Cyprus Becomes Crown Colony

Britain had annexed Cyprus in November 1914, but for several years its status remained unsettled in international law. The Ottoman Empire had never agreed to the annexation, and the post war Treaty of Sèvres, which would have recognised it, was never put into effect.

The question was settled by the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923 between the Allied powers and the new government in Ankara and in force from 6 August 1924. Under Article 20, Turkey recognised the British annexation. Article 21 provided for Muslim Cypriots to emigrate to Turkey, and a recent study argues that British officials did not always apply its terms as written.

With its title secure, Britain proclaimed Cyprus a Crown colony on 1 May 1925. The change was largely one of form. The High Commissioner, Sir Malcolm Stevenson, became Governor, and the Legislative Council was enlarged from 18 to 24 members. Its seats were divided between elected Greek Cypriots, elected Turkish Cypriots and appointed officials, so votes often ended in a tie that the Governor could break. The Colonial Secretary, Leo Amery, turned down Cypriot requests for more control over their own affairs, arguing that the island was not yet ready for it.

Most Cypriots saw little to celebrate. The proclamation brought no new reforms, and the island’s finances were still burdened by the old payments due under the Cyprus Convention of 1878. Some observers called Cyprus the “Cinderella colony” for the neglect it seemed to suffer.

The two communities read the moment differently. Archbishop Kyrillos III used the occasion to press publicly for union with Greece, and many Greek Cypriots saw colony status as one more step towards it. Turkish Cypriots opposed union with Greece. Six years later the frustration of the Greek Cypriot majority boiled over in the October 1931 uprising.