A Cyprus Question???

kiwikid


Joined: 18/08/2008
Posts: 496

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 11:23

I know this will open a whole can of worms, but I am going to ask it anyway.

I have just started reading a book call "In reality no was asleep" This is a book on the TMT movements of the 50's and 60's. Something in it made me think.

The question is; as Cyprus was Temporarily leased to England in 1878, from the Turkey/Otttomans why was it not returned to them when they the English left as was the case with Hong Kong after their 100 year lease expired?

I don't want to go in to it to deeply, but if anyone knows if there were any conditions or clauses of such that pervented the return I would be interested.

Angela

By the way if you can get hold of a copy of the book "In reality no was asleep" by Ismail TANSU, so far it is a very interesting read.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 11:34

Dear Angela, re msg 1



Cyprus was "annexed" by Britain as part of "reparations" after WW1.



Let us know more about the book when you've finished it, please

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 11:58

RE msg 1 : In a nutshell: 1 : The Ottoman Sultan needed British help against the expansionist dreams of Czarist Russia. 2 : He was promised this help and leased Cyprus in return (at the time strategically very important for the Brits). 3 : Ottoman Turkey was unfortunate/stupid enough to side with the German Kaiser Wilhelm in WW 1. 4 : The lost Great War costed the Ottoman Sultanate dearly, when the Brits annexed Cyprus as a punishment, never to return it to the owners since 1571.

kiwikid


Joined: 18/08/2008
Posts: 496

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 12:05

Thank you both, that's just what I needed to know.

Angela

charb


Joined: 17/03/2009
Posts: 188

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 12:18

...and, as a kind addition to msg 3, Turkey and Ottoman Empire are officially different states, whereas in the Hong Kong issue, the UK and China remain the same for the 100 years.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 12:23

RE msg 5 : But do we agree that modern Turkey is the rightful heir (in my opinion undisputed) of the Ottoman Empire?

Aussie


Joined: 17/06/2007
Posts: 657

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 13:18

I agree that Turkey is the only heir to the Ottoman empire in the same way that Russia Germany are with respect to their former empires as well, subject naturally to the substantial border adjustments since imperial times..



British annexation of Cyprus was formally acknowledged by Turkey and the other signatories under Clause 20 of the 1923 treaty of Lausanne settling the boundaries of Turkey Greece and other Balkan states etc after the Greek Turkish war etc.



A brief reference can be found at



http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Treaty_of_Lausanne



Aussie

semtcm


Joined: 13/01/2009
Posts: 249

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 13:48

hey angela - you can buy ıt from us at the garden bookshop - ozanköy - we launched it with the translater - it was an ınteresting day ... come and buy it at the flower show!

Lib

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
21/04/2009 15:50

"Dear DC, re msg 3



The Ottoman Sultan needed British help against the expansionist dreams of Czarist Russia"



Let's not forget he owed money and Britain was paying of his gambling debts...