A right-wing Greek Cypriot guerrilla organisation, the National Union of Cypriot Fighters, Eoka, fights an armed revolt against British colonial rule aimed at enosis (union with Greece).

The campaign has mass Greek Cypriot support and is backed by wide-scale civil disobedience. Many Greek Cypriots leave the police force, either in solidarity with Eoka or because of intimidation.

The British colonial authorities replace them with recruits from the smaller Turkish Cypriot community, which is opposed to enosis and prefers to stay under British rule. Britain also says Turkey should have a say in Cyprus’ future. There are periodic outbreaks of inter-communal violence and the Turkish Cypriots begin to pursue taksim (partition) and union with Turkey.

With Turkish support, they form an underground guerrilla organisation, the Turkish Resistance Movement (TMT), whose declared aim is to prevent union with Greece.

Cyprus’ geostrategic importance to Britain soars after the loss of Suez in 1956. But London comes to believe that its strategic interests can be met by having military bases on the island rather than having the island as a base. It veers towards a policy of independence for Cyprus while offloading the problem on the “motherlands” – Greece and Turkey, which draft the independence agreements.