This post was most recently updated on January 6th, 2023
After Cyprus got its independence from the British in 1960, Cyprus got divided into 2 parts. The southern part where the majority of people were Greek Cypriots and the Northern part where the majority of people were Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots from the southern part wanted to link Cyprus with Greece and they started a movement. That movement is called Enosis.
The Turkish Cypriots wanted to divide Cyprus into Greece and Turkish portions, hence they created a movement called Taksim.
You can click here to read in detail about Taksim.
Enosis simply means union with Greece. The first president of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias called for the union of Cyprus with Greece in 1828. It couldn’t happen because of numerous reasons. At that time, Cyprus was a part of the Ottoman Empire.
The origins of Enosis date back to 1821, the year when the Greek War of Independence commenced, and the archbishop of Cyprus, his archdeacon, and three bishops were beheaded, amongst other atrocities. At the 1878 Congress of Berlin, the administration of Cyprus was transferred to Britain and then British rule started in Cyprus. Britain annexed Cyprus in 1914 and left Cyprus in 1960 and gave them independence.
Cyprus is home to mainly 2 ethnic groups. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. As the Greek Cypriots were the majority, they wanted to unionize Cyprus with Greece. But the Turkish Cypriots didn’t like the idea.
EOKA (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist paramilitary organization that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus, and for eventual union with Greece (ENOSIS).
The main objective of EOKA was Enosis: the union of Cyprus with Greece. The organization adopted typical Greek national ideologies and displayed religious, conservative, and anticommunist ideas.
Should Enosis happen? What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.
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