▁in ▁Europe , ▁was ▁enabled ▁by ▁British ▁dem ands ▁that ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁c ede ▁their ▁formal ▁capital ▁Ed ir ne ▁( Ad rian ople ) ▁to ▁the ▁Bulg ari ans ▁after ▁losing ▁the ▁First ▁B alk an ▁War , ▁which ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁saw ▁as ▁a ▁bet ray al ▁by ▁Britain . ▁These ▁dem ands ▁cost ▁Britain ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Tur ks , ▁as ▁the ▁pro - B rit ish ▁Fre edom ▁and ▁Acc ord ▁Party ▁was ▁now ▁repr essed ▁under ▁the ▁pro - G erman ▁Committee ▁for , ▁in ▁En ver ' s ▁words , ▁" sh ame fully ▁deliver ing ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁the ▁enemy " ▁( B rit ain ) ▁after ▁agree ing ▁to ▁the ▁dem ands ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁Ed ir ne . ▁ ▁Modern ▁Middle ▁East ▁ ▁Final ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Cy pr us ▁Convention , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Cy pr us ▁as ▁a ▁prote ctor ate ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁While ▁the ▁C yp ri ots ▁at ▁first ▁wel com ed ▁British ▁rule , ▁hoping ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁gradually ▁achieve ▁prosper ity , ▁dem ocracy ▁and ▁national ▁liber ation , ▁they ▁soon ▁became ▁dis ill usion ed . ▁The ▁British ▁im posed ▁heavy ▁tax es ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁compens ation ▁they ▁paid ▁to ▁the ▁Sultan ▁for ▁conced ing ▁Cy pr us ▁to ▁them . ▁Moreover , ▁the ▁people ▁were ▁not ▁given