The First Republic of Cyprus: a Review of an Unworkable Constitution

Abstract

I HE FIRST Republic of Cyprus fell in the onslaught of ethnic warfare which erupted in the island three days before Christmas 1963. At that moment, a wobbly constitution was symbolically consumed by the internecine flames and one thing was made certain: the Greco-Turkish conflict could never be resolved anew by turning back four years to the better days when delicate international give-and-take made Cypriot independence possible. The story of the first constitution of Cyprus which has been likened to a masterfully jeweled watch is one of finely drawn compromise, a fascinating account of sincere though unrealistic legalism or how not to bring an anxious colony into statehood. Independent Cyprus came into being as a result of the Zurich-London Agreements in 1959 between Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Cypriot leaders of the Greek and Turkish communities. The Agreements were basically a series of concessions which actually satisfied none of the parties. Nevertheless, these provisions formed the basis of three treaties and the Republic's constitution. The Treaty of Establishment defined the territory of the Republic, excluding two enclaves on the south shore of the island which were to be retained as British Sover-