CYPRUS An island in the East Mediterranean. A British colony which became a Republic within the British Commonwealth in 1960. With these words the Stanley Gibbons catalogue starts its simplified listing of the stamps of Cyprus. They will serve as our starting point for this Introduction to the Postcards and Postal History of the Conflict. On 16th August 1960 the Republic of Cyprus was born out of a series of Agreements between foreign powers. Henry Kissinger wrote in his memoirs, “in 1959 Britain brokered an agreement which was doomed from the start”. The new Republic issued a set of 3 stamps. Greece did not mark the occasion with a stamp issue, however Turkey commemorated the event with a set of two stamps. And Turkey did in truth have cause to celebrate – Article 1 of the Treaty of Guarantee prevented the union of the Republic of Cyprus with any other State. Any Greek hopes of union with Greece were at an end. The towns are given their Turkish names – Girne (Kyrenia), Lefkosa (Nicosia). Lefke (Lefka), Magosa (Famagusta), Baf (Paphos) and Limasol (Limassol). -1-
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