National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus. Army in Cyprus

/ History of the occupation of modern Cyprus (many photos)

Do you see in the photo a modern city on the coast with many hotels and restaurants? In all likelihood, many tourists come there. And this city brings millions of euros to Cyprus every year. But after visiting this coast, I see something completely different. This is what this article will be about.

This story must begin with a mention of July 2, 1570, when the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Lala Mustafa Pasha, landed in Cyprus as part of a 60,000-strong army. The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, was under siege for 2 months, after which it fell. 20 thousand inhabitants were killed, every house and every church was looted. Women and children were captured to be sold into slavery.

Having learned about these events, Kyrenia surrendered without a fight, and the city of Famagusta held its defense from September 1570 to August 1571. In Famagusta there were 8.5 thousand soldiers and 90 artillery pieces.

They resisted the attack of the 200,000-strong Ottoman army. This cost the Ottoman Empire the loss of about 50 thousand soldiers. The Venetians, who owned Cyprus before the Ottoman attack, supported the defense from the sea with provisions as best they could.

As a result, the fortress surrendered, and everyone who was inside was forced to leave it. Many were killed. So Famagusta passed to the Turks, as did the whole island. Since then, only Turks lived inside the fortress, and the surviving Greeks settled outside the walls.

In 1878, by agreement between Britain and the Ottoman Empire, Cyprus became a British colony. In 1925, Britain officially declared Cyprus a colony. And in 1931, the Greek population of the island, which was in the majority, began to fight for unification with Greece. During World War II, Greek Cypriots fought alongside the British, hoping for independence after the end of the war.

But this did not happen, and in 1955 the organization EOKA (Union of Fighters for the Liberation of the Nation) arose. This organization was quite aggressive, and was responsible for the death of more than 100 British in the first series of clashes alone. There were also heroes there.

In 1960, as a result of an agreement between Britain, Greece and Turkey, Cyprus gained independence. According to the constitution, the existence of two communities was recognized - Greek and Turkish. Greek Cypriots made up about 80% of the population, and Turkish Cypriots 18%. The idea of enosis (reunification of Greece) was popular among the Greek diaspora. Because of this, clashes arose between communities.

In the meantime, let's return to the city of Famagusta. Mostly Turkish Cypriots lived inside the fortress, and outside it, the largest tourist center in Cyprus, Varosha, developed. At that time, even in Greece itself they did not know what tourism was, but here the life of vacationers was already in full swing.

Hotels grew here and restaurants opened. Such celebrities of that time as Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch vacationed here.

And on one of these sunny days, and there are 340 of them in Cyprus a year, on July 20, 1974, Turkish troops again invaded the island. This happened immediately after the President of Cyprus, Archbishop Macarius, was removed from power on July 15 through the efforts of the EOKA organization. The Turks call the invasion "Cyprus Peacekeeping Operation" and say they were protecting the Turkish population of Cyprus.

The Turks now often say that Cyprus belonged to them for 300 years, and they restored historical justice. But no one mentions how they took over the island. This time, ethnic cleansing also took place in the northern part of the island, and about a thousand Greek Cypriots are still missing.

The Greek Cypriots were unable to oppose the Turkish troops with a tenfold numerical advantage in Turkish armored vehicles. The Turks occupied 35% of the island and drew a green line. About 200 thousand Greek Cypriots fled from the northern Turkish part. The Turks later moved to the northern part. There were about 30 thousand of them.

In the north, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed, which is currently recognized only by Turkey itself. There is a 40,000-strong contingent of the continental Turkish army there. To the rest of the world, Cyprus is united and has one Greek government. The number of armed forces of which is only 12 thousand military personnel.

A buffer zone runs through the entire island, which is controlled by the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. This zone includes a large airport in the capital of the island of Nicosia, as well as the entire resort area of Varosha.

The Greeks completely revised the infrastructure of the island, as they lost the largest resort, airports and sea ports. Now the south is thriving. There are some of the best roads in Europe. And although it was crippled by the crisis, people in the south still live joyful and satisfied with life.

