Cyprus / Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

Modified 11 July 2002

History of Cyprus, from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5376.htm and http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

• 364 -- Cyprus was ruled by Byzantium.
• 1100's -- Briefly ruled by Richard the Lion-Hearted.
• Late 1100's -- Came under Frankish control
• 1489 -- Ceded to the Venetian Republic
• 1571 -- Conquered by the Ottoman Turks
• 1878 -- Ceded to Great Britain
• 1914 -- Formally annexed by the United Kingdom
• 1925 -- Became a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom
• 1960 -- Independence from the U.K. after a violent anti-British campaign by the Greek Cypriot EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters), guerilla group using terror and desiring enosis, or political union with Greece. Constitutional guarantees were extended to ethnic Turkish Cypriot minority, although Greek Cypriot majority argued that these were obstacles to efficient government.
• 1963 -- Some constitutional guarantees to ethnic Turks were eliminated. End of ethnic Turk participation in government.
• 1964 -- UN peacekeepers deployed.
• 1974 -- Military junta controlling Greece sponsored a coup led by extremist Greek Cypriots. This was met with military intervention from Turkey to protect ethnic Turks. Turks fled north, Greeks fled south. Turkey soon controlled the northern 40% of the island.
• 1983 -- Turkish-held area declared itself the ``Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'', recognized only by Turkey.
• Current situation -- A UN buffer zone divides the Greek and Turkish sections, and there are two UK sovereign military bases mostly in the southern, Greek, section.

Pro-Greek views

• Government
  • http://www.pio.gov.cy/cyissue/index.htm
• Other
  • http://www.hellasweb.com/naissues/TURKS/Cyprus.htm
  • http://www.greece.org/cyprus/Misconceptions.htm
  • http://www.kypros.org/Cyprus_Problem/

• Government
  • TRNC executive branch -- http://www.trncpresidency.org/
  • Representation in the U.S. -- http://www.trncwashdc.org/
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence --
    • http://www.trncinfo.com/
    • http://www.trncpio.org/
  • Supposedly the government site, with a domain that would imply that TRNC is a part of Turkey -- http://kktc.pubinfo.gov.nc.tr
  • Views of the government of Turkey -- http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupa/ad/add/relations.htm
• Others
  • http://www.north-cyprus.net/trnc/
  • http://www.tourism.trnc.net/