It is vital that we refresh our memories regarding his great contribution. Zorlu was a sine qua non minister and, in addition, his perspective and arguments on the Cyprus issue are still important today, and remarkable to recall. The Turkish Cypriots have acquired equal status on the island thanks to his thesis, developed in response to discussions about whether or not the majority would become dominant on Cyprus in the 1950s.
The 1955 London Conference was the first step towards recognition of the Cyprus issue in the international arena. The conference confirmed that Turkey was a party to the issue. Before the conference, Prime Minister Adnan Menderes appointed Zorlu foreign minister, and Zorlu headed the delegation to the conference.
Basically, the London Conference was tough. considering the overall state of affairs in Cyprus, as well as regional and international developments. The British were the main targets for the Greek nationalists, who waged a war of national liberation towards unification with the mainland, Greece. On the other hand, Britain was decisive in involving Turkey in the matter, due to its historical, legal and ethnic ties with the island. Of course, this was something that Zorlu was looking for. However, Britain also acquired an influential position on the island through two separate military bases and guarantor status.
It should be noted that Britain is still able to sit out of controversial discussions on the Cyprus issue. However, from a strategic perspective, Britain’s status is open to serious discussion and controversy. There is no united discourse on the status of Britain on the island. Turkey has implicitly recognized the British occupation under the Treaty of Lausanne, and acknowledged British rule over the Turkish population in Cyprus.
Up until the London Conference, Turkey had remained indifferent to what happened on the island. Those familiar with the Cyprus issue and its history are well aware that both the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Democratic Party (DP) regarded the Cyprus issue as an internal matter for Britain. Under legal arrangements, this was not actually wrong. But within four years subsequent to the London Conference, Cyprus made attempts to get rid of its colonial past and acquire independence through a unique constitution, legal arrangement of guarantorship and an international treaty.
What is important to note here is the great contribution of the diplomatic maneuvers of Zorlu to the elevation of the status of Turkish Cypriots on the island, and to the recognition of Turkey as an influential party in the issue.
Turkish Cypriots founding members of the new state
The Treaty of London and Treaty of Zurich were signed by Turkey, Britain and Greece on Feb. 19, 1959. By these treaties, the Turkish Cypriots became founding members of the new state. Under the new constitution, the Turks held the position of vice president and the right to veto legislation. The constitution also reserved three ministerial posts in the cabinet. Under this treaty, Turkey acquired a position of guarantor in Cyprus, and its right was recognized to deploy some military servicemen.
This was an important development, considering that Turkey had had to withdraw from the island in 1878. Turkey was able to take action in response to the domestic conflict in Cyprus after a coup against Archbishop Makarios III on July 15, 1974 thanks to the treaty, which was drafted as a result of efforts by Zorlu.
Zorlu’s performance at the London Conference, held on Aug. 29, 1955, by a team that he assembled from scratch, was much admired by Turkish diplomats and the British Diplomatic Service. For the first time, Turkey abandoned its defensive stance in Cyprus and adopted an aggressive style. Despite difficulties and risks, Turkey was able to rely on arguments relevant to legal status and political realities at the conference, where it reshaped its Cyprus vision. The conference contributed extensively to Turkey’s ability to regain an influential position in the Cyprus matter. Zorlu, the architect of this aggressive diplomacy on Cyprus, extensively studied the matter and held thorough negotiations at the diplomatic gathering for a desirable outcome.
The Turkish Cypriots lost their status as rulers in the Ottoman Empire after the Turkish withdrawal in 1878; subsequently, the Turks started to migrate to their homeland, Turkey. In the aftermath of 1955, the remaining Turks on the island had to remain as bystanders to the movements of the Greeks towards independence and Enosis (unification with Greece); their only concern during this period was to preserve their identity.
It should be noted that no research has been done on the impact of the great migration from the island to Turkey, or on the indifference and weak position of the Turks during the Greek attempts. Of course, this is not our subject matter now. However, it is necessary to understand the main reasons and factors behind the defensive style that the Turks adopted back then on the island. We need to be alert and sensitive in order to make sure that the same thing never happens again.
The approach that Zorlu adopted during the negotiations at the conference in his talks with Greek Foreign Minister Evengelos Averof on the Cyprus issue was based on his strong knowledge of history and politics, and evidenced his greatness as a diplomat able to rely on legal argument as well. Zorlu briefly studied political science in Paris, later acquiring a law degree in Geneva.
Statements and remarks by his colleague and counterpart Averof on his competence elevate Zorlu’s importance. His diplomatic skills, patience and legal expertise are confirmed and acknowledged by many diplomats and analysts. It should also be noted that Zorlu raised the idea of creating a federation in Cyprus, and that he forwarded this idea to Zenon Rossides, who was serving as representative to Cyprus in the UN in September 1955. Zorlu’s idea was based on the friendship between Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Eleftherios Venizelos.
Understanding the lack of substantiated evidence
Zorlu had a strong family past. It should be noted that his wife, Emel Zorlu, was the daughter of Tevfik Rüştü Aras, one of the most important foreign ministers of the early republican years. Atatürk attended their engagement ceremony on Oct. 29, 1933. Zorlu, who became engaged at the 10th anniversary of the republic, was executed on Sept. 16, 1961.
We need to understand that the decision to execute Zorlu and two other statesmen was not based on substantiated evidence. Some accusations related to the Sept. 6-7, 1955 incidents; however, these accusations were not adequate to conclude that they should be executed.
On Aug. 16, 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was founded. However, the prime minister and the foreign minister of the government that had contributed to the drafting of the treaties by which an independent state was established were executed on Sept. 16 and 17, 1961. During the trials in Yassıada, no reference was made to the Cyprus treaties, which indeed were ratified by Parliament. Cyprus was not an issue during the early years of the Republic. Yet it is argued that the Cyprus issue was one of the determinants in the decision to execute Zorlu, who made a connection between Lausanne and Cyprus. While there is no concrete evidence on this matter, people in North Cyprus are still hesitant to write about Zorlu, who played a significant role in the making of the treaties that recognized the legal status of the Turks on the island. In the end, Turkey executed the architect of its national cause and then adopted his legacy.
It is great to see that there are now attempts to remember Zorlu and his contributions to the Turkish Cypriots in North Cyprus. There are now academic events held for this purpose. I personally invited Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağış — at our meeting of Sept. 12, 2012 — to a conference on Zorlu and Turkish Cypriots to be held under the auspices of the Institute for Social Sciences at the Lefke European University. I am happy that he expressed interest in attending; this encouraged us. EU Minister Bağış noted that it was extremely important to hold such a conference in North Cyprus, both on the Cyprus issue as well as the EU bid. In addition to his contributions to the Cyprus matter, Zorlu initiated the EU process.
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that a friend of mine, journalist Yusuf Ziya Cömert, was the mastermind behind this project. He played a defining role in the decision to hold such an event in honor of this influential diplomat and statesman whom we had almost forgotten. We are eager to hold this conference as soon as possible, and to remember the place of Zorlu in the consciousness of Turkish Cypriots.
*Associate Professor Mehmet Hasgüler is an instructor at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
