Yeni Belgelerin Işığında Kıbrıs'ta Kanlı Noel

Abstract

  With the declaration of the Republic of Cyprus on August 16, 1960, British sovereignty over the island came to an end. The newly elected President, III. Makarios, began governing the Turkish and Greek communities on the island together with Vice President Dr. Fazıl Küçük. However, disagreements in governance, tax issues, and the failure to implement the 70/30 employment law for Turks in public services led to increased tensions.

  On November 30, 1963, Makarios proposed amendments to 13 articles of the constitution. These amendments portrayed Turks as a minority on the island and were met with opposition from the Turkish community.

  During this period of heightened tension between the two communities, on December 4, 1963, an attack occurred on the statue of EOKA member Markos Drakos, hailed as a 'hero' by the Greeks, located at Baf Gate. The Greeks claimed that the attackers were Turks and subsequently implemented the "Akritas Plan". TMT, which had been underground since its establishment, emerged to protect the Turks.

  On December 21, 1963, EOKA members stopped and searched a group of 10 Turks in the Tahtakale neighborhood, and when met with resistance from the Turks, they killed two of them.

  The massacres escalated in the region. Among the Turks mercilessly killed in the Küçük Kaymaklı and Kumsal areas was the family of Major Nihat İlhan, who served in the Cyprus Turkish Forces.

In this study, the event known as the "Bloody Christmas," in which Turkish Cypriots were massacred, was examined through the Eleftheria newspaper published in Greek and owned by EOKA member Nikos Sampson, and analyzed by comparing it with Turkish sources.