Inside the Famagusta fortress there used to be 365 churches.

Now in some residential buildings you can see arches and other elements characteristic of churches.

The Turks simply live and rebuild ancient churches for themselves.

If the euro was introduced in the southern part of the island since 2004, then in the northern part all prices are in Turkish lira. But euros are also accepted.

Here, Turks wash their feet before entering the mosque, and on Greek territory they draw holy water from a similar tap.

St. Nicholas Cathedral is now called the mosque of that same Lal Mustafa Pasha.

There are carpets on the floor everywhere inside. You can only go there barefoot. Tourists are allowed in when there are no services here.

Some ancient churches within the walls of the fortress have been converted into mosques, some are closed, and some are almost completely destroyed.

There are also many empty houses here.

There is even a cinema. Only they haven’t bought tickets at the box office for a long time.

I can’t help but show you the best streets of the fortress. There are shops there for the few tourists.

But there are only a couple of such streets in the very center of the fortress.

You can walk around the fortress in half an hour. From above it all looks something like this.

Now let’s take a closer look at the Varosha district, which is visible in the first photo.

Residents of this area left in a hurry, taking the most necessary things, hoping to return here in three days.

These 3 days dragged on for 40 long years.

Only Turkish military and UN personnel can enter the green fence.

In the 60s there was already a traffic light here.

Some people say that in the depths of the area you can still find old cars and untouched houses.

Others say that it was still looted during the first 2 years of occupation by the Turkish military.

There is a hotel on this territory that was open only 3 days after opening.

And this hotel came under fire. They say that a Greek sniper was sitting on its roof. The elevator still lies in the ruins below.

Some churches were also in the buffer zone.

Even now they look better than on the territory of the fortress.

And yes. In addition, it is prohibited to enter the buffer zone. It is also forbidden to photograph it from the outside.

I took photographs at my own risk. On the Internet, you can occasionally see some other angles of this place.

All tourists are necessarily brought to the beach with crystal clear water. You can swim there. And at the bottom you can see chains and anchors.

The Palm Beach Hotel is located right on the shore. Probably the only hotel on the Turkish coast.

The real name of this hotel is Constantia. Before the Turkish capture it was a three-star Greek hotel.

And in the next photo you can see the former yacht club. Now this building is under the control of the Turkish military. Driving past we saw a military man with a machine gun in his hands. It became even less pleasant to be in this place.

Now you see in this photo what I see. This is a ghost town. For 5 kilometers along the sandy coastline there is a series of multi-storey hotels and restaurants. Life was once in full swing there, but for the last 40 years...

From the very beginning, this whole story reminded me of modern Ukraine. It is enough just to replace Turkey with Russia. Cyprus to Ukraine. All other actors and countries are perfectly projected onto the situation in the neighboring state. And the 300-year occupation of Crimea by Russians, and the desire to protect their people. Upon arrival from this trip, I learned about the creation of a buffer zone in Ukraine. And Varosha was automatically projected onto Mariupol for me. Well, you can guess what will happen next for yourself. History repeats itself.

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The backbone of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Cyprus is the National Guard (Greek: Εθνική Φρουρά), founded in 1964, and including land (ground), sea (navy) and air (air) components. The total number of the National Guard is about 14 thousand people.

The ground forces of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus include the 1st and 2nd infantry divisions, the 3rd and 4th separate infantry brigades, the 20th separate armored brigade, the separate Commando brigade, the field artillery command, units and units of central subordination.

The air component includes 449 and 450 helicopter squadrons, an aviation training squadron, a separate missile defense division, two air defense divisions, and an air defense missile system battery.

The naval forces include a naval base (Zigi) and are armed with several patrol boats.

In addition, on the basis of the “Treaty on Security Guarantees of the Republic of Cyprus” of 1960, Greece maintains its troops on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus (ELDIK - Greek Ελλινικών Δυνάμεων στην Κύπρο) numbering over two thousand people.

Major arms suppliers and military equipment- Greece, Russia and France. The United States and Great Britain imposed an arms embargo due to the unresolved Cyprus problem.

