Makarios had a talent for survival

Press, 4 August 1977, Page 8

Makarios had a talent for survival

NZPA-Reuter Nicosia Archbishop Makarios, the Shrewd, grey-bearded son of a shepherd who led Cyprus to independence in 1960 and became its first President, showed an astonishing talent for survival.

Brushes with death, exile, and a coup against him all failed to remove his dominating presence from the explosive barrel of communal tensions and Greek-Turkish rivalry that is Cyprus.

His' bleakest hour came in July. 1974, when he was overthrown by the Greekofficered Cyprus National I Guard and almost lost his life in an attack on his Pres-, identia! palace. Forced to flee the country, he went 0 London and watched from star as the Turks invaded Cyprus and the island was wracked by bitter fighting, i

Characteristically. Malarios never seemed o doubt that it was his destiny to return. When, four-and n-half months later, he did to, it was almost as a conquering hero that he was t elcomed back by his Greek Cypriot supports. i

The political and human itarian problems he face were immense: a battere economy, continuing mis trust between Greek an Turkish Cypriots, the Tut kish occupation of th northern part of Cyprus, an

a refugee problem involving about one-third of the island’s population. However, daunting problems were something Makarios had lived with since he first trod the path to political power in the early 19505. As both political and spiritual leader — he was head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus — he had to survive in one of the

imost complicated parts of the world. Perhaps at least partly because of this, he always appeared a somewhat enigmatic figure. He was called [“cunning” by some and “a master politician" by others. The Turkish Cypriot leader, iMr Rauf Denktash, once des[cribed him as “a very good listener — but a man who I could never change his mind.”

Makarios’s road to politiical power in the 1950 s was i a rough and often bloody Jone, involving exile and an [underground war.'ln power,

n- even before the July, 1974, ed coup, he faced continuing ed communal tension and a is- campaign of violence by nd Greek Cypriots in favour of ir- Enosis — union with Greece he— and survived an assasnd sination attempt.

However, his popularity with the bulk of Greek Cypriots — they outnumber Turkish Cypriots by four to one among a total popu--1 a t i o n of 620,000 — was never in doubt. He was re-elected President of Cyprus in 1968 with more than 95 per cent of the total vote, and returned unopposeid for a third term in 1973.

He returned to the island in December, 1974, after living abroad for 145 days, to a tumultuous and emotional welcome by a crowd of 100.000 in Nicosia, cheering and chanting: “Makarios, Makarios, you are with us and we belong to you.” He was bom on August 13, 1913, in Panayia near Paphos and was christened Michael Mouskos. He trained as a novice monk at the abbey of Kykkos and later studied at Athens University and at the school of theology of University, MassaSiusetts,

under a scholarship granted by the World Council of Churches. While still a student at Boston University in 1950, he was elected Bishop of Kitium. Three years later he became Archbishop and Ethnarch (national leader) of Cyprus. He took an increasing part in lay affairs after his Boston studies and at his suggestion an unofficial plebiscite was held in 1950 in which more than 95 per cent of the island’s Greek community voted for union with Greece. Cyprus had been ruled by Britain since 1878. His prestige as the champion of Enosis and leader of the Greek Cypriots grew and he took the cause of international platforms on a world tour of “enlightenment.” In 1956 he was detained and exiled to the Seychelle Islands accused of involvement in the liberation armv struggle. This touch of martyrdom helped to make him a hero.

He refused a British proposal to grant him freedom in exchange for a denunciation of violence. Nevertheless he was released shortly afterwards in March, 1957, with the understanding that

he could not return to Cyprus. The year 1958 saw some unexpected initiatives from the exiled leader. He eventually withdrew his demands for Enosis and said he was prepared to accept independence under a United Nations guarantee. In February, 1959, Britain, Greece, and Turkey met in London and agreed on Cyprus’s independence. On August 16, 1960, Cyprus became an independent republic with Archbishop Makarios as the first President and Dr Fazil Kutchuk, leader of the Turkish community, VicePresident.

Fierce fighting between the two communities broke out in December, 1963, forcing the United Nations to send in peace-keeping troops in 1964.

Fighting broke out again in 1967, bringing Greece and Turkey to the brink of war before Athens removed General George Grivas, leader of the Eoka guerrilla movement, who was still pursuing the dream of Enosis. With the death of Grivas at the age of 75 in January, 1974, one of the main threats to $e Archbishop’s rule seemed to have disappeared.

But then his confrontation with Greek officers in the National Guard began, Makarios demanded the withdrawal of the 600 Greek officers who, he said, were involved in the Eoka movement.

Then on July 15, 1974, as the Cyprus summer heat reached its peak, the National Guard launched its coup. As mortar shells and machine-gun fire raked the blue-domed Presidential palace, the Archbishop was persuaded to seek safety in Paphos, on the Western shore of the island.

On July 17, he arrived in London, having been flown to safety from the British sovereign base of Akrotiri. “I am the elected President of Cyprus,” he said on arrival, an attitude he maintained throughout the next few months in exile. A few days later he went to the United Nations, was received as President and appealed to the Security Council for restoration of his country’s independence.

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on July 20. and Greece mobilised its forces. Turkish troops thrust inland on Cyprus amid hqavy fighting. Three days later the for-

mer guerrilla leader, Nicos Sampson, who had replaced him as President, resigned and Mr Glafkos Clerides, Speaker of the House of Representatives, became interim President.

On the same day the Greek military regime in Athens handed power back to the civilians after seven years of army rule.

On July 30, the Foreign Ministers of Britain, Greece, and Turkey signed an agreement to consolidate the cease-fire in Cyprus, but the Cyprus peace conference collapsed on August 14. Turkey launched a three-day military operation which captured about one-third of Cyprus in the north.

The Archbishop arrived back in Nicosia in December amid euphoria and adulation and with a pledge not to accept partition of the island.

During his address to the 100,000-strong crowd, a youth climbed the front of the palace and handed up to the Archbishop an olive branch tied to a pole. In a gesture which typified an element of showmanship in his complex character, Makarios grasped the branch and dropped it Unto the crowd which routed with pleasure.