Civilian casualties and displacements during the Cyprus conflict

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This article covers the civilian casualties and displacements that occurred between 1963 and 1975 — from the outbreak of the intercommunal fighting until the end of displacements following the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus.

Contents

1 1963-64: Turkish Cypriot Withdrawal from the Government
2 1974: Coup d'Etat and the Turkish invasion
3 See also
4 External links
5 Further reading

1963-64: Turkish Cypriot Withdrawal from the Government

In November 1963, president Makarios attempted to amend the constitution in thirteen different clauses. Most of the amendments were aimed at restricting the political rights that had been given to the Turkish Cypriot community in the constitution of 1960. The constitution had been based on the principle of the existence of two different communities in Cyprus: The Greek Cypriots (Christian Orthodox - 82% of the total population), and the Turkish Cypriots (Muslim - 18% of the population). For instance, the judicial and municipal services were run by people from the respective communities within the existing order. The number of officials, MPs, soldiers, and police were determined on a 70%-30% basis. The amendments involved a transition to a state with less separate political rights for any single community. While Makarios took firm measures, the Turkish Cypriot leaders showed absolutely no interest in negotiating. Thus they abandoned the parliament and all other institutions, beating the drum and accusing the other side that "they have thrown us out of the republic" (to this day, the seats reserved for the Turks are still empty in the Assembly of Republic of Cyprus). While Greek Cypriots hold that this happened voluntarily, Turkish Cypriots claim they were forced out of government and its agencies by the Greek Cypriot authorities. During this and the following year, fighting occasionally flared up between the two communities, more and more enforcing a separation and alienation of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

On December 21, 1963, serious violence erupted in Nicosia when a Greek Cypriot police patrol, ostensibly checking identification documents, stopped a Turkish Cypriot couple on the edge of the Turkish quarter. A hostile crowd gathered, shots were fired, and three people (two Turkish Cypriots and one Greek Cypriot) were killed. As the news spread, members of underground organizations began firing and taking hostages. North of Nicosia, Turkish forces occupied a strong position at St. Hilarion Castle, dominating the road to Kyrenia on the northern coast. The road became a principal combat area as both sides fought to control it. Much intercommunal fighting occurred in Nicosia along the line separating the Greek and Turkish quarters of the city (known later as the Green Line).

Severe intercommunal fighting occurred in March and April 1964. When the worst of the fighting was over, Turkish Cypriots began moving from isolated rural areas and mixed villages into enclaves. Turkish Cypriots state that the hostilities forced such an amalgamation while the Greek Cypriots state that the Turkish Cypriots did so without any pressure from them, but rather by the Turkish Cypriot paramilitary organization TMT. It is believed by progressive Cypriots that both events occurred. Before long, a substantial portion of the island's Turkish Cypriot population was crowded into the Turkish quarter of Nicosia and other enclaves, in tents and hastily constructed shacks. Slum conditions resulted from the serious overcrowding.

Attempts of the Cypriot National Guard under control of General George Grivas, who claimed to be acting under a mandate given to Cyprus by the UN, to re-capture a beach-head at the Kokkina/Erenköy enclave which would cut off the Turkish Cypriots last link with the outside world, caused an intervention by the Turkish Airforce. On August 8-August 9, Turkey bombed the Tylliria area for two days, resulting in the death of 33 Greek Cypriots and 230 injuries.

In total, some 133 Greek Cypriots and 191 Turkish Cypriots are known to have been killed in 1963 and 1964. 209 Turkish Cypriots and 41 Greeks were reported as missing. Nearly 20000 Turkish Cypriots were forced to leave their homes and live into enclaves. Finally, more than 3000 Armenian ethnics who had been living in the Turkish sector of Nicosia were forced out of their homes. References: [1]

1974: Coup d'Etat and the Turkish invasion

With the coup d'etat of April 21, 1967, Greece entered a dark period under the rule of the Colonels' Junta. The military junta formed in Cyprus EOKA B, a military fascist organization, which targeted the Republic of Cyprus Government and its president Makarios, who was seen as a problem for Enosis.

On 15 July 1974, the Republic of Cyprus government was overthrown by a Greek Cypriot militant circle under the order of the Greek military junta and with help of Greek army officers, installing the long-time EOKA-B activist Nikos Sampson as the new president. The attempt to murder president Makarios failed, however, and he fled Cyprus with the help of the British army, in response to this and news of ethnic cleansing.

On 20 July 1974, in response to the coup, Turkish troops landed near Kyrenia, forcing a narrow corridor to Nicosia within 2 days, until a ceasefire was negotiated on 22 July. In August of the same year, the three guarantor powers, together with representatives of the two communities, met in Geneva. The Turkish Cypriots under Rauf Denktaş demanded a federal state with 34% of the territory ceded to Turkish Cypriots (to make up the former properties lost since 1963). Glafkos Clerides - the Greek Cypriot representative - asked for 36 to 48 hours in order to consult with his superiors. While still in talks, a second Turkish invasion was launched on Cyprus. When a ceasefire was declared, more than 36% of the territory was occupied by Turkish forces. The ceasefire line of 1974 today still separates the two communities and is generally referred to as the Green Line (or the 'Atilla Line'), and also runs through Nicosia, making it the only divided capital in the world.

In wake of the Turkish landings, a number of massacres had been carried out by EOKA-B. In the village of Tokhni, all men between the ages of 13 and 74 were found shot. Likewise other mass graves were exhumed in the villages of Aloa, Sandalaris and Maratha containing women and children. [link]

The total number of Greek Cypriot casualties of the 1974 invasion was near 3000, of whom 1619 were reported as missing and the rest as killed. About 3500 Turkish Cypriots also lost their lives. 180000-20000 Greek Cypriots and 50000-60000 Turkish Cypriots became refugees, as they were forced to leave their homes and head south or north respectively. References: [1] [2]

Civilian casualties and displacements during the Cyprus conflict

1963-64: Turkish Cypriot Withdrawal from the Government

1974: Coup d'Etat and the Turkish invasion

See also

External links

Further reading