Personnel are recruited by conscription from among men over the age of 16 years, the duration of conscription service is 24 months (from 01/01/2009 - the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers was made in mid-December 2008, before that the conscription service period was 25 months), and is mandatory for persons whose father is a Greek Cypriot. For religious minorities (Armenians, Catholics, Christians - Maronites) conscription is not mandatory. Turks are not subject to conscription.

Guests of the island - men over 16 years of age - with a Cypriot father must obtain an exit visa from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus.

In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 186 of March 4, 1964, the UN armed forces (UNFICYP) are stationed in Cyprus, whose mandate is regularly extended by the Security Council. The strength of UNFICYP by February 2005 (in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1568 of October 22, 2004) was reduced to 1069 people. (the military presence of all troop-supplying countries in UNFICYP decreased equally - Argentina, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Canada, Slovakia, Finland, Croatia), incl. 853 military personnel, 69 civilian police (Australia, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands) and 147 civil servants. The Commander-in-Chief of UNFICYP since April 3, 2008 is the Peruvian Rear Admiral M.C. Sanchez Debernadi.

Army everyday life on the island of Cyprus

On July 1, 2010, representatives of the Ministry of Defense held a discussion in the Cypriot Parliament about a bill on measures that could be taken regarding evasion of military service. In this regard, our compatriots had many questions: what is service in the Cypriot army? Who should serve? We will try to answer them in this article.

Many of our compatriots believe that military service in the Cypriot army is something between a stay in a sanatorium and a vacation in a pioneer camp. Everyone knows that in the Cypriot army, soldiers are well fed, treated with respect and often allowed to go home on weekends. Perhaps this is where our knowledge of the Cypriot army ends. Employees of the Cyprus Ministry of Defense kindly agreed to tell us about the everyday life of today’s National Guard of Cyprus, how recruits live, what are the prospects for military service for foreign men who have received Cypriot citizenship.

EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE ISLAND ARMY

Cypriot recruits are shaved immediately after leaving school. The call takes place in June. For the first two to three weeks, the guys are at the base where they undergo initial training. Subsequently, they are distributed into units, where they will stay for the next eight months. During their entire service life, recruits will change parts three times. It is common practice to distribute conscripts to units that are as close as possible to their home. At least once a month, or even more often, they go on leave: they go home, “to freedom.”
The term of compulsory military service is 24 months. By the way, there is an opinion that is supported by some parliamentarians: the service period should be reduced to 18 months. However, this idea does not resonate with the military: for a small country, shortening the length of military service is an unaffordable luxury. The National Guard of Cyprus is divided into infantry (naval and ground), navy, artillery and tank forces.

CLOTHING AND FOOD FOR CYPRUS RECRUITS

Uniforms for conscripts are of two types: summer and demi-season. In fact, the only difference is in warm underwear, which is worn under the uniform in winter, and in the innovation - not so long ago, comfortable breeches made of the same camouflage fabric were introduced into the register as a part of the summer uniform. Still, in the summer heat it is more advisable to wear something lighter.
The army supplies recruits with absolutely everything they need (with the exception of shaving accessories, as well as toothpaste and brushes).
On June 15, the press attache of the Cyprus National Guard sent out a circular to all media with a list of clothing and other things that are issued in the army. Many parents, worried about their children, prefer to buy everything themselves. There is no point in doing this; they will give you absolutely everything they need, from uniforms to face towels. Among the things that the National Guard provides recruits with are full uniform, underwear, socks, shoes, beret, bedding, blanket, pillow, towels, fork, spoon, penknife, water flask, food container, flip-flops, cream for shoes, sports uniform, travel bag, woolen hat with gloves, earplugs. The menu in parts resembles a home diet: two to three times a week fast days, one fish day, on other days - chicken, pork, beef, vegetables and other nutritious dishes. For breakfast - bread with butter and jam. For dinner - an egg, vegetables, fruits according to the season.

“SKILL” OR SERVE?

