Do you remember the Brutal Military Turkish Invasion to Cyprus?

Question

Most likely, you were not born then! It was July 20, 1974 when Turkish armed forces attacked the under their protection island of Cyprus. Thousands were killed and about 10,000 have being missing since then! Till our days, the army occupies half of Cyprus and tries to legitimize and legalize the occupation with most nations keeping a barbaric silence!
Have you heard anything about it? Do you remember this inhumane behavior?

Answer 1

It was before my time, but I have heard of it, of course. What Greek hasn't?

Of course, there is always another side to the story.

Answer 2

It is a good oportunity to restore the historic truth on the subject since the matter is still in stake. To do that I should start explaining some facts before the Turkish invasion. The real truth was revieled some years ago when the UK and the US State Departments declassified their documents of that period. Actully they declasified them with many years of delay (not the usual 30 year period).

In the begining of the 1960's in Greece the left political parties won the elections. This was the first clear win of the left party after the Greek civil war immidiately after the WW2. The US did not liked the idea that in Greece a left Goverment will rule and were afraid that they will make strong ties with Russia and neighboring communistic countries. With the help of the US and CIA some army men in 1967 overthreugh the legaly elected goverment and established a dicatoriship. The Greeks did not like that and started protesting. The protests lasted for seven years. During all that time the US was assisting the Dictators. At the end of this seven year period the dicators were becoming really weak. Keep that in mind and I will come back on this.

On the other hand UK had given idependency to the Cypriots (Greeks and Turkish) some years back. Actually Cyrpus took independence in 1960 afte a long 20 year war with the British (EOKA was the Greek rebels that fought the British and at that time the 80% of the population was Greek). The independence was the best solution for UK. The Greek Cypriots were asking unification with Greece but that would make impossible the control of Cyprus form the UK in the future.

When Cyprus won independence Turkey, Greece and UK would be the protective countries for a certain period untill the state would be self safficient. That period ended, if I remember correctly in 1980. It was something like the trasfer of Honk Kong to China. The British did not want to take their troops from Cyprus because in that way they controled the east Mediteranean sea and had a floating base close to the oils of Middle East. That lead them to their satanic plot.

They came in contact with the US and agreed to create all these myths that the Greeks were killing the Turkish and wanted unification with Greece (at that time and now Cypriots are happy with their independet state). The US agreed because the Greek dictatorship was collapsing and a war would make the dictators again strong by waeking up nationalistic feelings.To make it more reall they ordered the Greek dictators to overthrough the Cyrpriot Goverment and establish a dictatorship there as well. When that happened they went to the Turks and said you have your army allready to the island invade by bringing more and take HALF of it NOT ALL of it.

As for Greeks killings the Turks was fabricated. The Greeks had killed some Turks duirng their revolt against the English epsecialy when they believed that the Turksih population was helping the English. The killings had stopped more than 15 years before the invasion and all the documentation for this is comming from this period. It was just propaganda.

Why do you thing the Turkish took only half of the island and not all? The plan was that in this way the UK would claim that it is not safe for its former colony to take its troops and would continue its presence on the island. Also if Turkey took all the island a Greek Turkish war would start and they did not want that and also if Turkey had the whole island they would had to leave also because then they would really had to protect the island and start a war with Turkey. They did not a war with Turkey actually they did not want to participate in any war.

To add one more proof for that is the fact that right now the UN based on the island occupy 25% of its surface and the UN forces are only British and the bases belong to the UK not the UN.

The rest you allready know. Turkey invaded without declaring war first. Took half of the island and dislocated all the Greek population. The Greeks in turn dislocated the Turks from the south part of the island. The worst thing is, and that is what hurts the Greeks and Greek Cypriots more, is the fact that 2,000 people are missing. They do not know if they died or went to consetration camps inside Turkey. The most possible is that they died but why did the Turkish not return the bodies for a burial. Even in war a dead body is holy and should be respected. The Turkish even after 32 years have not pointed the locations of the burials or have allowed someone to go and search.

After that Turkey moved, over the years, about 200,000 troops on the island to secure its position and the few thousants Turksih now are close to the 50% of the island's population from systematic relocation of Turksih from Turkey on the island to change the demografics and use it as a diplomatic weapon in the future.

The most funny thing is that the Turkish never actually wanted the island. They were convised to do that by the UK and the US. They belived that they will negotiate their withdrowal from the island with money or other diplomatic gains. Unfortunately the rest of the world opposed to that and the North Cyprus is now issolated. Turkey never invested money or helped the economy there. That is the reason the Greek Free part of Cyprus is now prospering and is member of the EU and the north occupied part reminds a third world country in terms of economy. Moreover the occupation of the island and the denial of Turkey to recognise the Greek part as an idepented state will probalby result to Turkey being denied entry in the EU. It would be an oxymoron two countries to be members of the EU but one not to accept the other's existance and legetemacy.

To sum up. Do not fall for the propaganda, both Greeks and Turkish. There was never a problem between the two nations over Cyprus. The problem was created from the US and the UK to serve their own interests and what better way to do that without any cost. The cost remained to the Greeks and the Turkish who untill that point lived happily on the island.

This is what I had to say and you can search for all these to the web and especially about Henry Kissinger and his role. Also the Nixon administration. Check also the state department's records from US and UK.

Answer 3

I can't imagine how many idiotic answers this question received.

The population is predominantly Turkish?!?!? -> G/C 80% T/C 18%.
Greek nationalist gov allowed gangs to kill Turks -> if this refers to the gov by Samson they were killing more G/C than Turks.

