Turkish Invasion and the Division of Cyprus
Cyprus gained independence in 1960 under a constitution that allocated offices between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and gave Britain, Greece and Turkey rights of guarantee. Power-sharing broke down within three years, and intercommunal violence from 1963 pushed Turkish Cypriots into enclaves. On 15 July 1974 the Athens junta sponsored a coup by the Cypriot National Guard against Makarios, installing a figure committed to enosis, union with Greece. Turkey invoked its treaty rights and landed forces on 20 July. A ceasefire and talks in Geneva collapsed, and a second and much larger Turkish advance in mid-August established the line that still runs across the island. The Athens junta fell within days, unable to survive the humiliation, and Greece returned to civilian rule. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983, is recognised only by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, weeks after Greek Cypriots rejected and Turkish Cypriots accepted a UN reunification plan.
- Year: 1974 CE
- Category: Military