With all this prosperity, the number of young people who evade military service is growing every year. IN last years Almost every fourth young man is declared unfit for military service and is subject to a commission. The scale and trend are alarming. We should not forget that 38% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus is occupied by Turkey, and there are a huge number of Turkish military units on the occupied part of the island.
Last week, representatives of the Ministry of Defense discussed measures that could be taken against those evading military service. The military believes that young people who, for various reasons, cannot perform military service, should benefit their country in some other way. They can do landscaping work, help in the kitchen, in garages, in offices with papers and office equipment, and so on. In this case, the period of such service will last 32 months.
Consideration of the bill did not take place: it is impossible to amend just one paragraph of the law, since they are all logically interconnected, and this requires time, which parliamentarians no longer have, since parliamentary recess begins in a few days. The first law on conscript service in the National Guard was adopted in Cyprus in 1964. Since then it has undergone many changes, and sometimes new paragraphs of the law refuted what was stated in the old ones. In fact, the entire law needs to be reviewed and changed completely. It was decided that the bill would be discussed in October.

NEWLY MADE CITIZENS SERVE LESS

For foreigners who have recently become citizens of Cyprus, there is a special scale. According to it, the period that young people must serve in the army is determined.
* Foreigners who became citizens of Cyprus before the age of 18 will have to serve for 14 months.
* If citizenship was acquired between the ages of 18 and 26, you will have to serve for six months.
* If citizenship was acquired after reaching the age of 26, the period of service is reduced to three months.
In some cases (for example, the presence of small children, dependents, etc.), the period of service may be shortened or replaced by alternative service, or even canceled altogether. Let me emphasize that we are talking only about those young men whose both parents are (or were) foreigners.
If one of the parents is Cypriot, then no concessions are provided in such cases: 24 months and not a day less.

STRASBOURG CONVENTION AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE RF

Many countries in the world do not have an agreement on dual citizenship. The reason is precisely in military service: the question arises: in which country should young people with two or more citizenships serve in the army?
Exceptions are precisely the case when there is an agreement between two countries regulating the rights and obligations of people with dual citizenship.
At the moment, Russia’s position regarding citizens of two countries at once, one of which is Russia, is determined by Article 62 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
1. A citizen of the Russian Federation may have citizenship of a foreign state (dual citizenship) in accordance with federal law or an international treaty of the Russian Federation.
2. The fact that a citizen of the Russian Federation has citizenship of a foreign state does not detract from his rights and freedoms and does not relieve him of the obligations arising from Russian citizenship, unless otherwise provided by federal law or an international treaty of the Russian Federation.
Article 6 of the Federal Law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation” of May 31, 2002 is also important.
1. A citizen of the Russian Federation who also has another citizenship is considered by the Russian Federation only as a citizen of Russia, with the exception of cases provided for by an international treaty of the Russian Federation or federal law.
2. The acquisition by a citizen of the Russian Federation of another citizenship does not entail the termination of citizenship of the Russian Federation.
This suggests that a Russian citizen (who also has Cypriot citizenship), having served faithfully on the sunny island, is nevertheless obliged to “take arms” in his historical homeland: two years of the Cypriot army do not count.
With regard to citizens of other CIS countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, etc.), with a high degree of probability it can be argued that everything is the same as in the case of simultaneous citizenship in two countries we considered - Russia and Cyprus.
However, it is better to clarify the question of military service at the consulate of the country of which you are a citizen.
In the 60s of the last century, the “Convention on Military Conscription in Cases of Multiple Citizenship” was adopted in Strasbourg, to which various amendments and additions were later made.
In general, the Convention was adopted to ensure that persons possessing the citizenship of two or more contracting parties (binationals) were obliged to perform their military service in relation to only one of these contracting parties.
The Convention on Conscription in Cases of Two or More Nationalities, with various reservations, has been signed or ratified by 14 European states.

Question. I have Russian citizenship. My husband’s is Bulgarian. He also recently received Cypriot citizenship by naturalization. Our son is currently a citizen of Russia and Bulgaria. We also plan to apply for Cypriot citizenship for him, either through naturalization or as the son of a Cypriot citizen. We are interested in which of these two cases he will be required to perform military service in Cyprus.

