  to  the  Cyprus  government  for 
        approval  of  a  list of candidates for  cadet  reserve  officers 
        during their military service.  Fifty-seven of the candidates  on 
        the list submitted were not approved by the Council of Ministers. 
        The  General Staff was informed of this in writing.  Despite this 
        the General Staff,  following instructions from  Athens,  paid no
        attention to the decision of the Council of Ministers  which  has 
        the  absolute  right to appoint National Guard  officers.  Acting 
        arbitrarily,   the  general  Staff  trampled  upon  laws,  showed 
        contempt  for the decision of the Cyprus government and  enrolled 
        the candidates who had not been approved in the Officers Training 
        School.  I  regard  this attitude of the National  Guard  General 
        Staff, which is controlled by the Greek government, as absolutely 
        inadmissable.  The National Guard is an organ of the Cyprus state 
        and  should be controlled by it and not from Athens.  The  theory 
        about a common area of defence between Greece and Cyprus has  its 
        emotional aspect. In reality, however, the position is different. 
        The  National Guard,  with its present composition and  staffing, 
        has  deviated  from its aim and has become a breeding ground  for 
        illegal activities,  a centre of conspiracy against the state and 
        a  source  of recruitment for EOKA B.  It suffices  to  say  that 
        during  the  recently  stepped up terrorist activity of  EOKA  B, 
        National  Guard  vehicles transported arms and  moved  to  safety 
        members  of  the  organization  who were about  to  be  arrested. 
        Complete responsibility for this improper conduct of the National 
        Guard rests with Greek officers,  some of whom are involved  head 
        over ears in the activities of EOKA B. And the National Centre is 
        not  free  from  responsibility in  this  connection.  The  Greek 
        government  could  by a mere nod put an end to  this  regrettable 
        situation.  The  National Centre could order the  termination  of 
        violence  and terrorism by EOKA B because it is from Athens  that 
        the  organisation  derives the means for its maintenance and  its 
        strength,  as confirmed by written evidence and proof.  the Greek 
        government,  however,  had failed to do so. As an illustration of 
        the inadmissible situation I note here in passing that in  Athens 
        slogans  were  also recently written against me and in favour  of 
        EOKA  B on the walls of churches and other  buildings,  including 
        the building of the Cyprus Embassy.  They did not seek to  arrest 
        and punish anybody,  thus tolerating propaganda in favour of EOKA 
        B. 

           I have a lot to say,  Mr President,  but I do not think that I 
        should say any more now.  In conclusion,  I convey that the Greek 
        officered  National  Guard,  the plight of which has  shaken  the 
        Cypriot people's confidence in it,  will be restructured on a new 
        basis. I have reduced military service so that the National Guard 
        ceiling may be reduced and the extent of the evil may be limited. 
        It  may  be observed that the reduction of the  National  Guard's 
        strength  by the shortening of military service,  would render it 
        incapable  of  carrying out its mission in the face  of  national 
        danger.  For reasons which I do not wish to set out here I do not 
        share  this  view.  And  I  would ask  that  the  Greek  officers 
        staffing  the National Guard be recalled.  Their remaining in the 
        National  Guard  and  commanding the force would  be  harmful  to 
        relations between Athens and Nicosia.  I would, however, be happy 
        if you were to send Cyprus about 100 officers as instructors  and 
        military advisers to help in the reorganization and restructuring 
        of  the armed forces of Cyprus.  I hope,  in the  meantime,  that 
        instructions  have  been given to EOKA B to end  its  activities, 
        even  though,  as  long  as this organization is  not  definitely 
        dissolved,  a  new wave of violence and murders cannot  be  ruled 
        out.

           I  am sorry,  Mr President,  that I have found it necessary to 
        say  many unpleasant things in order to give a broad  outline  in 
        open  and frank terms of the long-standing,  deplorable situation 
        in Cyprus. This is however, necessitated by the national interest 
        which  has always guided all my actions.  I do not desire my  co-
        operation  with the Greek government to be  interrupted.  But  it 
        should  be  borne in mind that I am not an appointed  prefect  or 
        locum  tenes  of the Greek government in Cyprus,  but an  elected 
        leader  of a large section of Hellenism and as such I  demand  an 
        appropriate conduct by the National Centre towards me.

           The contents of this letter is not confidential,

                                                      With cordial wishes
                                                      ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS
                                                                President

        (Based on translation published by the Sunday Times, 21 July 1974)

Serdar Argic

                     'This war quickly developed into one of extermination. 
                      We closed the roads and mountain passes that might 
                      serve as ways of escape for the Tartars [Turks] and 
                      then proceeded in the work of extermination.'
                                                       (Ohanus Appressian)

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