The Road to 1974: Zurich, London and independence for Cyprus

After Britain’s failure to conclude an agreement for self-rule on Cyprus with Makarios, the Greek and Turkish governments took matters into their own hands

Greek prime minister Konstantine Karamanlis (R) was determined not to allow Cyprus to railroad Greece’s relationships with its Western allies, and asked foreign minister Evangelos Averoff (C) to negotiate a treaty of independence for Cyprus. Convincing Archbishop Makarios III (L) to sign it took a few days.

Until 1958, all of Cyprus’ efforts to be free of the British yoke, such as it was, were focused on Enosis, or union with Greece. To achieve it, Cyprus sought the sovereign right to self-determination, newly enshrined in the United Nations Charter. 1958 was the year in which Cyprus’ quest changed to independence, and it happened because of a series of disappointments and dead ends.

The idea of independence for Cyprus was first expressed publicly by Indian ambassador to the United Nations Krishna Menon in July 1957.^[1] Talks between Cyprus governor John Harding and Ethnarch Archbishop Makarios III for self-rule followed by self-determination had failed the previous year and the Cyprus issue was at an impasse. Menon assured Greek foreign minister Evangelos Averoff that he could garner more than a two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly in support of independence, but Makarios would not hear of it. He was still unwavering in the public oath to pursue Enosis, which he had taken at the church of Phaneromeni in August 1954.^[2]