In accordance with the Military Service Law of the Republic of Cyprus, if a person has acquired Cypriot citizenship due to the fact that he is the son of a Cypriot citizen and his parents are not of Cypriot origin, he is obliged to perform military service in Cyprus for a reduced period of 14 months. If a person acquires Cypriot citizenship by naturalization without either of his parents having Cypriot citizenship, he has the right not to perform military service in Cyprus. When you receive a summons about the need to undergo it, you will need to inform government authorities about your situation and go through certain procedural rules to be released from military service. Such a decision is requested from the minister at the request of the interested person or with the permission of an authorized person.

06/08/2010
The call was successful
Following the results of the summer conscription, employees of the Ministry of Defense state that cases of evasion from military service have decreased - perhaps this happened in light of the upcoming bill on alternative service for those who cannot “take the gun” for health reasons.
Let us recall that this bill provides for service for 32 months instead of 24. They choose the lesser of two evils - the recruits chose not to take risks and simply give their military duty to the Motherland.
Meanwhile, due to the heat, many guys undergoing preliminary training at military bases faint during exercises. In this regard, Defense Minister Costas Papakostas issued a decree according to which the exercises should end no later than 10:00, and not 12:00, as has always been the case. In addition, the minister allowed recruits to wear shorts during hot weather.

Cyprus obliges foreigners with citizenship of the country to serve in the army

Now conscription into the National Guard will apply not only to natives of Cyprus - Greek Cypriots, but also to people of other nationalities who received citizenship of the country before they turned 18 years old. Moreover, foreigners who have become Cypriots after 18 years of age can also be conscripted, but the timing and their military specialties will be determined on an individual basis.

“All Cypriot citizens, regardless of their origin and religion, will be called up for service. However, the type of service and its duration will depend on the conditions of each individual citizen,” the new law says. Typically Greek Cypriots serve 24 months. The new law, which radically changes the rules adopted in the National Guard since 1964, provides for shorter terms for foreigners - up to 14 months. Moreover, the conscription age for them is set from 18 to 45 years. Officially, only Turkish Cypriots still cannot be drafted into the army.

The adopted law was developed by the Ministry of Defense together with the Prosecutor General's Office and Parliament. Its main task is to ensure a stable influx of young people into the army, given that over the past 10 years, evasion of service has reached catastrophic proportions by Cypriot standards.
According to a representative of the country's armed forces related to conscription, approximately 10 thousand recruits are called up for service every year, with a population of Cyprus reaching 800 thousand people. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of young people evade service under the pretext of allegedly having mental disorders.

Citizenship and the military
I have Russian citizenship. My husband’s is Bulgarian. He also recently received Cypriot citizenship by naturalization. Our son is currently a citizen of Russia and Bulgaria. We also plan to apply for Cypriot citizenship for him, either through naturalization or as the son of a Cypriot citizen. We are interested in which of these two cases he will be required to perform military service in Cyprus.
Dear Veronica and Dimiter,
The fact that the father is a citizen of Cyprus, and obtaining citizenship by any of the methods indicated by you, makes your son liable for military service. Only the length of service may depend on the age of your son, the moment when he received Cypriot citizenship, and the period of his residence in Cyprus. For more detailed information about military service, you can contact the recruiting office at your place of residence or the Ministry of Defense.

I am a citizen of Russia, I am going to apply for Cypriot citizenship. If I have two citizenships, in which country should I serve in the military? Will I really be liable for military service in both? What is the maximum age for a conscript?
According to the laws of the Republic of Cyprus, having received its citizenship, you become liable for military service. If you are between 18 and 26 years old, you will have to serve 6 months in the Cypriot army. If for some reason you are unable to serve your 6 months within 2 years after receiving citizenship, then the period of service increases to 8 months. You will be required to serve them within five years after receiving citizenship. Having received Cypriot citizenship, you are obliged to serve in the local army, even if your age is from 26 to 50 years, only in this case the terms of service are reduced to 3 and 5 months, respectively.
By second citizenship. If you travel outside the Russian Federation for more than 6 months, you must be removed from military registration. In this case, you are not considered a “draft dodger”, since everything was done legally, therefore, there will be no consequences in the form of criminal prosecution.

