Who REALLY ownes the land in Cyprus (part 1)

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:18

It is generally believed that the first settlers came to the island around 8500BC. (Who were they?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history_of_Cyprus

Bronze Age (2500-1050BC)

During the 12th and 11th centuries mass waves of Achaean Greeks came to settle on Cyprus.

Assyrian Period (721-705 BC)

The first written source shows Cyprus under Assyrian rule. A stela found in 1845 in Kition commemorates the victory of king Sargon II over the seven kings in the land of Ia'



Persian Period (526-325 BC)

The Persians conquered the island.



Hellenistic Period (325-58 BC)

After the rivalries between Alexander’s generals, Cyprus eventually came under the Hellenistic state of King Ptolemy of Egypt and from then onwards belonged to the Greek Alexandrine world.

Roman Period (58BC – 330AD) in North Cyprus History

Cyprus came under the dominion of the Roman Empire.

Byzantine Period (330-1191 AD)

After the division of the Roman Empire, Cyprus became a part of the Eastern Roman Empire,

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:20

Part 2

Byzantine Period (330-1191 AD)

After the division of the Roman Empire, Cyprus became a part of the Eastern Roman Empire, known as Byzantium with Constantinople as its capital.



English Period (1191- 1192)

http://www.allcrusades.com/CASTLES/CYPRUS/CYPRUS_RICHARD_LIONHEART/cyprus_txt_1a.html

King Richard the Lion Heart conquered Cyprus during the third crusade and went on to sell it to the Knights Templar who then permitted Guy de Lusignan to buy the island.



Lusignan Period (1192-1489)

http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/history/lusignan/1guydelusignan.htm

Cyprus was ruled on the feudal system and the Catholic Church officially replaces the Greek Orthodox, which though under severe suppression manages to survive.

Venetian Period in Cyprus History

This period started in 1489 and lasted until 1571

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:21

Part 3

Ottoman Period

In 1570 Ottoman troops attacked Cyprus and capture Nicosia. The fall of Famagusta in August 1571 marked the beginning of the Ottoman period in Cyprus and the island remained under Ottoman rule for the next three centuries. On annexation to the Ottoman Empire, the Latin leadership in Cyprus is expelled or converted to Islam and the Greek Orthodox Church restored. The Ottoman occupation brought about two radical results in the history of the island. Since the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC, a new ethnic element appeared, the Turks. The population of Cyprus, Greeks, had now a new ruler: the Ottomans.

The Ottoman Empire gave timars (land grants) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timar to soldiers under the condition that they and their families would stay on the Island permanently. An action of far - reaching importance because the predefined soldiers became the nucleus of the island's Turkish community. During the 17th century, the Turkish population grew rapidly,

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:23

Part 4

partly by conversion. Most of the Turks who had settled on the island during the three centuries of Ottoman rule remained when control of Cyprus--although not sovereignty--was ceded to Britain in 1878.



British Period (1878-1960) in North Cyprus History

Under the 1878 Cyprus Convention, Britain assumes administration of the island and the British Period in Cyprus history (1878-1960) begins. Cyprus remained formally part of the Ottoman Empire until it entered World War I on the side of Germany then in 1925 Cyprus became a British colony.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:25

Part 5

20th century

1914 - Britain annexed Cyprus in response to Turkey's alliance with Germany and Austro-Hungary in World War I.

1925 - Cyprus became a British Crown Colony. Sir Richmond Palmer was made governor.

1931 - Greek Cypriots demanding Enosis, the union with Greece, instigated their first serious riots. The government-house in Nicosia was burned down; martial law was declared afterwards and the legislative council was abolished. The Greek National Anthem and the display of the Greek flag were banned. The British invented the terms "Greek Cypriot" and "Turkish Cypriot" and used the latter against the "Greek Cypriots" so as to cease Enosis demands.

1939 - Greek Cypriots fought with the British in World War II, demanding Enosis at war's end. The Turkish Cypriots wanted British rule to continue.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:25

Part 6

1946 - The British Government began to imprison thousands of displaced Jews in camps on Cyprus.

1949 - The British Government finished imprisoning displaced Jews.

