Psychological Perception Operations and Cyprus

The island of Cyprus, located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, where various civilizations were born and fused, on very important transit routes and in a position dominating them, is an island that has maintained its strategic features in every period of history and has managed to be the focus of international public opinion. It is said to be named after Kypros, known as the henna flower, (1) the daughter of Kiniros in mythology, Kipris, the goddess of love, or the Latin word Cuprum, meaning copper, which is used in almost all European languages, the Kypros plant, which grows abundantly in Cyprus, and finally because of its shape resembling an ox skin stretched over a barn door to dry after being salted (2) 

The island, which was turned into a bloodbath on April 1, 1955, with the EOKA organization under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Grivas in order to connect the island of Cyprus to Greece in line with the Megali Idea, and divided into two with the July 20, 1974 Peace Operation carried out after the coup d'état of Nikos Sampson on July 25, 1974, is always worthy of research in terms of different disciplines of social sciences. The subject to be examined in this research is the history of postal communication in Cyprus, the phases of postal communication, the Greek embargoes that emerged especially after the Bloody Christmas of December 21, 1963, and how the communication problem was tried to be solved and the current situation will be tried to be revealed.

The first postal organization and post office on the island of Cyprus, the pearl of the Mediterranean, was the Nicosia post office in 1871, where a worker named Nuri worked and Hüseyin Zati Efendi was the first postmaster. This post office operated under the control and supervision of the Damascus central post office. On the other hand, another post office opened in Cyprus around the same time was the Larnaca (Larnaca) post office, which was known as Tuzla (Tuzla) in 1873 and operated under the responsibility of Simon Simolenski. During this period, the stamp of Cyprus was stamped on the Ottoman stamps and the stamps were canceled in this way. According to the Turkish World Ottoman Stamp Catalogue (No.52-53) and the international Yvert catalogue, the value and colors of the stamps with catalogue numbers 27 and 28 in 1871 were 1 piastre-yellow, 2 piastres-red. (1 piastre is worth 1 piastre and 40 coins are worth 1 piastre.) In the period 1873-1875, there were 20 coins-green and 1 piastre-yellow stamps with Yvert numbers 32 and 33. From 1876 onwards, the 1 piastre-yellow stamp shown in the Yvert catalog with number 37 came into use.

The Larnaca Post Office, also known as the Tuzla Post Office, continued to operate until 1878, when the British leased the island from the Ottomans, after which it closed. During this period, as people engaged in trade turned to Austrian postal services, the two post offices in Tuzla and Nicosia were used only for official correspondence and official communications with Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman stamps used in these post offices were double-framed rectangular stamps with the word "Cyprus" written in Arabic script in the center. Two years after the transfer of the island to Britain, the British Postal Administration began to use these stamps in Cyprus by making overcharges on British stamps. These overprints were prepared by the firm "De La Rueand Co". The stamps in question and their denominations are as follows; No.3 "Half Penny" 18 MM, No.4 "Half Penny" 16 and 16 ½ MM, No.5 "Half Penny" 13 MM, No.6 "30 Paras" 1 D. The red color is dominant on the stamp. The values printed by De La Rueand Co on these stamps are ½ Piastre, 1 Piastre, 2 Piastre, 3 Piastre, 4 Piastre and 6 Piastre. Some of these stamps bear the initials "J.A.B" (J.A.B), the initials of J. A. Bulmer, the postmaster general at the time, indicating that all letters arriving at the post office were checked and surcharged by the postmaster general. In 1882, the stamps numbered 7, 8 and 9 were also surcharged. 

The stamps used by the British postal administration in Cyprus were used with special stamps starting from 1878 until August 16, 1960, when the Republic of Cyprus was established, and then they were issued with special surcharges. During the British administration, apart from the continuous series, "Omnibus", that is, "Intercolonial Joint Large Series" were also issued. All of these stamps were sent from England and used only for postal services. The authorized agency of these stamps in the world markets is "CrownAgents". These stamps are printed at Brandbury Wilkinson Printing House. As mentioned before, the letterpresses are printed by Thomas De La Rue. On the other hand, starting from 1960 onwards, the tenders for the printing of all these stamps were awarded to or received by the Aspioti Elka Printing House in Athens, the capital of Greece. The only buyer in Turkey of these stamps, which were released by Crown Agents in the world philately world, was a person named Necdet Ekinci. Britain continues to use its own stamps, post offices and stamps until August 16, 1960.