On February 10, 2011, Parliament adopted a new law on the National Guard. Now it will be much more difficult to “get rid of” the army.

It is estimated that every year approximately 1,000 conscripts avoid military service citing psychological or physical problems, these problems being duly certified by a doctor. It is noteworthy that last year the Ministry of Defense noted a decrease in the number of “disabled” people - after checking the activities of doctors who examine conscripts.

The new law is a radical revision of the National Guard Act of 1964. According to it, the concept of “Alternative Service”, introduced in 2007, is abolished. For those who are “psychologically” unable to serve in the army, a “special service” lasting 32 months has been invented - eight months longer than all “normal” people serve - and even for those who have “psychopathological” problems or allergies to military service .

Those deemed "limitedly fit" will serve their duty in the National Guard at their place of residence, and although they will not be assigned to any branch of the military, they will be subject to all the provisions of the military regulations. Such “servants” will not be trusted with weapons, and they will not perform guard duty, but they will be dressed in a uniform (working uniform) and will be trusted to perform unskilled, construction and loading and unloading work. The only difference from a construction battalion is that those “limitedly fit” will, as a rule, spend the night at home. But so relatively in a simple way Not everyone is lucky enough to defend their homeland. The rest will have to serve to the fullest.

The main punitive measures against draft dodgers are aimed at more careful consideration of their applications for “unsuitability for military service.” Now a medical report on such an application is not a carte blanche, but a reason for close scrutiny for legality. In addition, persons who served in “special service” upon returning to civilian life will not be able to work in the police, private security agencies, bus drivers, etc. And this, in general, is logical. If their health does not allow them to serve honestly for only two years, then why will it suddenly allow them to endure “all the hardships and deprivations of police service”?

Another important provision of the new law: compulsory service is now determined on the basis of Cypriot origin and permanent residence on the island. If one of the parents is a Cypriot (and not only the father is considered, as was the case until now, but also the mother), then the son, if he permanently resides in Cyprus, is obliged to serve his 24 months, even if he is a citizen of another country. Those waiting to receive Cypriot citizenship serve for 14 months, and repatriates for six months. The law also establishes a shortened period of service - 14 months - for some categories of conscripts. Among others, these are the only or eldest sons in a family where both parents are “completely disabled,” as well as children from large families. Armenians, Maronites and Muslims serve 24 months. Muslim Turkish Cypriots, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, receive credit for their service in the occupied territories. Persons who refuse to perform military service for religious or other reasons will still perform it, but only in government or semi-government structures (in the jobs described above). In addition, the new law added provisions on leave - for sickness, annual leave, child care leave, etc.

If a person is found fit for military service, he can apply for a deferment, but for no more than six years and only with permission from the Minister of Defense. In particular, the first deferment will be given for a year, but if the conscript is studying or has serious family problems, he will be able to defer service for another five years. Anyone who receives a deferment for health reasons must undergo a medical examination annually until the age of 40. Failure to appear for a medical examination is considered a crime. All cases will be considered on an individual basis.

Those declared unfit for military service on or after January 1, 1995 “may” be required to undergo a medical examination again and, if found fit, serve the required 24 months. (This does not apply to people with permanent disability status.)

Persons suspected of evasion of duty or desertion are considered criminals and will be subject to loss of civil rights. In particular, they will not be able to take part in elections and be elected.

Another point of the new law is interesting: now the Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the commander of the National Guard, will be able to hire civilians with “special knowledge or experience” for officer or sergeant positions, as well as privates and conscripts who have served. This will only happen if necessary. People hired in this way will serve on a contract from one to ten years.

