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On the 15th
July 1974 the coup which was brought about by the Greek Military Junta
against the Cyprus Government was used as an excuse by Turkey to invade
Cyprus on the 20th July, 1974. Turkey alleged that it was their duty
to proceed in this way in order to protect the Turkish-Cypriot community
following a coup against President Makarios. In a public statement
in 1964, , Vice-President of Turkey said: "Cyprus will be divided
into two sections, one of which will join Turkey". |
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Forty thousand
Turkish troops embarked on the island in collaboration with the Turkish
air and naval forces, in violation of the Charter of the UN and all
principles governing international relations. Turkey launched a second
attack on the 20th August, 1974 resulting in 37% of the Island being
occupied, one quarter of the population being displaced and thousands
of people (including civilians) being killed, ill treated or disappeared
without trace. |
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Around 200,000
Greek Cypriots were driven from their homes and villages to the southern
part of the island. Ankara then used its military muscle to urge the
Turkish Cypriots who were still living in the south to move to the
north. Where once, the Greek and Turkish communities lived together
in mixed towns and villages it was now divided into two ethnic zones.
To date Cyprus remains divided, its people separated by the worlds
first Green Line, so named because during an earlier round of troubles
a British officer drew a line in green ink to divide the capital,
Nicosia, into two sectors. After Israel occupied the West Bank in
1967, the term Green Line was used to refer to the 1948 cease-fire
line in Palestine and, of course, Beirut acquired its own Green Line
during the civil war.
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On 15 November
1983 Mr Denktash declared the so-called "Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus". No country in the world except Turkey has recognized
this illegal entity.After 28 years occupation, the island of Cyprus
is still divided with 1588 people missing, 200,000 refugees in their
own country and the continuous killings of unarmed Greek-Cypriots
on the Green line.But Greek-Cypriots still hope and wait until the
day they will hear the magic words "You are free to go to your
home" and find out if some of their missing people are still
alive.
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