76th Anniversary of the Cypriot Enosis Referendum: Athens' Response

Today marks the 76th anniversary of the Enosis Referendum of January 15, 1950, where the vast majority of Greek Cypriots expressed their desire for Enosis (Union) with Greece. Specifically, 215,108 signatures were collected, representing 95.7% of the electorate.

Although the demand for Enosis was dominant in Cyprus, the response in Athens was restrained due to the limitations of post-civil war Greece. The country was trying to stabilize after the Civil War (1946-1949) and depended on the support of the US and Britain.

The then Prime Minister Nikolaos Plastiras avoided meeting with the Cypriot delegation, reflecting the Greek government's caution. Greek newspapers presented the referendum as a vindication of the demand for Enosis, but the official political line remained careful.

The referendum triggered the national liberation struggle of EOKA, which began five years later.