Turkey is now using the distraction of Russia s invasion of Ukraine as a cover to increase its likelihood of officially annexing Cyprus s north. It is not just part of the island country of Cyprus that is being occupied and demeaned. What is being
The European Court of Human Rights
Reports by international media
Since 1974, Turkey has forcibly occupied 36% of the sovereign territory and 57% of the coastline of the Republic of Cyprus. The ethnic cleansing of northern Cyprus by Turkey has resulted in the displacement of more than 170,000 Greek Cypriots, or roughly one-third of the island s population. In addition to Greek Cypriots, Armenian, Maronite, and other non-Muslim Cypriots were also forcibly displaced. The result was that Turkey effectively crushed the Christian population.
In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC ) was established by a unilateral declaration that was condemned by the international community. To this day, Turkey remains the only country that has recognized the entity. The TRNC does not exist as a state but rather as a de-facto administrator of the Turkish occupation.