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Unity Referendum of Cyprus, Yes to Union with Greece with 95.71% of the registered voters, January 22, 1950

The Union Referendum was completed, though with no significant impact, organized by the Holy Synod regarding the political future of Cyprus. For the first time, women participated. According to an announcement from the Ethnarchy, 95.71% of the registered voters signed in favor of the Union with Greece.

After World War II, Cyprus was under British rule. The two largest communities were the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots desired the Union of Cyprus with Greece, while the Turkish Cypriots opposed such a prospect. Meanwhile, the AKEL / Progressive Party of Working People (formerly the Communist Party of Cyprus) was gaining political influence, which worried the Ethnarchy (the Church of Cyprus), the traditional representative of the Greek Cypriots.

The idea of conducting a union referendum, to be used as a political argument for promoting the goal of Union, initially came from AKEL, which proposed it to the Ethnarchy. However, the Church decided to take the initiative, organizing the referendum itself.

The referendum, which was essentially a collection of signatures, was held on January 15 and 22, 1950, over two consecutive Sundays. Voters or signatories had to choose one of two options: "WE DESIRE THE UNION OF CYPRUS WITH GREECE" or "WE OBJECT TO THE UNION OF CYPRUS WITH GREECE." Although there were reports of fraud (for example, one person signing for their entire family), it is generally accepted that it reflected the majority will among the Greek Cypriots for Union with Greece.
The Turkish Cypriots, who were opposed to the prospect of Cyprus' Union with Greece, opposed the referendum with mass protests.

The final results of the referendum were shared by the Church with AKEL. Two separate groups/missions were created by Greek Cypriots: one from the Right, which was directed to Western countries, and one from AKEL, which was directed to Eastern Bloc countries. Both missions, as it turned out, were met with deaf ears, as no country (neither Western nor Eastern) was willing to support the request for Union.

The 1950 referendum was discussed in the Cyprus Parliament in 2017.
In early 2017, a political crisis was triggered in Cyprus, affecting the negotiations between President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Akıncı for a solution to the Cyprus issue.

On February 10, 2017, the Cyprus Parliament approved an amendment proposed by ELAM, which concerned the commemoration of the 1950 Union Referendum in school classrooms. All political parties voted in favor, except for DISY, which abstained, and AKEL, which voted against. This resulted in a crisis in the negotiations for the Cyprus issue, as the Turkish side claimed that the revival of the unionist policy by the Greek Cypriots was unacceptable.

On April 8, 2017, the Cyprus Parliament passed a provision that effectively annulled the previous amendment, with votes from DISY and AKEL.

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