Republic of Cyprus Period

The agreement, which was negotiated in London and Zurich and adopted and signed on February 19, 1959 (3) and which set out the structure of the Republic of Cyprus, envisaged an army of 2000 people in Cyprus, 60% of whom would be Greek Cypriots and the rest Turks. Perhaps the most important article of the agreement is the fourth article, which gives Turkey, as a guarantor state, the right to unilaterally intervene in the island if necessary. Starting from the 1950s, it was the Turkish Cypriot-owned village buses and taxis that carried the burden of Turkish Cypriot postal communication. Companies such as Kombos Taxi and Lausanne Bus Company and almost all village buses and taxis are the most important elements that provide communication between towns and villages. Letters, which are usually left at the village café, at a local grocer or a person with a fixed address and known to everyone, and usually at the village headmen, are delivered to their recipients via taxis and buses. One of those who made maximum use of buses and taxis was the Turkish Resistance Organization. In this way, different couriers are used for the transportation of written messages through couriers and for the transportation of important messages for the organization; (4)

"...The Lausanne bus used to travel once a day (from Limassol) to Nicosia. It would go in the morning and come back in the afternoon. We used to travel with Veysi Cam's Lausanne bus. When I see the surroundings now, I try not to think of the sacrifice these men made and I feel ashamed. When I think of what these men did, it brings tears to my eyes..."

The most important company of that period, which provided communication and transportation of Turkish Cypriots between the regions, was Lozan Taxi, which started with one car and later turned into an 18-car company. In 1955, the partners of the company, Veysi Cam, Cemal Desoto and Cemal Hamza, who were undecided between 'İnönü and Lozan' during the establishment phase of the taxi office, later decided on 'Lozan'. A cabin from the Bel-Cola factory, telephone, electricity and other procedures were completed with the great support of Deputy Commissioner Ahmet Sami Bey and the office started to operate. Passengers from Nicosia, Limassol and later Kyrenia were also rescued from the Greeks with the directives of the TMT, and both passenger and courier services continued for a long time. Postal communication via taxis and buses continues in the same way in different parts of the island, especially in Famagusta. However, the bus drivers, who provide communication between Turkish areas, are also asked to be prevented from this voluntary service by the Greeks and are subjected to various pressures. For example, on June 14, 1965, a Turkish driver who was carrying letters to be delivered to his destination was fined 120 Cypriot Liras for doing an illegal job and was detained for 12 days. Meanwhile, despite all these troubles, Turkish Cypriots did not want to put Greek Cypriots through the same thing and convoys were formed twice a day under the leadership of UNFICYP for Greek Cypriots going to Kyrenia, which was within the Turkish zone.    

With the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, in the first days, some stamps left over from the British administration were stamped in Turkish and Greek, and these were used in postal communication. In addition, on August 16, 1960, when the Republic of Cyprus was established, the first stamps of the state were also put into circulation. The constitution of the Republic of Cyprus came into force after the London and Zurich agreements, but it is not possible to state that the constitution, which envisaged that the Turkish and Greek communities would have equal rights on the island, was fully ready and met the expectations. On the other hand, even though an agreement was reached between the Greeks and Turks and a new state was established, the areas of Dikelya, Pergamos, Ayinos Nicholas, Episkopi, Paramali and Xylophagou were still under British control. According to the agreement, all valuable papers issued by the Republic of Cyprus (official stamps, postage stamps, postage stamps, coins, etc.) will bear the word Cyprus in Turkish, Greek and English; however, all this remains only on paper and the state administration becomes an institution serving only the Greek Cypriots. In the 3 years between 1960 and 1963, Makarios kept repeating that the London and Zurich agreements were signed in error and against his will, and he saw the Republic of Cyprus as a stepping stone to achieve his goal of Enosis. All the leaders of EOKA were appointed to key positions and secret armament was accelerated. To this end, Makarios concentrated all his efforts during this period to change the Constitution and especially the 13th article concerning the Turks. The Greeks, who were bent on destroying the Republic of Cyprus and massacring all the Turks on the island with the Akritas Plan that would later emerge, did not allow the Republic to be protected. In each new series of stamps put into circulation by the postal administration, Turkish phrases were continuously reduced in size and this situation continued in this way until 1963. Increasing their pressure on the Turkish community on the island, Greek Cypriots also used cunning tactics to send the message on international platforms that the Turks were always a spoilsport and disregarded the rules. For example, the stamp series put into circulation by the Republic of Cyprus on May 5, 1964 was titled "Respect for United Nations Resolutions".

