The recent visit of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Cyprus has sparked outrage and disappointment among Turkish Cypriots. Starmer’s decision to engage exclusively with the Greek Cypriot administration while snubbing the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is not only a diplomatic misstep but a glaring example of the British government’s ongoing bias.

This approach underscores a troubling paradox: the British government appears to favor those historically responsible for atrocities against its own citizens and Turkish Cypriots, while neglecting the victims.

A Visit That Exposes Contradictions

Keir Starmer’s visit marked the first by a British Prime Minister to Cyprus since 1999, when Tony Blair made an official visit. Yet, instead of seizing the opportunity to address both communities and foster dialogue, Starmer’s itinerary conspicuously excluded any interaction with Turkish Cypriot leadership. This deliberate snub raises serious questions about Britain’s impartiality as a guarantor power under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

What makes this exclusion even more bewildering is the historical context. During the 1950s and 60s, British servicemen were targeted and murdered by the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA), a Greek Cypriot paramilitary group led by Colonel George Grivas. EOKA’s campaign for enosis — the union of Cyprus with Greece — resulted in the deaths of 371 British servicemen, alongside civilians, including women and children. Families of British soldiers, such as Catherine Cutliffe and her daughter Margaret, who were gunned down while shopping in Famagusta, suffered irreparable loss at the hands of EOKA militants. Yet today, Starmer’s actions suggest an unsettling willingness to overlook these atrocities, as do the Greek Cypriot side whom continues to conveniently ignore such war crimes despite the appearance of militants admitting to the murders on national Greek Cypriot TV. 

Honoring British Servicemen: A Turkish Cypriot Perspective

Contrary to the British government’s apparent indifference, Turkish Cypriots have gone to great lengths to honor the sacrifices of those British servicemen and their families. A memorial erected in the TRNC pays tribute to their service and loss, serving as a poignant reminder of the tragic cost of EOKA’s campaign. Refusal of Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of the UK a guarantor power in Cyprus, to even visit this memorial is simply outrageous. Paradoxically there is no memorial to British sacrifices in the South of the Island within the Greek administration. Every year, these servicemen are remembered not only in the TRNC but also by Turkish Cypriots across the United Kingdom. On Remembrance Sunday, countless Turkish Cypriots up and down the UK commemorate their sacrifices, standing in solidarity with their families.

Why has the British government forgotten these men and women who gave their lives? Turkish Cypriots have not. Their service, their sacrifices, and their memories are etched into the hearts of a community that continues to honor them with dignity and respect. Keir Starmer’s failure to acknowledge this during his visit is not just an oversight but a grave insult to their legacy.

The Veneration of Terrorists

While the British government turns a blind eye to Turkish Cypriot concerns, the Greek Cypriot side continues to lionize EOKA figures. Statues of Grivas and public commemorations glorify individuals who masterminded terror campaigns against both British and Turkish Cypriots. Starmer’s failure to address this troubling glorification during his visit signals a tacit acceptance of historical revisionism.

Contrast this with the treatment of Turkish Cypriots, who have consistently sought dialogue and fairness. Turkish Cypriots endured ethnic cleansing, genocide, and forced displacement in the 1960s following the collapse of the power-sharing agreements enshrined in the 1960 Constitution. For 11 years, thousands were confined to enclaves, deprived of basic rights, their properties confiscated, and their lives uprooted. The British government, despite its guarantor role, stood by passively as these atrocities unfolded. Starmer’s visit perpetuates this legacy of neglect, ignoring decades of suffering and systemic injustice inflicted upon Turkish Cypriots.

A Diplomatic Double Standard

The paradox is clear: Britain, a nation that suffered at the hands of EOKA, now appears to prioritize relations with those who once sought to undermine its rule. Starmer’s approach starkly contrasts with the principles of justice and accountability that the United Kingdom professes to uphold. Imagine a scenario where a British Prime Minister visited a region that glorified IRA militants responsible for attacks on British soldiers — the outrage would be palpable. Yet, when it comes to Cyprus, this double standard prevails.

Turkish Cypriots, by contrast, have remained steadfast in their calls for equality and recognition. The President of the TRNC has repeatedly extended olive branches for dialogue, only to be met with indifference from both the Greek Cypriot administration and international actors like the UK. By ignoring these efforts, Starmer has not only alienated Turkish Cypriots but also undermined Britain’s credibility as an impartial guarantor power.

The Role of Makarios and British Complicity

The British government’s bias is further illuminated by its historical dealings with Archbishop Makarios III, a key architect of enosis. While Makarios styled himself as a statesman, his complicity in fostering ethnic cleansing and genocide cannot be ignored. British archives and contemporary press reports from outlets like the Mirror dubbed him the “Butcher of Cyprus” for his tacit approval of atrocities against Turkish Cypriots. Yet, even after his arrest and exile to the Seychelles in 1956, the British government failed to hold him accountable, ultimately allowing him to ascend to the presidency of the Republic of Cyprus.

Starmer’s silence on this legacy during his visit is deafening. By engaging exclusively with the Greek Cypriot leadership, he has effectively endorsed a narrative that erases decades of suffering endured by Turkish Cypriots and British nationals alike. The image of Starmer shamelessly walking alongside the Greek Cypriot leader, shadowed by memorials of Makarios, the so-called 'Butcher of Cyprus,' serves as a stark reminder of his disregard for historical accountability. While Turkish Cypriots remember British servicemen annually, both in the TRNC and in London on Remembrance Sunday, Starmer’s actions suggest a willful ignorance of their sacrifice and service. Why does Britain forget those who gave so much? Turkish Cypriots have not.

A Call for Accountability

As Turkish Cypriots, especially in the UK where taxes are paid, and diligent service to the UK has been offered by generations of our people since the 1950's we find it incomprehensible that a British Prime Minister would ignore the victims of EOKA’s campaign while engaging with those who continue to glorify its perpetrators. This is not just a failure of diplomacy but a moral abdication. Britain’s role as a guarantor power demands impartiality, yet its actions repeatedly betray this responsibility.

Starmer’s visit should have been an opportunity to reset relations and address historical grievances. Instead, it has reinforced a pattern of exclusion and favoritism that undermines prospects for a just resolution to the Cyprus issue. If Britain is serious about its role in fostering peace, it must begin by treating Turkish Cypriots as equal stakeholders and acknowledging the injustices of the past.

TCE Conclusion

Keir Starmer’s Cyprus visit will be remembered not as a step toward reconciliation but as a missed opportunity and a diplomatic failure. By favoring the Greek Cypriot side, he has alienated Turkish Cypriots and ignored the sacrifices of British servicemen who paid the ultimate price during the EOKA insurgency. Britain’s credibility as a guarantor power hangs in the balance, and it is time for its leaders to act with moral accountability that the situation demands.

References:

- National Army Museum
- BBC News
- History Today
- Cyprus Mail
- Official records of the Cyprus Emergency
- "The Butcher of Cyprus" headlines from British newspapers (Mirror archives)