Makarios Exiled

Makarios III had been Archbishop of Cyprus since 1950 and, in the tradition of the office, was also the political leader of the Greek Cypriots. When the EOKA campaign began in April 1955, Britain had to decide whether to treat him as a negotiating partner or as part of the problem.

The new Governor, Field Marshal Sir John Harding, opened talks with him in October 1955. Harding offered a development programme and limited self government, with self determination left for some later date. The talks ran on into the new year without agreement and broke down in early March 1956.

On 9 March 1956 Special Branch officers detained Makarios at Nicosia airport as he was about to board a flight. He was charged with complicity in violence and sent into exile in the Seychelles, by way of Aden and Mombasa, along with the Bishop of Kyrenia and two other priests. Britain held him on Mahé, the main island, as a guest of the colonial governor.

The deportation had the opposite effect to the one Britain intended. Greek Cypriots responded with a week long general strike, and EOKA carried out 246 attacks before the end of March. Later that year Lord Radcliffe drew up constitutional proposals that offered self government, safeguards for Turkish Cypriots and the possibility of self determination at an unspecified future date. Turkey accepted them, but Greece rejected them and Makarios, still in exile, refused to consider them.

Makarios was released in March 1957, though he was not allowed to return to Cyprus. He went to Athens, where he received a large welcome and continued to campaign. His own role in EOKA’s violence remains disputed. But the exile confirmed him as the leader Greek Cypriots would follow, and two years later he returned to Cyprus as the man who would sign the settlement.