PRESIDENTS KYPRIANOU & CARTER OPEN DISCUSSIONS
JIMMY CARTER'S ELECTION WIN IN 1976 HERALDED A NEW HOPE FOR CYPRUS
CYPRIOT REFUGEES AFTER THE WAR IN 1974
A STATE OF UNANIMOUS ELATION
Greek Cypriots greeted Jimmy Carter’s close run victory, which installed him as the 39th president of the United States in 1976, with almost unanimous elation. Now living in the south of the island, they came together in celebration to express their joy and optimism with his appointment. Church bells rang across the island and schoolchildren paraded through the streets after the result was confirmed. Several Greek Cypriots, waving American flags and carrying placards, also celebrated Carter’s victory outside the American Embassy in Cyprus, in the weeks that followed.
A DIVIDED ISLAND
The events of the summer of 1974 were still fresh in everyone’s minds. A Greek-inspired coup d’état led to a Turkish invasion and then occupation of the northern part of the island. These actions had displaced thousands of people on both sides of the de facto ‘green line’. The two main Cypriot communities remained separated and the feeling at the time was that President Carter’s new administration would bring about a viable and fair solution to the then two and a half year old Cyprus problem.
WAS AMERICA CULPABLE?
Greek Cypriots noted the 1974 American administration’s inactive response to Turkey’s military campaign after the island’s separation. President Ford and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, were also viewed by most as partly culpable for the tragic events that took place. Jimmy Carter, on the other hand, represented a change and the best man in charge to find a solution. Before he had become president, he often expressed a constructive attitude towards resolving the Cyprus problem. He also made several statements about displaced persons during his election campaign. This gave new hope to thousands of displaced people living in Cyprus at the time.
A TURNING POINT IN RELATIONS
Archbishop Makarios III also openly expressed hope that Carter’s new appointment would mark a turning point in relations between Cyprus and the United States. He openly expressed hope that new negotiations would lead to a fair solution to the ongoing Cyprus problem and opened channels of communication almost immediately. In response, they almost immediately set out mandates that offered an acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem.
A NEW PLAN
President Carter appointed a special envoy to Cyprus in the form of Clark Clifford, who worked closely with delegates from both the United Kingdom and Canada. This resulted in a new plan to resolve the Cyprus problem, which was submitted in 1978. The plan that would become known as the Anglo-American-Canadian plan was largely based on the 1977 High-Level Agreement reached between Archbishop Makarios III and Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot representative at the time.
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN-CANADIAN PLAN
This plan stipulated the creation of a bizonal, bi-communal federation in Cyprus. The plan facilitated the withdrawal of most of the Turkish troops stationed on the island at the time, and the reopening and subsequent restoration of the City of Famagusta. The agreement also foresaw and provided for the return of land and property to both Greek and Turkish displaced Cypriots. The plan also provided for compensation to be paid for those who did not want to return to their former homes.
SHOULD THE PLAN HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED?
Although almost all of the Greek Cypriot political parties at the time initially backed the plan, the new president of the Republic of Cyprus, Spyros Kyprianou, ultimately rejected it. It seems that the feeling at the time was to hold out for a better solution for the Greek Cypriot Republic. The northern part of the island is only recognised by Turkey and remains an illegal state, and it was thought they would not want to remain as such. Along with hindsight, several Greek Cypriot politicians have since indicated that this plan was the best produced and that President Kyprianou should have accepted it in 1978. This would have forged a much better future for all Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish. Cyprus has remained divided ever since, and the consequences of the division of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have left the island reeling ever since.
