Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

In the January 1950 plebiscite, 800 Turkish Cypriots voted for ENOSIS with Greece!

The Turks, of course, had since 1947 (the year in which the Dodecanese was incorporated into Greece) begun to resist the Greek Cypriot moves towards Enosis. This resistance was, however, limited in scope until 1950. The British contributed to this through their policy of non-interference in inter-community affairs even though they were pleased with the eventual division between the two communities. It was only in the 1950's that the British began to exploit these differences.

Under these circumstances the Turkish Cypriots, who by 1946 numbered 80,544 and accounted for 17.89% of the island's population, responded by not taking part in the plebiscite, a very natural move on their part. It is, however, noteworthy that in certain isolated cases Turkish Cypriots not only voted but did so in favor of union with Greece. Specifically, this occurred in Strovolos, a suburb of Nicosia, and in the villages of Idali and Potamia, about 20 kilometres south of the Cypriot capital. This is a clear indication of the fantastic possibilities for the harmonious cohabitation of the two communities as long as non-Cypriot elements refrain from creating tensions between them.

http://hellenic-international-relations ... yprus.html

A figure as to the number of Turkish Cypriots who approved the 1950 plebiscite for Union with Greece, can be found at the History department of the York University in Toronto, Ontario Canada, which has this to say…

A plebiscite on 'Union' with Greece; January 15, 1950. 224,757 Greek Cypriots voted 215,108, or 95.7%, voted for the 'Union'. 800 Turkish Cypriots also voted “yes”. Generally, Turkish Cypriots opposed the motion.

•The British colonial administration employed a policy of "divide and rule", and so created the conditions for intercommunal clashes.

•July 1954, Britain proclaimed that enosis would never take place. The following month, Greece brought the issue before the UN; the motion is denounced by Britain and Turkey.

•As part of the Suez crisis, Sir Anthony Eden said “let it be known that Anthony Eden Britain would never give Cyprus up”.

The York University in Canada…

http://www.yorku.ca/uhistory/

The link to the relevant PDF…

http://www.arts.yorku.ca/hist/tgallant/ ... us_000.pdf


NB: Investigative work, courtesy of Talisker.


Regards, GR.

[observer]

I’ve put much of this on the original thread, but I think it worth repeating here.

Most authorities I have read (e.g. Zenon Stavrinides: The Cyprus Conflict: National Identity and Statehood (Nicosia 1975)) say that the 'referendum' took the form of a petition where people signed their name in public. In many cases (most cases?) the petition was placed in the local Church and supervised by the priest.

As with any petition of this type, the opportunities for adding names, real or fictitious, would have been endless. So while there is little doubt that the majority of GCs at this time were in favour of enosis, the accuracy of the detailed results must be open to question.

Your sources say that 800 TCs voted for enosis. This may be the case (1% of the TC population), but equally their names could have been added by GC “friends”. Given the usual nature of petitions it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Mickey Mouse voted for enosis too.

[Viewpoint]

I’ve put much of this on the original thread, but I think it worth repeating here.

Most authorities I have read (e.g. Zenon Stavrinides: The Cyprus Conflict: National Identity and Statehood (Nicosia 1975)) say that the 'referendum' took the form of a petition where people signed their name in public. In many cases (most cases?) the petition was placed in the local Church and supervised by the priest.

As with any petition of this type, the opportunities for adding names, real or fictitious, would have been endless. So while there is little doubt that the majority of GCs at this time were in favour of enosis, the accuracy of the detailed results must be open to question.

Your sources say that 800 TCs voted for enosis. This may be the case (1% of the TC population), but equally their names could have been added by GC “friends”. Given the usual nature of petitions it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Mickey Mouse voted for enosis too.

These are uneducated people who believed anything they were told just as was the case when they were transferring their land to GCs by trickery and not being told the whole story.

[Kikapu]

I too find the 800 number to be very low to actually mean anything, that there was support for Enosis by the TC's. If such a list exists, I would be curious to know how many X's were placed next to the names of the TC's who were not able to read and write. Then again, it could also mean, that those 800 TC's did not want to be ruled by the British any longer and were happy to be part of Greece but as Independent Cypriots who had shared the island with the GC's for the past 400 years.

I wonder how many GC's signed up for Taksim by the way.??

[denizaksulu]

I’ve put much of this on the original thread, but I think it worth repeating here.

Most authorities I have read (e.g. Zenon Stavrinides: The Cyprus Conflict: National Identity and Statehood (Nicosia 1975)) say that the 'referendum' took the form of a petition where people signed their name in public. In many cases (most cases?) the petition was placed in the local Church and supervised by the priest.

As with any petition of this type, the opportunities for adding names, real or fictitious, would have been endless. So while there is little doubt that the majority of GCs at this time were in favour of enosis, the accuracy of the detailed results must be open to question.

Your sources say that 800 TCs voted for enosis. This may be the case (1% of the TC population), but equally their names could have been added by GC “friends”. Given the usual nature of petitions it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Mickey Mouse voted for enosis too.

In addition this says it all, " while the rule of secrecy had been very openly sport ed by the panegyric manner in which it was held."

For anyone to give credibility to this 'petition' is unbelievable.

[Gabira]

Most of them signed for Taksim in 1974 when they attempted to EXTERMINATE TC's of the face of the Earth

TC's were given no other option but to accept Taksim for their survival. Naturally a better option than ENOSIS or rather suicide at the time for TC's.

[Kikapu]

TC's were given no other option but to accept Taksim for their survival. Naturally a better option than ENOSIS or rather suicide at the time for TC's.

Taksim was the desires of the Fanatic TC's like Denktash from the beginning.

This is also another form of Enosis, so don't blame the GC's wanting one also.

Neither one was achieved directly, but one enjoys the "fruits of their labour" and the other looks for a "hand out" from Turkey.

Perhaps time has come for all Cypriots to share the "bounty" in Cyprus, or else for some, become more dependent on Turkey for more "hand outs" until she enters the EU, and then it's going to be everyman for himself. Turkey will look after it's own interest and the interest of the 70 million Turks, and the 120,000 TC's will be told to look after their own interest and make a deal with the GC's.

If not, then Cyprus will remain to be legal south and illegal north and Turkey in Asia.

[Get Real!]

Most of them signed for Taksim in 1974 when they attempted to EXTERMINATE TC's of the face of the Earth

You’re confusing Dr Who’s problem, the Daleks, with the Cyprus Problem...

[turkkan]

I too find the 800 number to be very low to actually mean anything, that there was support for Enosis by the TC's.

The support for enosis mainly came from the TC's who were members of AKEL as they were told that it would be better for Cyprus to unite with greece since soon Greece would be come communist also and that would mean Cyprus would be under communist role also.

[Gabira]

Quite possible that the claimed 800 TC's who voted on favour of ENOSIS were the small group which osmosed into the GC's through intermarriage.