Athens, july 27—You would have to go back more than 50 years in Greek history to find a fortnight as turbulent as the one just ended. In 1922, the first King Constantine lost his throne, Greece lost all her holdings in Asia Minor, and the politicians who were at the helm during the debacle lost their heads. This time, however, things turned out differently for the politicians, the Turks, and possibly even the king.
In 1914, Britain annexed Cyprus when Turkey entered the war on Germany’s side, and lost no time in establishing an all important base there. This arrangement continued uneasily even after Britain started dismembering her empire. Despite Greece’s valiant fight on the Allied side in World War II, the British ignored Greek Cypriot demands for immediate enosis (union with Greece). Finally, Greek Cypriots, led by Archbishop Makarios and Georgios Grivas, took up arms in open rebellion, and succeeded in bringing the British to the bargaining table at Zurich in 1959.




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