1950 - Archbishop Makarios III was elected as the political and spiritual leader of Cyprus, the head of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and leader of the campaign for Enosis with the support of Greece.

1955 - A series of bomb attacks marked the start of a violent campaign for Enosis by the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) under George Grivas a Cypriot and ex-colonel in the Greek army. Grivas took the name Dighenis and conducted guerrilla warfare from a secret hideout in the Troodos Mountains. He is estimated to have had 300 men at maximum, yet successfully plagued 20,000 British troops and 4,500 police.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:26

Part 7

1956 - Britain deported Makarios to the Seychelles in an attempt to quell the revolt. Turkish Cypriots were used as auxiliaries of British Security Forces. Some Turkish Cypriots became informants for the British Colonists and became among the major targets of the EOKA.

1957 - Field Marshal Sir John Harding was replaced by the civilian governor Sir Hugh Foot in a conciliatory move.

1958 - Turkish Cypriots, alarmed by British conciliation, began demands for partition. There were inter-communal clashes and attacks on the British.

1960 - British occupation ended in Cyprus history

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:28

Part 8

Sovereign Island of Cyprus

The British, Greek and Turkish governments signed a Treaty of Guarantee to provide for an independent Cypriot state within the Commonwealth of Nations and allow for the retention of two Sovereign Base Areas at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Under the treaty, each power received the right to take military action in the face of any threat to the constitution. Cyprus became independent of foreign rule. The Greek Cypriot Archbishop Makarios became the first president in history of independent Cyprus, with Turkish Cypriot Dr. Kutchuk his vice president. Both had the right of veto. Turkish Cypriots, who formed 18% of the population, were guaranteed the vice-presidency, three out of ten ministerial posts and 30% of jobs in the public service. They were further guaranteed 40% representation in the army and separate municipal services in the five major towns. Overall, a very complex constitution was drafted, which demanded a majority of votes overall as well as withi

mamachina


Joined: 22/11/2008
Posts: 730

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:29

So basically we have to go back to the 1500's to be Greek - or what went for Greek in those days? So why the hell do they seem to think its all theirs now? If every country/settler did that there would be the same situation in most countries as here. Think of Britain, France etc etc etc- Romans, Picts, Danes, Tartars, you name it theyve settled!!

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:33

... overall as well as within each community for many decisions.

In 1958 Greek Cypriot nationalist leader Archbishop Makarios began calling for Cypriot independence rather than union with Greece.

Independence was granted in 1960. It was then when the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established in North Cyprus in 1983 but to this day still has not achieved full international recognition.

1963 - Greek Cypriots began to view the constitution as unworkable and proposed changes abolishing all veto rights and many ethnic clauses; these proposals were rejected by Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish government. Inter-communal fighting erupted. Tylliria was bombarded with napalm bombs. A UN Peace Keeping Force was sent in, but soon proved powerless to prevent incidents. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots retreated into enclaves where they were embargoed by the Greek Cypriots.

Thousands of Turkish Cypriots retreated into enclaves where they were embargoed by the Greek Cypriots.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:34

Well copied - alas including several errors, inaccuracies and incompletions.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:35

The UN attempted to supply them with food and medicine.

1973 - The Turks emerged from their enclaves.

1974 - 15 July: The Greek military, with the support of the CIA and American national security advisor Henry Kissinger, ordered a coup to overthrow Makarios who they perceived to be too pro - Russian. Makarios was forced to flee to the British base. A puppet regime was imposed under Nikos Sampson, a former EOKA fighter and paid CIA operative. The coup was sponsored by the military dictatorship of Greece, which triggered the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and resulted in the partition of Cyprus and massive population transfers. The coup and subsequent events seriously undermined the enosis movement. 20 July: Turkey liberates North Cyprus and captures three percent of the island's territory around the town of Kyrenia, where they drive out the Greek Cypriot population.

23 July: The coup was put down and democracy and Makarios were restored.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:36

14 August: After the breakdown of UN-led talks, the United Nations landed 4,444 troops on the coast of North Cyprus. 200,000 Greek Cypriots fled to the South, forcing resident Turkish Cypriots to leave their homes. Turkish forces were left in control of thirty-seven percent of the island. Facing threats from Turkey, the United Nations and the Cypriot government agreed to transfer the Turkish Cypriots living in the free areas to the occupied North Cyprus against their will.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

1975 - Turks announced a Federate State in the North Cyprus, with Rauf Denktas as leader. UN Forces remained as buffer between the two zones.