July 13th, 2017

In light of yesterday’s demands from Cyprus for the withdrawal of Turkish troops, as well as yesterday’s transparent hint from the Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim Greek Cypriots about the undesirability of unilateral use of hydrocarbon resources located around the island - it is interesting to trace the history of the Greek-Turkish, “Cyprus conflict”.

Cyprus, which was part of the British colonial possessions, gained independence on August 16 1960 of the year. The legal formalization of the granting of independence was the Zurich-London agreements of 1959, which significantly limited the sovereignty of the republic. Under these agreements, Great Britain, Greece and Turkey were declared guarantors of the “independence, territorial integrity and security” of Cyprus, which provided these states with the opportunity to intervene in its internal affairs (the “Treaty of Guarantees”). In addition, Greece and Turkey received the right to maintain their military contingents on the island - 950 and 650 people, respectively. ("Treaty of Alliance"). England retained an area of 99 square miles in Cyprus under its full sovereignty, on which two large military bases are located - Dhekelia and Akrotiri. It also secured the right to use other “small areas” and infrastructure in connection with the activities of bases and facilities.

Immediately after the liberation in Cyprus, all the prerequisites for an insoluble conflict were created. According to the new constitution, in the text of which the influence of London was easily discernible, the two main ethnic communities of the island - Greek and Turkish - received rights proportional to the number of representatives. And since the majority of the population is about 80% - were Greek Cypriots, then 18 -percentage of the Turkish Cypriot community received very reduced opportunities. Naturally, from the very first days of the existence of an independent republic in Cyprus, the Turks categorically refused to put up with the state of affairs.

Over the course of several years, relations between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots deteriorated to such an extent that the parties could barely restrain themselves from direct clashes.

The first serious deterioration of relations between the Turks and Greeks in Cyprus occurred at the end of 1963 years when, as a result of unrest provoked by an attempt by a Greek patrol to check the documents of two Turks, shooting began. As a result, according to unofficial data, about 500 people and several hundred were missing. The clashes almost led to the start of a Turkish military operation on the island. Ankara was stopped only by the direct intervention of the USSR and the USA: Moscow behaved very harshly at the UN, and Washington directly warned the Turks that it would not support them in the event of aggression by one NATO member against another.

Back to top 1964 On the 1st, the tension eased somewhat, but from that moment on, the Turkish community of Cyprus began to directly ignore participation in the political settlement. In response to the enosis movement (the reunification of all Greek lands under the auspices of Athens), the Turkish Cypriots, with unequivocal support from Ankara, launched the taksim movement, that is, full support for the idea of dividing the island into two parts along ethnic lines. In defending their interests, both communities did not disdain the most severe methods of persuasion, and as a result, 1967 In 2010, the Turkish population of Cyprus was almost entirely concentrated in enclaves in the north of the island and in surrounding areas.

This, alas, had the most negative impact on the development of the situation: sensing an opportunity to put pressure on the enemy, the Greek nationalists switched to openly aggressive actions. This was how the second Cyprus crisis was provoked, which again almost led to war. It was avoided only due to the fact that the Greek side was forced to reduce its military presence on the island, remove the most odious nationalist politicians from there and confirm its commitment to the agreements under which the Cypriots were granted independence.

But these measures did not last long. In the same 1967 -m to power in Athens came military junta, based on anti-communist sentiments, and it was the communists from AKEL who had the greatest weight on the Cypriot political scene, that is, the Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus. The Cypriot government, formed under its influence, quickly lost support from the mainland, and its main opponent, the nationalist underground EOKA-B, the terrorist wing of the National Organization for the Liberation of Cyprus, formed in 1971, on the contrary, gained complete freedom of action. So full that July 15, 1974 organized a coup with the support of the National Guard, removing the President of Cyprus, Archbishop, from power Makarios and putting a nationalist in his place Nikos Georgiadis by nickname Samson, a representative of the Greek underground organization EOKA-B, which advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Greece - enosis. The putschists seized the capital's airport, radio station, presidential palace, and a number of administrative institutions in Nicosia and established their power.

