Cyprus (Turkish) » History

On 15 July 1974, the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 backed a Greek Cypriot military coup d'état in Cyprus. President Makarios was removed from office and Nikos Sampson, a former EOKA fighter and a member of the Parliament, took over the presidency. Turkey claimed that under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee the coup was sufficient reason for military action and thus Turkey invaded Cyprus on 20 July 1974.

Turkey's position was that such intervention was necessary to protect the Turkish Cypriot populace. The coup failed and Makarios returned to Cyprus. Turkish forces proceeded to forcibly take over about 37% of the island, causing a large numbers of Greek Cypriots to abandon their homes. Over 195,000 Greek Cypriots fled to the south of the island, while 50,000 Turkish Cypriots fled north. By the end of the invasion, Thousands of Turkish Cypriots from the southern communities were missing although it is known that small numbers Greek-Cypriots have continued to live with their Turkish neighbours.

In 1975, the "Turkish Federated State of North Cyprus" was declared as a first step to international recognition of a Turkish Cypriot separatist state in Cyprus. The move was rejected by the Republic of Cyprus, by the UN, and by the international community. After eight years of failed negotiations with the leadership of the Greek Cypriot Community, the north declared its independence on 15 November 1983 under the name of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Longer Historical Perspective

The Republic of Cyprus was established after the British rejected Greek Cypriots' demands for its unification with Greece; they offered sovereignty instead and the island gained independence from the United Kingdom. Both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities living on the island were called to govern the new republic. However, due to the clauses based in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, no Turkish Cypriot could be elected President and no Greek Cypriot could be elected Vice President.