The Failure of the Greek-Turkish Dialogue on Cyprus Problem (1966-67) and British Policy

Abstract

There have been many attempts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, but the problem remains unresolved. The examination of these attempts is essential in understanding what reasons played a role in the failure of the past efforts for a solution. In this respect, the past dialogues between Greece and Turkey had a significant place in the history of Cyprus. Both countries considered themselves as major players in a solution to the Cyprus dispute. Generally, international opinion was also the same and, regarded Turkish-Greek dialogue as an important event. However, unsuccessful dialogues of 1966-1967 affected the way a solution was sought for the problem, and, contrary to the successful dialogue that led to Zurich and London agreements of 1959, proved that it was not easy for Athens and Ankara to reach an agreement on the issue. Furthermore, these unsuccessful Greek-Turkish dialogues also led the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island to begin to play an active role in the peace talks. Therefore, this essay aims to examine the peace efforts made on the part of Greece and Turkey between 1966 and 1967 and the British assessment of this process.

Keywords

• The Cyprus Problem, Cyprus Peace Talks, Turkish Foreign Policy and British Foreign Policy

Kıbrıs Sorunu Üzerindeki Türk-Yunan Diyaloğunun Başarısızlığı (1966-67) ve İngiliz Politikası

Öz

Kıbrıs sorununun çözümüne yönelik birçok girişim olsa da Kıbrıs sorunu hala çözümlenememiştir. Sorunun çözümüne yönelik girişimlerin analizini yapmak hangi nedenlerin çözüm çabalarının başarısızlığa uğramasında önemli bir rol oynadığını anlamaya yönelik önemli bir noktadır. Bu açıdan, geçmiş Türk-Yunan diyalogları Kıbrıs tarihi açısından önemli bir yer tutmaktadır. Her iki ülke de Kıbrıs sorununun çözümünde kendilerini iki önemli güç olarak görmüşlerdir. Genel olarak, uluslararası kamuoyu da bu yönde düşünmüş ve Kıbrıs sorunu üzerine Türk-Yunan görüşmelerini önemli olay olarak karşılamıştır. Fakat 1966 ve 1967 yılarındaki başarısız diyaloglar Kıbrıs sorununa çözüm aramadaki yöntemi etkilemiş ve göstermiştir ki 1959 yılındaki Zürih ve Londra Antlaşmalarının aksine Ankara ve Atina’nın birbirleriyle Kıbrıs sorunu üzerinde anlaşması kolay bir mesele olarak gözükmemektedir. Ayrıca, bu başarısız Türk-Yunan diyalogları adadaki Kıbrıslı Türk ve Rumların Kıbrıs sorunu üzerinde yapılan barış görüşmelerinde aktif bir rol oynamasına da yol açmıştır. Bu nedenle, bu makale 1966 ve 1967 yılları arasındaki Türk-Yunan barış çabalarının ve Britanya’nın bu süreçteki değerlendirmelerinin incelemesini yapmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kıbrıs Sorunu, Kıbrıs Barış Görüşmeleri, Türk Dış Politikası ve İngiliz Dış Politikası

References

1. Archival Documents The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom: FCO 9, Foreign Office, Central Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Southern European Department: Registered Files (C and WS Series). FCO 27, Commonwealth Office: Middle East, Western and United Nations. FCO 51, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and predecessors: Research Department: Registered Files (LR and RR Series). PREM 13, Prime Minister's Office: Correspondence and Papers, 1964-1970.
2. Other Primary Documents Keesing’s Record of World Events (Contemporary Achieve), 1960-1990 (cd).
3. Millet Meclisi Tutanakları (Official Records of the Turkish National Assembly), 1966-1967.
4. United Nations, Security Council, 4 March 1964, Res.186 (S/5575).
5. Books, Articles and Thesis Bölükbaşı, Süha. Superpowers and the Third world: Turkish American Relations and Cyprus, (New York, 1988).
6. Constandinos, Andreas. ‘America, Britain and the Cyprus Crisis of 1974:
7. Calculated Conspiracy or Foreign Policy Failure?’, Ph.D. Thesis, (University of East Anglia, 2008).
8. Coşkun ,Yasin, ‘The Cyprus problem and Anglo-Turkish relations 1967

9. ’,Ph.D. Thesis, (University of East Anglia, 2015).
10. Ehrlich, Thomas. International Crisis and the Role of Law Cyprus 1958- , (London, 1974).
11. Ertekün, Necati Münir. Inter-Communal Talks and The Cyprus Problem, (Nicosia, 1977).
12. Fisher, Ronald J. ‘Cyprus: The Failure of Mediation and the Escalation of an Identity-Based Conflict to an Adversarial Impasse’, Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 38, No. 3, Special Issue on Conflict Resolution in Identity- Based Disputes (May, 2001), pp. 307-326.
13. Harbottle, M. The Impartial Soldier (London: 1970).
14. Joseph, Joseph S. Cyprus: Ethnic Conflict and International Politics from Independence to the Threshold of the European Union, (London, 1997).
15. Kuneralp, Zeki(Ed.). A Footnote to Turco-Greek History: the Keşan- Alexandroupolis Talks September 9-10, 1967, (İstanbul, 1988).
16. Kyriakides, Klearchos A. “The Sovereign Base Areas and British Defence Policy since 1960” in Faustmann, H. and Peristianis, N. eds. Britain in
17. Cyprus: Colonialism and Post-Colonialism, 1878-2006. (Berlin, 2006), pp. 534.
18. Nedjatigil, Zaim M. The Cyprus Conflict- A Lawyer’s View, (Nicosia, 1982).
19. Nicolet, Claude. “Lack of Concern, Will and Power: British Policy towards Cyprus, 1961-1974” in Faustmann, H. and Peristianis, N. eds. Britain in
20. Cyprus: Colonialism and Post-Colonialism, 1878-2006. (Berlin: 2006), pp. 509.
21. Oran, Baskın. (Ed.), Türk Dış Politikası: Kurtuluş Savaşından Bugüne Olgular, Belgeler, Yorumlar, (İstanbul, 2001).
22. Polyviou, Polyvios G. Cyprus Conflict and Negotiation 1960-1980, (New York, 1980).
23. Salem, Norma. ‘The Constitution of and its Failure’, in Norma Salem ed., Cyprus A Regional Conflict and its Resolution, (London, 1992), pp. 117-126.
24. Uslu, Nasuh. The Cyprus Question as an Issue of Turkish Foreign Policy and Turkish-American relations 1959-2003, (New York, 2003).
25. Wiener, Sharon Anderholm. ‘Turkish Foreign Policy Decision-Making on The Cyprus Issue: A Comparative Analysis of Three Crises’, Ph.D. Thesis, (Duke University, 1980).
26. Hart, Parker T. Two NATO Allies at the Threshold of War: Cyprus, a Firsthand Account of Crisis Management, 1965-1968, (London, 1990).