This month marks 50 years since the dramatic events of 1974 left the Mediterranean resort island of Cyprus divided to this day.
Important Dates in Cyprus’ Post-Independence History {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
On July 15, 1974, the military junta then in power in Athens staged a coup in Cyprus, attempting to end its independence and unite the island with Greece.
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Five days later, Turkish forces landed on the north coast and launched an invasion, occupying one-third of the island, including the divided Turkish Cypriot part of the capital, Nicosia.
AFP reports on key dates in the island’s history:
Cyprus gained independence from Britain on August 16, 1960, after a guerilla campaign by fighters who aimed to unify the island with Greece.
The constitution guaranteed representation for Turkish Cypriots, who at the time made up about 18 percent of the population, and forbade integration with Greece or Turkey or partition.
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In December 1963, violence erupted between the two communities after Greek Cypriot leaders tried to overturn parts of the constitution, forcing Turkish Cypriots to retreat into exclaves, some of which were defended by armed fighters.
In March 1964, a United Nations peacekeeping force was established in Cyprus.
Between 1963 and 1974, around 2,000 people were recorded as missing in clashes between the two communities.
On July 15, 1974, members of the Greek Cypriot National Guard overthrew President Archbishop Makarios in a coup backed by the military junta that ruled Greece at the time.
On July 20, Turkey invaded the north of the island, claiming to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, citing a 1959 agreement between Greece and Britain, Cyprus’s then colonial power.
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Three days later, the military juntas in both Athens and Nicosia collapsed and interim governments were established, eventually restoring Makarios to power.
On July 30, Turkey, Greece and Britain met in Geneva to establish the 180-kilometer Green Line patrolled by UN troops that divides the island.
According to the Greek Cypriot community, 3,000 people have been killed and 1,400 are missing during the conflict. The conflict has also led to large-scale population displacement, affecting around 162,000 Greek Cypriots and 48,000 Turkish Cypriots, according to the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
On November 15, 1983, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash declared the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with the 38 percent of the island controlled by Turkish forces, recognised only by Turkey.
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In April 2003, with peace talks stalled, Turkish Cypriot authorities for the first time allowed Greek Cypriots to visit the north and Turkish Cypriots to cross the Green Line and travel in the other direction.
On April 24, 2004, Greek Cypriot voters, in a simultaneous referendum, overwhelmingly rejected the UN reunification plan approved by Turkish Cypriots.
On May 1, Cyprus joined the European Union while still remaining a divided island, with Turkish Cypriots denied access to the full benefits of membership.
On 3 September 2008, leaders of the two communities began intensive peace talks organised by the United Nations, which were joined by the three Treaty parties – the UK, Greece and Turkey – but the talks collapsed in 2017.
In October 2020, Turkish Cypriots elected nationalist Ersin Tatar, an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as leader.
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Tatar narrowly defeated pro-revolutionary incumbent Mustafa Akinci in a vote widely seen as a sign of growing disillusionment among Turkish Cypriots with the prospects for a deal.
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