The Turkish invasion of 1974 On 15 July 1974, life on the island of Cyprus changed forever. A coup staged by the Athens’ junta against the elected government of President Makarios served Turkey as a pretext to invade Cyprus on 20th July, violating International Law and the Charter of the United Nations (UN). The invasion was carried out in two phases, and ever since Turkey illegally occupies over 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. As a result, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (CYSTAT), about 200,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced and became refugees in their own homeland. In addition, many soldiers and civilians were killed, thousands of Greek Cypriots were arrested and held in concentration camps in Cyprus by Turkish soldiers and paramilitaries, and more than 2,000 prisoners of war were illegally transferred and held in prisons in Turkey. Some of them are still missing to this day. Moreover, the rich cultural heritage of the occupied part of the island has suffered considerable damage. Many monuments and churches were vandalised, and precious icons and relics were destroyed, lost or illegaly sold, some of which were later recovered after lengthy legal battles. By the end of 1975, most Turkish Cypriots living in areas controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus had also moved to the territory occupied by the Turkish army, following Turkey’s coercive policy. Since the Turkish invasion of 1974, Lefkosia remains divided, a city still marked by war and its enduring scars. The Green Line LEFKOSIA: A DIVIDED EUROPEAN CITY Watercolour: Katerina Attalidou (Press and Information Office). Photos: Stefanos Kouratzis
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