Cyprus in British Parliamentary Debates in 1955: Violence, Negotiation and Colonial Narrative

Authors : Cemal Yorgancıoğlu

Pages : 699-716

Doi:10.33709/ictimaiyat.1724680

View : 85 | Download : 358

Publication Date : 2025-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article analyses the Cyprus debates in the British parliament in 1955 using methods of discourse analysis and shows the contradictions of colonial legitimation strategies. After the armed resistance of the EOKA on 1 April 1955, concepts such as ‘terrorism’, ‘law and order’, ‘loyalty’, and ‘legitimate defense’ became the focus of the security-oriented discourse, while demands for constitutional reform were either accepted with reservations or rejected. Based on 97 parliamentary debates, in particular those of 5 May and 5 December 1955, the study shows how the tension between the two was resolved. Using the debate of 5 December 1955, the study shows how the tension between the security and reform discourses persisted throughout the year and how sovereignty was redefined through an ethical discourse based on themes such as ‘moral responsibility’, civilizational duty’, and ‘geopolitical necessity’. As a result, 1955 was regarded as a significant milestone in the post-imperialist process, both from the point of view of the discursive consolidation of colonial administration and from the point of view of the establishment of the underlying grounds for the tougher policies of 1956.
Keywords : Kıbrıs, İngiliz Parlamentosu, Kolonyal Söylem, EOKA, Güvenlik

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