50: Turkish Invasion

50 years ago yesterday (July 20, 1974) Turkey invaded Cyprus.

History: 

A few days earlier (July 15, 1974) the Cypriot National Guard (backed by the Military Junta ruling Greece) carried out a Coup d'état which removed the sitting President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III and installed the Pro-Greece Nikos Sampson.

The real aim of the Coup was for Cyprus to become part of Greece.

In the Coup 1,617 Cypriots went missing and at least 300 Civilians were killed.

Note:

Cyprus was a British Colony from 1878 until 1960.

Once the British left Violence between the Turkish Muslim Cypriots and the Greek Orthodox Christian Cypriots exploded.

First Invasion: 

On July 20^th the Turks invaded Cyprus to stop the Pro-Greece Coup and the possible Union with Greece.

The Military Junta which had ruled Greece since 1967 collapsed on July 24, 1974 (mainly because of its involvement in the Cypriot Coup) and Greece became a Democracy and the Coup ended in Cyprus.  

Second Invasion:

On August 14^th Turkey invaded Cyprus for a second time

By August 18, 1974 Turkey had occupied 36% of Cyprus.

On August 19, 1974 American Ambassador to Cyprus, Rodger Davies, was murdered in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Victims:

6,000 Greek Cypriot Soldiers and Civilians were killed.

3,000 Greek Cypriot Soldiers and Civilians have disappeared and their whereabouts are unknown to this day.

568 Turkish Soldiers were Killed.

1,500 Turkish Cypriot Civilians were killed.

200,000 Greek Cypriots became displaced because of Turkey’s Invasion and Occupation as the Greek Cypriots fled Turkish Occupation.)

50,000 Turkish Cypriots became displaced because of Turkey’s Invasion and Occupation as the Turkish Cypriots fled towards Turkish Occupied Territory.)

Destruction/Abandonment :

55 Churches in the Turkish-Occupied part of Cyprus have been converted into Mosques and another 50 Churches and Monasteries have been converted into Stables, Stores, Hostels, or Museums, or have been demolished since 1974.

Before 1974 the city of Varosha, Cyprus was known as the Cypriot Rivera with many Celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot vacationing there.

After the Turkish Invasion and Occupation all 39,000 Residents fled Varosha and it became an abandoned Ghost Town in Turkish-Occupied northern Cyprus with the Turks forbidding any Civilian (Greek or Turkish) into the City until 2017.

Aftermath:

The Capitol, Nicosia, was divided by the UN Green Line in 1974 and became the Capitol of both the Turkish-Occupied northern Cyprus and the Greek Republic of Cyprus.

On November 15, 1983 Turkish-Occupied northern Cyprus (officially called: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) declared its Independence from the Republic of Cyprus, but in reality it remains a Turkish-Run Territory as it has since 1974.

In 2003 the Turks allowed both Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots to cross the Green Line for the first time since 1974.

In 2004 the Republic of Cyprus joined the European Union and EU Law extends to the whole Island – including to the Turkish-Occupied Part.

Currently:

Greek Cyprus: The Republic of Cyprus is the only Internationally-Recognized part of Cyprus and has Greek and Turkish as their Official Languages and use the Euro.

Turkish Cyprus: The Turkish Occupied northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey and only has Turkish as its Official Language and use the Turkish Lira.

Over 700,000 Settlers from Turkey have moved to the Turkish-Occupied northern Cyprus to enhance Turkey’s hold over the Territory.

Turks from Turkey are seen as more reliable and prestigious than Turks from Cyprus.

All planes flying from the Turkish-Part have to first fly to a Turkish Airport before going anywhere else.

Turkey continues to have 40,000 of its Troops stationed in northern Cyprus.

International:

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus (the Green Line) is a DMZ between the Turkish-Occupied Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus.

There are just over 1,000 UN Peacekeepers in Cyprus.

The British Sovereign Bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus continue to remain (since Cypriot Independence from the UK in 1960.)

They have a population of 18,195 and one of the Bases (Dhekelia) is partly in Greek-Controlled Cyprus and partly in Turkish-Controlled Cyprus.

The second Invasion is seen as an International Crime by the United Nations since the Military Junta in Greece and the Pro-Union Cypriot Coup had collapsed by then.

No International Country (except Turkey) recognizes northern Cyprus as an Independent Country.

Personal: I went to Cyprus in August 2007 to visit a Friend (after visiting the UK, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and before I went to Greece, Germany and then back to the UK.) I had a trip booked and paid for with a Tour Company for a Day Trip into the Turkish-Occupied northern Cyprus, but the Trip was cancelled the morning of due to Security Concerns.