Turkish Army waited for months?!?!? Coup on July 15 Invasion on July 20th

Cypriot at war 20 years with the British?!?!? EOKA struggle April 1st 1955 Independence August 16 1960.

Guarantee treaty ended in 1980?!?!? I wish but it didn't

200k turkish troops?!??! try 40k

Cyprus naturally belong to Turkey??!?!? let them try have it

Ethnic Cleansing of T/C?!?!? So why there are not G/C in the occupied areas? Did the cleansing got confused.

The point is this: Turkey will not succeed in Cyprus. We will have a truly free, independent, fully democratic country for all our citizens. Whatever issues we have with our T/C compatriots is our business. Turkey will get out like it or not.

Answer 4

The story is very fresh and unfortunately there isn't any solution ahead. Cyprus still remains a divided island and the only part of European Union that is occupied by a military force!
The Turkish military government used as an excuse the coupe that was against the legal government of the island!
The Turkish forces attacked a small island nation which didn’t had had an army but only 20.000 militia, no air force and no navy.
The problems had started a few years before the invasion.
Tension began in 1963 when Makarios proposed thirteen amendments to the awkward constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots were opposed to the proposal since it relegated their status to a minority, instead of co-founders of the state, while also removing their community’s constitutional safeguards. These amendments were largely seen by Turkish Cypriots as a move towards Enosis (union with Greece). On 21 December 1963, clashes between Turkish Cypriots and Polycarpos Yorgadjis (the Interior Minister) plainclothes special constables, left two Turkish Cypriots and one Greek Cypriot policeman dead. The ensuing violence led to attacks launched by both communities. The fighting left 191 Turkish and 133 Greek Cypriots dead and 209 Turks and 41 Greeks missing .
By 1974, dissatisfaction among Greek nationalist right-wing elements in favour of the long-term goal of Enosis precipitated a coup d'etat against President Makarios which was sponsored by the military government of Greece and led by the Cypriot National Guard. The new regime replaced Makarios with Nikos Giorgiades Sampson as president, and Bishop Gennadios as head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church.
Seven days after these events, Turkey invaded Cyprus by sea and air on 20 July 1974, presenting the invasion as an act of protection for the island's 18% Turkish Cypriot minority. Talks in Geneva involving Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the two Cypriot factions failed in mid-August, and Turkish forces subsequently moved from the previous cease-fire lines to gain control of 37% of the island's territory. About 160,000 Greek Cypriots were uprooted (1/3 of the population), with Greek Cypriots forced to flee to the south as refugees, and approximately 50,000 Turkish Cypriots moved north. Greek Cypriot soldiers and civilians were taken prisoner, and 1,493 of those are still unaccounted for, with reports that many of them were killed after the cessation of violence.
These are the true facts!

Answer 5

You argue about nations keeping a barbaric silence, but what about the unjust silence being thrown upon the Turkish Cypriots caught up in this mess?

I admit I am not happy that Turks outnumber T/Cs in North Cyprus, but I still owe a lot to them. They saved Cyprus from annexation to Greece. They saved my people from imminent destruction. They stopped the violence in a final stand-off, which would become a big burden to carry in future years.

Not all of those people were unfortunately killed by Turkish troops. After all, hundreds of Greek Cypriots who opposed Sampson were murdered as well. It's just my own personal opinion, but to me 1974 was a war. There was no one side to it.

Also, be sure to check out post-1950 to pre-1974 Cypriot history. You'll find out that Greek Cypriots have a lot of blood on their hands, too.

An important fact that many people miss is that the TRNC is led by a Turkish Cypriot, not Turkey. Turkey only supports us. We are Cypriots, too, not 'occupiers.'

Answer 6

Yes, I heard about it. I heard that the Turkish Army did that because the right-wing Greek nationalist government in Cyprus were allowing gangs of Greek nationalists to murder Turks, whom the Greek-dominated government of Cyprus would not protect. In fact, there is a museum in North Cyprus which documents these abuses. If I were the President of Turkey in 1974, I would have done the same thing.

Answer 7

And what inhumane behavior is that? ...

The ethnic cleansing of Turkish Cypriots?

there are also thousands of Turkish Cypriots still missing too.

I'm British and now live in North Cyprus and have heard both sides of the story (which unfortunately the T/C story is the least heard about) and know where my sympathies lie.

I think people should watch a documentary called Voice Of Blood .. which was written by a Greek Cypriot to publicize the plea of the Turkish Cypriots and what they went through.. and then make up their own mind instead of listening constantly to one side of the story.

Answer 8

I never forget and I will never forgive.

Thanks for mentioning it.

PS. Except from the Turks let's remember also about the British and American part in the invasion. We see the British and American role in the "Cyprus Issue" until today (Anan Plan).

Answer 9

Wow, talk about a one sided view of the world!

How about the fact that with the help of europeans the turkish ruler of cyprus was removed from power previous to the "invasion"? How about the fact that it was all a ploy by the greeks to gain control of the Islands from the predominantly turkish population?

Try posting the facts and NOT one sided rhetoric!

Answer 10

Cyprus naturally belongs Turkey, what are you talking about?
Do you remember that in 1946 1948 Greeks killed Macedonian people, not jet born babies, they cut stomach of Macedonian mothers fall in air babes and wait on bayonets, do you remember this? Do you remember if some one say Macedonia was killed from Greeks? Do you read evidences from Panastas how Greek enjoyed to kill Macedonian?