It was impossible to imagine a better reason for the start of Turkish aggression, and Ankara, where they had been closely monitoring the increasingly favorable developments of events on the island for a long time, she immediately took advantage of this:
- under the pretext of the impossibility of a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the protection of the Turkish community, the Turkish government sent its troops to Cyprus.

The Turkish army on the day of the invasion of northern Cyprus. Photo: AP

At dawn on July 20, about 30 Turkish landing ships and boats, having made the transition from the Turkish port of Mersin, began landing an amphibious assault in the area 5-7 km west of the city of Kyrenia, and Turkish airborne assault forces were landed in areas south of Kyrenia. By the end of the day, up to six thousand troops had been transferred to Cyprus, and in the next few days the strength of the Turkish corps was increased to 40 thousand people. They were armed with 300 tanks, a thousand armored personnel carriers and many other military equipment. Developing an offensive against Kyrenia and Nicosia, Turkish troops fought intense battles with units of the Cyprus National Guard and made extensive use of tanks, artillery and aircraft. Turkish Navy ships blocked the southern ports of the island - Limassol and Paphos, prohibiting the transfer of Greek troops by sea. Greek ships, landing and transport ships were attacked by Turkish aircraft and ships in the Paphos area on July 21 and suffered heavy losses during the naval battle. By the end of July 21, Turkish troops captured Kyrenia, established control over the Kyrenia-Nicosia road, captured the capital's airport and began military operations on the northern outskirts of Nicosia.

On July 20, the UN Security Council demanded the restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus, the constitutional structure and legitimate government of the republic, a ceasefire between the parties and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island, and called on Greece, Turkey and the UK to begin peace negotiations on Cyprus.

July 22 1974 year, the ceasefire came into force. In Geneva, on July 25-30 and August 8-14, two conferences on Cyprus were held to no avail. On August 14, Turkish troops, in order to expand the captured territory, resumed their offensive from the Nicosia area to the east and west, and aircraft attacked troops, radio stations and other important objects of the Greek Cypriots in the capital. By the end of August 16, Turkish troops reached the so-called Attila Line, proposed by the Turkish government as the border between the Turkish and Greek parts of the island. They took control of the cities of Famagusta, Bogaz, Morphou and others.

As a result of these events, Turkish troops occupied about 37% territory of the island, which led to its actual split into two separate parts, which continues to this day. The country's economy was disorganized, and ties between communities were completely disrupted. According to the UN, the total number of Greek Cypriots displaced was 198 thousand h people, Turkish Cypriots - 37 thousand Human. IN 1974-1975 years, an “exchange” of population took place: Turkish Cypriots almost completely moved to the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkish troops, and Greek Cypriots moved to the south of the island.

February 13 1975 In 2009, the leadership of the Turkish community unilaterally proclaimed in the northern part of the island the so-called “Turkish Federative State of Cyprus”, of which he was elected the “first president”.

15th of November 1983 In 2009, the legislative assembly of the “Turkish Federative State of Cyprus” unilaterally proclaimed the so-called independent Turkish Cypriot state, which is called the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC). The TSRC is still not recognized by anyone except Turkey. The TRNC is separated from the rest of Cyprus by a buffer zone. The line dividing the island into two sectors (the so-called Green Line) is guarded by a contingent Armed Forces UN Peacekeeping in Cyprus (UNFICYP). The Green Line also passes through historical Center island capital Nicosia - tourist and shopping street Ledra.

The UN Security Council, in resolution 541 (1983), condemned this step and called on all UN member countries to “respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus” and “not recognize any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus.” This position was confirmed in UN Security Council Resolution 550 (1984), which called for “not to promote or provide assistance in any way to a separatist entity” in the north of the island of Cyprus.

WITH 1975 The UN Secretary-General is carrying out the “good offices” mission on Cyprus entrusted to him by the Security Council, with the goal of providing assistance to the Greek and Turkish communities of the island in the interests of a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem.

P.S.
The last proposal to solve the problem was defeated in a referendum held on the island under the auspices of the UN on April 24, 2004:

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National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus. Army in Cyprus

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