The Greek Cypriot Nationalist Right in the Era of British Colonialism

This introductory chapter engages with the literature referring to nationalism and to the emergence of political parties in colonial contexts emphasising the British colonial experience in the Mediterranean. The Introduction presents the analytical and historical context of the book within a frame that accounts for the emergence and development of right-wing politics in Cyprus, as well as its transformations and subsequent manifestations. The frame stresses the particular cleavages in Cypriot society, the impact of British colonialism and the internal balance of power within the Greek community, which led to recurrent internal divisions. In this chapter I argue that internal political factors both between and within ideological camps were the main driving force for political positions. Nationalism in this regard, was employed in an instrumental way in political competition.

This chapter examines the Cyprus political scene during the transition from Ottoman occupation to British administration. This transition facilitated and accelerated a new social order—the rise of the bourgeoisie and the working class, and the emergence of a new socio-political elite that soon claimed its stake in political life. These societal changes were favourable for the development of party politics on the island, while at the same they entailed numerous shortcomings that served to distort party politics. These related primarily to the usurious practices and clientelistic relations that were put into place in the political system which have been entrenched in Cypriot party politics ever since.

This chapter examines the political innovations introduced by the British, especially electoral processes and representative institutions. Also discussed are the level of citizen engagement in the political process (i.e., participation in elections), and the nature of electoral politics/political representation in this period. The new political institutions, a nationalist ideology and the changing social landscape all provided the context for the development of electoral and party politics on the island.

This chapter examines the Church of Cyprus—for Greek Cypriots the most important institution throughout the Ottoman and British rule. This examination will allow the understanding of why the Church became the basic pillar of right-wing, nationalist party politics throughout most of the twentieth century. I review the factors underlying the Church’s powerful economic and social position in Cyprus and consider the historical identification of the (Greek) Orthodox inhabitants of the island with the Church. Next, looking at how the Church positioned itself in a period of rapid change, most important here are the Church’s response to the new British policies, and how its role and discourse in Cypriot society changed in a period of intense and important transformations—especially its embrace of nationalism. It appears that the Church’s conversion to the nationalistic cause can be interpreted as an attempt to re-legitimise its social and political presence.

This chapter examines the first major popular conflict in Cyprus: the fight for title of Archbishop of Cyprus. As noted earlier, the Archbishop was the highest authority of both the Church and the Greek Cypriots. This conflict was also a battle between the traditionalists and the nationalists, and the catalyst for the nationalisation and ideologisation of the masses in Cyprus as well as for the emersion and establishment of nationalist politics in Cyprus. I look into the causes of the conflict, the social forces behind the two opposing camps as well as their political discourse and organisation, and the impact on citizen participation in civic elections.

To understand Greek Cypriot nationalist politics we need to look at the mobilisation and organisation of the anti-colonial cleavage within the Greek community of Cyprus which produced two opposing right-wing factions. In this chapter, I look at their colonial stances, their vested interests, their strategies, etc. The way nationalism was politicised left a lasting imprint on Cypriot politics, and not just nationalist politics, which was marked by internal rivalries and conflicts, especially that between intransigents and moderates. Nationalist party politics was also affected by external influences, particularly developments in Greece and the stance of British authorities, while there was also internal political opposition, i.e., the Communists.

This chapter examines the way in which the nationalist Right took shape in the 1940s successfully rallying a full array of organised schemes and ancillary agencies. I do so by considering the various levels of party, trade union, agrarian, local, etc. In particular, I focus on the first ever island-wide party of the nationalist right in Cyprus, the Cypriot Nationalist Party (KEK), and the different organisations associated with the Right: the trade union SEK, the agrarian union PEK, the extreme Right paramilitary group ‘X’, and the many youth associations. Nationalism in this period had an organisational and an extra-parliamentary dimension which marked an important difference with the past. The chapter emphasises the unifying influence of anti-communism, which seems to verify Duverger’s (1954) argument that the Right followed the Left in terms of organisational development.

This chapter examines the way in which the Left and Right became extremely polarised in the late 1940s and early 1950s—so divided that Cyprus was practically on the brink of civil war. I also analyse how this polarisation impacted nationalist party politics, especially in terms of how anti-communism and nationalism were used by the nationalist Right and the Cypriot Church to influence certain critical events, such as the Constitutional Assembly in 1947–1948, municipal and ecclesiastical elections, and the trade union movement. Most important to analyse in this regard is the Church of Cyprus, as it had a strong unifying influence and leadership role in the nationalist milieu. I conclude with an overview and an evaluation of conditions that drove the nationalist Right to radicalise its struggle against the British through an armed guerrilla movement—the clandestine organisation, EOKA.

In this book I have examined the development of Greek Cypriot nationalist right-wing party politics, from its inception under British colonial rule, to conflict with the communist party AKEL, and finally to its most radical expression, EOKA. At this time Cyprus was undergoing rapid social and political change, which included a new style of mass politics that the nationalist groups were initially unwilling to adjust to. The book offered evidence that this change was by no means a natural stage in the life of nationalist parties and organisations, in which they brought their practice automatically into line with the demands of a new age and new demands. However, a combination of factors—the growing popularity of the communists, the changing social terrain and the island’s imminent decolonisation—finally left the nationalist Right no choice but to change their political strategy. The most important factor in this decision was the communist challenge to the Right’s hegemony and primacy in internal politics.