Hulitrip users
Written 23 Oct
After the 2nd World War was over, rebelling and violence against the British rulers by the Greek Cypriots started to occur, as the Greek Cypriots believed the island should be joined to Greece. To solve the ongoing problem, the UN tried to find ways to create an independent Cyprus in 1957.
Hulitrip users
Written 22 Oct
The island is divided since 1974. The north is mostly Turkish and the south is mostly Greek. But they are not part of Turkey and Greece, they are separate countries.
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Turkey had emerged from the 1st World War as a defeated nation, and as a result Cyprus became part of the British Colony in 1925. After the 2nd World War was over, rebelling and violence against the British rulers by the Greek Cypriots started to occur, as the Greek Cypriots believed the island should be joined to Greece. To solve the ongoing problem, the UN tried to find ways to create an independent Cyprus in 1957, and this was established with the Treaty of Zurich, in 1960, signed and supported by Britain, Greece and Turkey, all agreeing to keep the rights of the Turkish Cypriot community in mind.
The Treaty of Zurich which created a unified Cyprus only managed to last for a meek 3 years before war broke out in 1963. The UN intervened and created the Green line as a way of trying to calm the situation. But everything was about to get a lot worse. In 1974 the Greek National Guard tried to overthrow the President of the island, Makarios, in order to gain recognition for their goal of Enosis (Unifying the island to Greece.). Turkey quickly reacted to this news and intervened in an attempt to protect the Turkish Cypriots, as it was stated in the Treaty of Zurich.
Even though the T.R.N.C (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) was formed in 1983, it has yet to receive recognition from the rest of the world. The 2003 border opening between the north and south took place thanks to the meetings and peace talks between leaders that took place during 2002. Although referendums based on the UN Annan Plan were held on both sides of the island, It was not able to take place due to the Greek Cypriots rejecting this plan, despite the majority of the Turkish Cypriots being in favour of it. The republic of Cyprus,aka South Cyprus is now a full member of the EU while North Cyprus is not. Cyprus still remains divided by the Green Line.
