The Cyprus Crisis of 1967 and The British-Turkish Policies

Following the developments in the last months of 1963, the Republic of Cyprus, declared in 1960, was ended and the conflicts between the two communities on the island started again. Turkey followed closely the situation of Turks on the island. Turkey made it clear that it would not hesitate to conduct a military intervention on the island in order to protect the Turkish Cypriots. In 1964, the Turkish government planned a military intervention in the island, but it was stopped by the U.S. In November 1967, a new crisis emerged on the island after the Greeks attacked two Turkish villages on the island. Turkey began preparations for a military operation in the island. This study analyzes the developments before and after the 1967 crisis. Turkey and Britain were one of the guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus. Their approach to the crisis was examined in the light of archival documents. This study showed that while Turkey was ready to perform military intervention on the island, the British government was opposed to it. Britain tried to prevent a possible Turkish military intervention. Starting from the crisis of 1964, the increasing American influence on the Cyprus problem helped this policy of the British. The British were happy that the 1967 crisis was ended without Turkish intervention on the island. On the other hand, Turkish public opinion was disturbed by the Turkish government’s policy during the crisis. The Demirel government was criticized for not allowing a military operation. This study made an examination of the 1967 Cyprus crisis in the framework of British and Turkish policies