First Cyprus Turkish Postmark on the Island

Since the beginning of the armed Greek Cypriot attacks in Cyprus on December 21, 1963, the Turkish Cypriot community was completely deprived of postal services and postal activities came to a complete standstill. As a result of the prevention of communication activities even between towns and villages on the island by Greek administrators and Greek administrators, who had great difficulties in communication, the applications made to the UN did not lead to a solution. Thereupon, the post office in Atatürk Square, which is located in the Turkish part of Nicosia and known as the Central Post Office, comes into play. The postal officials working in this post office started to stamp the stamps of the Republic of Cyprus with a special stamp as of January 6, 1964 and to send canceled letters between the Turkish parts of the island with these postmarks. This stamp bears the words "Cyprus Turkish Posts" and the date "6.1.64" between two concentric circles. In the center of this stamp is the "moon and star". This practice was also in effect in Famagusta, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, Kyrenia, Kyrenia, the center of Lefke and other Turkish Cypriot-controlled Turkish villages. During the period when this practice was carried out on the stamps of the Republic of Cyprus secretly from the Greek Cypriots, the abundant stocks of stamps of the Republic of Cyprus in the postal centers were considered as a great advantage and opportunity. During this period, all letters sent to the post without exception had this stamp dated "6.1.64" on them. Since the first stamp application of the Turkish Cypriot Postal Administration and the first postal service was carried out on this date, the Turkish Cypriot Postal History is considered to have started on January 6, 1964 by philatelists all over the world.

However, when a postal package sent from the Nicosia central post office to Famagusta accidentally fell into the hands of Greek Cypriot officials and the Greeks immediately referred the matter to the UN, the use of the stamp dated January 6, 1964 was immediately terminated. After the Greek Cypriots reacted in such a way and claimed that it was illegal for the Turkish Cypriots to unofficially and illegally apply such a stamp at a time when the so-called Republic of Cyprus was active, this Turkish stamp was no longer used on January 7, 1964. After the Greek Cypriots, supported by the UN, blocked Turkish postal transportation and imposed a secret embargo on Turkish postal services even within the island, Turkish Cypriot postal officials began to look for a new solution. Later, instead of a dated stamp, stamps with an asterisk instead of a date were introduced, again in secret from the Greek Cypriots and the UN, and used in Nicosia, Famagusta, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos and Lefke. The stamp used in the Nicosia post office is green and the one used in the Limassol post office is purple. 

There are no examples of both the stamp dated January 6, 1964 and the undated stamp that passed through registered mail. However, the only exception to the pressure and censorship imposed by the Greeks was again in Famagusta and its 33 villages. While the Turks, who dominated the port of Famagusta, demanded the continuation of postal services without interruption and freedom of communication, the Greeks demanded to benefit from the port. (5) Thus, despite the troubles experienced all over the island, Greeks and Turks tried to work together in the port area and to continue postal services without any restrictions. During this period, "GR", "ER" and "VR" stamps, which were used during the British period, were generally used on postal shipments sent from Famagusta. This practice started on January 6, 1964 and continued until April 17, 1964. There are also claims that the practice continued until September 1964.

Within the framework of this practice, which was primarily planned to ensure communication within the island, some letters were also delivered outside Cyprus through the Red Crescent, Red Cross, UNFICYP United Nations Forces in Cyprus and some embassies. These two postal services came to an end on April 17, 1964 when the Greek Cypriot administration gave assurances through the UN that the Turks could also benefit from postal services. During this period when the events erupted, the Greek Cypriot Postal Administration did not allow the letters belonging to the Turks to go out, regardless of which post office or agency they were sent through, and the letters sent to the Turkish regions were returned to the sender by the Greeks by stamping "Unknown" on them. Immediately after this, a postal agreement was signed between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on October 14, 1966. According to this agreement, the Turkish Cypriots would return to the Greeks all the stamp stocks and stationery materials in the post office located in Atatürk Square in Nicosia and the money obtained from the sale of these products. In return, the Greek Cypriots would lift the embargo on Turkish Cypriots' local and international mail sent in and out of the island, as well as the mail they would send in and out of the island. 

