The Lausanne Treaty Minorities in Greece and Turkey and the Cyprus Question, 1954-9
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Abstract
The Christian minority in Turkey and the Muslim minority in Greece
became part of the Cyprus dispute between Athens and Ankara. In 1955,
government - organised riots took place in Turkey against the Christians
of Istanbul. In the following years, this minority faced strong pressures by
the Turkish state, whenever Greek-Turkish relations deteriorated. From 1956
onwards, the Turks started claiming that the Muslims of Greece were being
oppressed. This Turkish argument was used to strengthen Ankara’s claim for the partition of Cyprus. Yet both the British and the Americans disclaimed
this Turkish line with regard to the Muslim minority of Greece. After
the 1959 Cyprus agreements, Turkey and Greece agreed to re-examine the
issues of the minorities, but this process collapsed in the mid-1960’s, when the
second Cyprus crisis errupted and when Turkey expelled the Christian minority
from Istanbul.
became part of the Cyprus dispute between Athens and Ankara. In 1955,
government - organised riots took place in Turkey against the Christians
of Istanbul. In the following years, this minority faced strong pressures by
the Turkish state, whenever Greek-Turkish relations deteriorated. From 1956
onwards, the Turks started claiming that the Muslims of Greece were being
oppressed. This Turkish argument was used to strengthen Ankara’s claim for the partition of Cyprus. Yet both the British and the Americans disclaimed
this Turkish line with regard to the Muslim minority of Greece. After
the 1959 Cyprus agreements, Turkey and Greece agreed to re-examine the
issues of the minorities, but this process collapsed in the mid-1960’s, when the
second Cyprus crisis errupted and when Turkey expelled the Christian minority
from Istanbul.
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