A MIDNIGHT CEREMONY
Cyprus became an independent and sovereign state at midnight on August 15th 1960. This came after 82 years of often turbulent British Colonial rule. A new constitution for the new Republic came into effect after an official ceremony in the new House of Representatives. The ceremony that followed took place in the presence of the first President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, and his Vice-President, Dr Fazil Kuciuk, and the last British governor, Sir Hugh Foot. The declaration was followed by a 21-gun salute after all agreements were witnessed and signed.
THE BIG THREE
The proclamation, which was based on the Zurich-London agreements that were reached through negotiations that took place in the latter part of the 1950’s. These negotiations stipulated that Greece, Turkey, and Great Britain would act as guarantor powers for the new Republic of Cyprus.
THE UNITED NATIONS
The new president then stated in his address, with much optimism, that among other things, Cyprus was now finally entering a community of free world nations. He vowed to actively assume his new responsibilities and work for the prevalence of the principles and provisions of the United Nations Charter. He also appealed to all communities across the island to band together as Cypriots for the prosperity and progress of a new independent Republic of Cyprus. It was under this pretext that the Republic of Cyprus became a full member of the United Nations a month later.
A NEW HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
At sunset, all British flags were lowered from all public buildings. This included Government House, which then became the new Presidential Palace. President Makarios, after receiving numerous congratulatory messages from several world leaders throughout the morning, established the new House of Representatives, and the declaration of allegiance to the Republic took place.
A NEW NATIONAL FLAG
The NEW FLAG OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS would eventually proudly grace all public buildings across the island. The Republic’s new tricolour flag was chosen after an island-wide competition was held. The winner was Turkish Cypriot schoolteacher Ismet Vehit Güney, originally from Limassol. His design, using neutral colours that represented peace and a new beginning, was wholly embraced by all who held not only hope but also new aspirations for the island. Ismet Vehit Güney would also go on to design a new coat of arms for Cyprus and the Republic’s new BANK NOTES.
WHY OCTOBER 1ST?
Although August 16th was celebrated as Independence Day for the next two years, it soon became apparent that this date was largely impractical. This is because it clashed with one of the biggest island-wide annual religious celebrations, which takes place on August 15th. In light of this, the Council of Ministers came to a decision to change Cyprus Independence Day to a new date. On July 11th, 1963, it was announced that moving forward, October 1st would not only represent the island’s Independence Day, but would also become a national holiday.
