(2 of 3)
World War II found both Greek and Turkish Cypriot firmly on the side of the Allies, but the wartime camaraderie with Soviet Russia gave the island's Communist movement a chance to expand. By 1943, the Reds had latched onto enosis and won major municipal elections by appealing to Greek passions. Today, the Communists' Reform Party holds five seats in the 50-man House of Representatives, while the dominant Patriotic Fronts party of President Makarios is 40% Communist.
Enter Makarios. Archbishop Makarios III, born Michael Mouskos, became ethnarch in 1950, armed with a church-run plebiscite that showed 97% of all Greek Cypriots in favor of enosis. Setting out vigorously to fulfill his mandate, Makarios was joined in 1954 by Colonel George Grivas, a Cypriot officer in the Greek army who returned home secretly to lead the EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters) in four years of terrorism against the British. The British had staffed the island police force with Turkish Cypriots, and soon the Greek hatred of the British splashed over at the Turkish community. Rarely concerned with politics before, the Turkish Cypriots now began worrying what their fate would be if Makarios, Grivas and EOKA finaly won independence. Their apprehension was shared in the Turkish homeland.
By 1959, when Britain, Greece, Turkey and Makarios began discussing the conditions of Cypriot independence, Ankara's concern had grown to neurotic proportions. In long, frustrating negotiating sessions, Britain was wearily willing to grant any sort of constitution just to get the thorn of Cyprus out of its side, while Makarios was equally ready to sign, speculating that, with time and the majority on his side, he could iron out discrepancies later.
Turkey took advantage by adamantly insisting on safeguards for its Cypriot kinsmen, and the inept constitution that became effective on Aug. 16, 1960, gave disproportionate power to the Turkish Cypriots, who comprise only 20% of the island's 600,000 population.
Exit reason. The Turkish Cypriots were granted 30% of all police and civil service posts, 40% of all billets in the army. A Greek Cypriot President was to be balanced off by a Turkish Cypriot Vice President, both men having a final veto power over internal and external defense and foreign affairs. Not only was the executive split sharply along ethnic lines, but the legislature was also segregated in dealing with certain measures; a simple majority of the 15 Turkish Cypriot M.P.s could effectively block a bill passed by 35 Greek Cypriot votes. And block they certainly did: for months, the government was unable to pass a vital income tax law. The judiciary was split along similar lines.