Thirteen Points


The 13 amendments proposed by Makarios III was a proposal by president of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios in 1963 for constitutional changes that scrapped privileges of the Turkish Cypriot community. The proposal was unilaterally implemented by the Greek Cypriot site. The crisis created got out of hand and led to Bloody Christmas.

The Thirteen Amendments

The most serious constitutional problem the newly established Cyprus Republic faced in daily-life politics was the municipal issue. Turk Cypriots strived for the creation of separate municipals for Greeks and Turks while Greek Cypriots were aiming for mixed ones. Makarios took into consideration the probability of changing the constitution unilaterally, and despite warnings for constitutional collapse from the Turkish Republic, Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Averoff and his cabinet minister Glafkos Clerides, he decided to go forward changing the constitution. Makarios calculated the political instability at Turkey and Greece, also he thought that his proposal would be backed by the United Nations. On the 30th of November 1963, Makarios handed a memo of 13 points to the Turkish-Cypriot side
Kucuk, Denktash, and the Turkish Government rejected the 13 amendments with furor. Turkish Cypriots filed a lawsuit against the 13 amendments in Supreme Constitutional Court of Cyprus. Makarios clarified not to comply with whatever the decision of SCCC will be, and defended his amendments as being necessary "to resolve constitutional deadlocks" as opposite to the stance of SCCC. On 25 April 1963, SCCC decided that Makarios' 13 amendments are illegal. On 21 May, president of SCCC resigned due to the Makarios' disobedience to the laws of SCCC, thereby disobedience to the laws of Cyprus. On 15 July, Makarios ignored the decision of SCCC. On 30 November, Makarios legalized the 13 proposals.
Some key points of the plan were aiming to scarp privileges from the Turkish Cypriot community, while others where neutral- Greek Cypriots were benefiting from the thirteen amendments.