Makarios III

Makarios III was a central figure in the history of Cyprus during the 20th century.

He served as the Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus from 1950 until 1977. Additionally, he was the first president of the Republic of Cyprus. He held this political office from 1960 to July 1974. He also served a second term from December 1974 until his death in 1977. Because of his religious and political influence, many people called him the Ethnarch. This term identified him as the de facto national leader of the Greek Cypriot community. He played a vital role in the transition of Cyprus from British colonial rule to an independent state.

His early life was defined by religious devotion and academic study. Born Michael Christodoulou Mouskos in 1913, he grew up in the village of Panayia. He entered the Kykkos Monastery as a novice when he was only 13 years old. Later, he completed his secondary education at the Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia in 1936. He then moved to Greece to study both theology and law at the University of Athens. After graduating in 1942, he served as a priest in the Cypriot Orthodox Church. He even received a scholarship to study at Boston University in the United States. In 1948, he was elected Bishop of Kition. Upon his return to Cyprus, he adopted the clerical name Makarios, which means "blessed."

During the 1950s, Makarios became a leading voice for the movement known as enosis. Enosis was the goal of uniting Cyprus with the Kingdom of Greece. In 1950, he was elected Archbishop of Cyprus, which placed him at the heart of political life. He worked closely with the Greek government to bring the Cyprus issue to the United Nations. In 1954, he urged Greece to argue for the principle of self-determination. However, the British government wanted to keep control of the island. This was because Cyprus served as a headquarters for the Middle East. In 1955, a group called EOKA was formed to fight for these goals. While Makarios shared political ground with EOKA, he later denied any involvement in their violent resistance.

The tension between the British and the Cypriot movement led to a period of exile. In 1956, British authorities viewed Makarios with great suspicion. They abducted him at the Nicosia airport while he was trying to board a flight. Under a plan called Operation Apollo, he was sent into exile on Mahe Island in the Seychelles. He traveled through Aden and Mombasa before arriving in Port Victoria. During this time, a different idea called Taksim began to grow among Turkish Cypriots. Taksim was the idea of partitioning or splitting the island. This created a deep divide between the two communities on the island. Makarios was released after one year but was not allowed to return to Cyprus immediately.

Makarios eventually changed his political strategy to focus on full independence. After spending time in Athens, he participated in United Nations discussions. In 1959, the Zurich Agreement provided a framework for Cypriot independence. Although Makarios initially resisted the plan, he eventually signed it. He returned to Cyprus in 1959 and was met by nearly two-thirds of the Greek Cypriot population. In the December 1959 elections, he won the presidency with two-thirds of the vote.

On August 16, 1960, the British Union Flag was lowered, and Cyprus became independent. Makarios then worked to keep Cyprus neutral through the Non-Aligned Movement.

His presidency was marked by significant internal conflict and diplomatic challenges. Makarios traveled frequently to meet other world leaders.

He visited West Berlin and Bonn as part of his international duties.

However, his policy of neutrality caused concern in the United States. Some American media members even called him the "Castro of the Mediterranean." Domestically, relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots became very strained. In 1963, Makarios proposed constitutional amendments to make the government more efficient. Many Turkish Cypriots felt these changes threatened their legal protections. This led to increased violence and the resignation of many Turkish Cypriot officials.

To manage the growing instability, the United Nations began peacekeeping operations in 1964.

These operations, known as UNFICYP, aimed to soothe the situation between the communities. Makarios remained a popular leader among his supporters. In a 1968 election, he won approximately 96 percent of the vote, with 220,911 votes cast for him. He argued that the problems in Cyprus should be solved through the United Nations rather than by force. Despite his efforts to maintain a unitary state, tensions continued to rise throughout the 1970s. He remained the leader of the island until his death in 1977.