The Cyprus Times
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Founder(s) | Edward Henry Vizetelly |
| Founded | 14 May 1880 |
| Political alignment | Social Liberal |
The Cyprus Times, also known at The Times of Cyprus was an English-language newspaper published in Larnaca, in Cyprus from 1880, following the island becoming a British protectorate in 1878. It was founded by Edward Henry Vizetelly, who also acted as its first editor. Vizetelly had been a war correspondent for the British newspaper The Daily News, and the New York Times.
In its early years, The Cyprus Times was accused by British-based reviewers of being too critical of British colonial rule in Cyprus, primarily because it would berate the British government for not taking full control of the island from the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, it was also criticised for being too interested in local racing news and gossip from colonial parties on Cyprus rather than social and political events on the island. Yet the newspaper was also a campaigning voice, generally liberal in its outlook, and a significant force in calling for Britain to formally annex Cyprus from the Ottomans, with the publication of numerous articles claiming that the midway house, whereby Britain administered the island but it remained legally the property of Turkey, was resulting in the impoverishment of the Cypriot people.
Amongst the notable figures working for The Cyprus Times was Nikos Sampson. Despite working as a photographer for the newspaper, Sampson was also a fervant Greek nationalist, who joined the Greek liberation movement on the island EOKA. In 1974, he was made the puppet President of Cyprus following the military overthrow of the elected leader President Archbishop Makarios in July of that year. Earlier, during the anti-British struggle in Cyprus 1955-1959, Sampson was accused by the British colonial authorities of being a member of EOKA and, in 1957, he was charged with murder. Amongst those killed by EOKA, and possibly by Sampson himself, was a fellow journalist on The Cyprus Times Angus MacDonald. The trial of Sampson failed due to claims the police had obtained a confession from Sampson under torture, but Sampson later admitted the killings, and claimed this allowed him to be first on the scene to capture the news photographs. Sampson later went on to found the Greek language newspaper, Makhi (Combat).
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