Despite all the agreements made, the promises made were not fulfilled and the restrictions on Turkish Cypriot communications continued. Thus, the Greek Cypriot oppression and embargoes on Turkish Cypriot postal communications continued until July 20, 1974 and thousands of letters that were supposed to be delivered to the Turks were destroyed by Greek postmen instead of being delivered to their recipients, returned to the sender for frivolous reasons such as "unknown, insufficient address, not recognized, moved, missing fee" or delivered to their recipients after being kept in warehouses for years. In the private archive of the author of this study, there are many letters that were not delivered to their recipients by the Greeks and returned to the senders, including a letter sent from Anamur, which constitutes the southernmost point of Turkey and is only 70 kilometers away from Cyprus, to Nicosia in 1964, but which was kept in warehouses by Greek officials and delivered to its recipient only in 1967. 

The fact that the freedom of communication of Turkish Cypriots was deliberately sabotaged by the Greek Cypriots was also mentioned in UN reports at different times. For example, in paragraph 146 of Report S/5950 dated September 10, 1964, it is stated that "...the Government has not delivered any domestic or international parcels to the Turkish part of Nicosia since April 25, 1964.", and in paragraph 20 of Report S/6/02 dated December 12, 1964, it is stated that "... No letters can be delivered to the areas under the control of the Turkish Cypriots.", in paragraph 78 of report S/7001 dated December 10, 1965, it is stated that "...the exclusion of Turkish Cypriots from postal services prevents social insurance benefits paid by postal money order from reaching the hands of the Turks...". The postmarks applied during this period, their application locations and features are as follows;

1- Date stamp (6.1.64) Nicosia The date is close to the inner circle.

2- Date stamp (6.1.64) Nicosia Date is right in the middle of the apartments.

3- Date stamp (6.1.64) Paphos Cut in the inner circle under the word "Posts"

4- Dash under the letter "I" in the word "Posts" in Star Nicosia

5- Yıldız Nicosia No line.

6- Yıldız Nicosia Dash under the letter "i" in the word "Posts"

7- Star Famagusta The word "Cyprus" is thin and small

8- Star Famagusta Cleaner and smaller than the stamp applied in Nicosia.

9- Yıldız Larnaca An indentation in the outer circle after the word "Posts"

10- Star Larnaca Small, neat and clean letters

11- Star Lefke Fine stamp  

12- Yıldız Kyrenia This stamp was prepared but never used.

During this period, the seal prepared to be applied in Kyrenia could not be applied when the Greek police commissioner invited the leaders of the Turkish community in Kyrenia to the police station to make a deal in order to prevent the conflicts that broke out on the island from spreading and reaching Kyrenia, and captured the group, including the Turkish Postmaster. When the Postmaster came out of the police station and could not find the seal he had buried in a field, this possibility completely disappeared and the stamp could not be applied in Kyrenia. On the other hand, envelopes stamped "Larnaca" and "Moon Star" prepared by a British officer are rejected by the postal agency of the village of Pergama (Pergamos) on the grounds that the war is still going on and that these letters cannot be sent to England through normal means, and these envelopes are sent to England through the Field Post Office (FPO) of the British military post office at the British base in Dikelya, with an additional charge for registered mail. All of these envelopes are stamped "Arrivé" and are among the rarest materials sought after by scholars of Turkish Cypriot postal history. 

Footnotes

(1) Sir George Hill, A History Of Cyprus, Volume I, Cambridge UniversityPress, 1949, p. 1. Halil Fikret Alasya, Cyprus History And Turkish Works In Cyprus, Ankara, 1964, p.13. Robin Parker, Aphrodite's Realm, ZavallisPress, Nicosia, 1962, p. 9.

(2) Lawrence Durrel, Bitter Lemons; Cyprus-1956, Istanbul, Belge Yay. September 1992, p. 27.

(3) Başbakanlık Cumhuriyet Arşivi (BCA), 030.01.38.227.17.

(4) Interview with the late Macit Aydınova, a member of the TMT Limassol cadre, in Kyrenia on July 13, 2003. 

(5) JeffErtughrul, The Postal Services of Cyprus, London, June 1994, p. 4