The Origins of the Cyprus Conflict: British, Greek, and Turkish Grand Strategies in Confrontation, 1954-1964

This book analyzes the origins of the Cyprus conflict, offering a fresh perspective through the lens of Grand Strategy and International Relations Theory. It explores the friction between the grand strategies of Greece, Britain, and Turkey within the Cold War context. The British “divide and rule” strategy aimed to incite Turkey and the Turkish minority against the Greek Cypriot majority. Turkey sought either the continuation of British sovereignty or the island’s partition, while Greece pursued the island’s self-determination, aiming for eventual unification with the Greek state.

The book also discusses the collapse of the Zurich Constitution, the inter-communal conflict of 1963-1964, and the Western powers’ efforts to incorporate Cyprus into their grand strategy against Soviet expansion. Finally, it examines the 1964 Anglo-American plans and their impact on the island’s constitutional and geographical landscape, highlighting the strategic importance of Cyprus in the broader geopolitical arena. The book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of international relations and political science, as well as policy-makers interested in better understanding the Cyprus conflict’s origins.

Nicos Panayiotides is adjunct lecturer at the University of Cyprus. He teaches international relations, foreign policy, and “The Foreign Policy of the Republic of Cyprus.” Dr. Panayiotides previously has also lectured at the University of Bologna, Italy and as Assistant Professor at American College in Nicosia, Cyprus.