1977 - Makarios died and was succeeded by Spyros Kyprianou.

1983 - The Turkish Federated State declared itself the independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), with Denktas as President. Republic of Northern Cyprus was not recognised by any country except Turkey and was officially boycotted.

1992 - UN sponsored talks began

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:37

Copied & pasted from various sources on the net (errors & exceptions excepted) Just thought a little history of the Island might enlighten us all

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:41

Dutchcrusader please feel free to correct the "several errors, inaccuracies and incompletions" I believe that we would all benifit from the REAL TRUTH. cheers m8

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:43

Macmachina... VERY valid points, thanx 4 the input m8

Jachin



Joined: 05/02/2008
Posts: 99

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 12:46

A very good presis of the history of Cyprus

Marisa


Joined: 23/04/2009
Posts: 545

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:13

The first here were Kypriots . Sometimes one can find the coins of that period but nobody can decode what is written on them.



According to the tour guide I went to the trip around Orthodos Churches in NC.

minertor



Joined: 14/02/2009
Posts: 1238

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:26

Dutchcrusader please feel free to correct the "several errors, inaccuracies and incompletions" I believe that we would all benifit from the REAL TRUTH. cheers



well said ralfrep, but what is the "REAL TRUTH"?



Tony

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:30

It's not as easy as the list above may suggest to some people. One small example. Let's go back about 2-3000 years, to the ancient Cypriot Kingdom of Soli (not mentioned above). When a ruler from what is now called Iraq conquered the area, which language did he speak? And which language did the local population of the Kingdom of Soli speak? Indeed, ancient Greek. And where did they come from? Indeed (as far as we know): from the Achaean islands. Now what *could* one of the conclusions be from this little story? (History should consist of facts - comments, interpretation and thoughts are free).

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:30

DNA the lot of them and that should bring up some 'ethnic' realities!



Richard

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:39

During the Byzantine (originally the East Roman Empire after Emperor Theodosius died and tye Roman Empire was split between his sons), Anglo/French (King Richard the Lionheart), Lusignan (French), Genoese/Venetian (Italian) and Ottoman Turkish rule of Cyprus (I leave some intermezzi during the past 1000 years out here) - the conquered local population spoke Greek. That is a historical fact. Now what *could* one of the conclusions be from this little story?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:42

Hans, you must have been around at the time, how can we possibly doubt you!



Richard

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:46

Please note: I keep writing *could*. Because other conclusions can be reached using the same facts. I may do that if some readers remain interested in this thread

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 13:48

Brinsley, as far as I know you are in Australia at the moment. Good. Here's 2 TL for you - go away from your computer and buy yourself a nice icecream.

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 15:26

DNA the lot of them and that should bring up some 'ethnic' realities!



They already have and neither Gc's or TC's can be linked to Greeks or Turks, and they are very close genetically to each other - that might answer a few questions.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 15:59

If anyone is really interested this link gives some further, indepth & factual information on Cypriot history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history_of_Cyprus



I did put it in the first post



Kingdom of Soli (not mentioned above).



It is mentioned in the Assyrian Period (721-705 BC) king Sargon II

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 16:08

Come on Hans I'm waiting for you to continue.....!

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 16:12

The seven kings of Ia' (Cyprus) had accepted Assyrian sovereignty; in 709, Midas, king of Phrygia, beset by the nomadic Cimmerians, submitted to Assyrian rule and in 708, Kummuhu (Commagene) became an Assyrian province. Assyria was at the apogee of its power. Urartu had almost succumbed to the Cimmerians, Elam was weakened, Marduk-apla-iddina II was momentarily powerless, and the Egyptian influence in the Levant was temporarily waning as well.

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
29/01/2010 17:28

I do! And I will fight the best man in a wheelchair to prove it.

ralfep



Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 42

Message Posted:
30/01/2010 19:50

Hi "Dutch" could you please post further info on this topic... I AM greatly interested to learn more facts or I could let you have my email to send me links or stuff direct

Thanks in advance -