Who started the Turko-Cypriot Conflict?

Answer 1

In 1974 Cyprus was an island nation with a democratically elected government and with a population of citizens of both Greek and Turkish origin. In 1974 the Cypriot National Guard overthrew the democratically elected government of Cyprus. Turkey claimed that the Cypriot National Guard was controlled by a Greek junta and that the governmental overthrow amounted to an "invasion" of Cyprus by Greece. Turkey then 'retaliated' (in support of the overthrown government) by invading Cyprus by land and naval forces which, in turn, brought full scale retaliation from Greece, which did likewise. I suppose it depends on which side you support as to which scenario you subscribe to.

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However if you look at the BBC reports and go to the National History Library, you would see that the greek cypriots joined Greece in 1953 to try and take over the country.

The English government sent troops the keep the peace but they were also killed by the greek army from Greece who also over threw the priminister of Cyprus in order to take control.

Turkey entered the country to save the Turkish cypriots from being killed and as of today the northen side is still not allowed to trade and fund themselves unless Turkey keeps supporting them.

1963 a document was signed recognising 2 separate states which now the English and greek government ignores.

Answer 2

In 1923, as a final resolution between mainland Turkey and Greece (following nearly a century of war between the two countries), 1.5 million Greeks were deported from Turkey and received in Greece and 500,000 Turks were expelled from Greece and received by Turkey. This was a massive population swap and resulted in two countries that were more or less ethnically homogenous (if we do not count the Kurds in Turkey). Since Cyprus was under British Occupation at the time, it was not affected by this population swap. This made Cyprus an island with a Greek Orthodox majority and a Sunni Muslim minority well into the 1950s and 1960s. The Greek Orthodox see themselves as ethnically Greek and the Sunni Muslims see themselves as ethnically Turkish, even though both populations are generally indigenous to the island.

The Greek Cypriots wanted to perform Enosis or Union with Modern Greece, but the Constitution of Cyprus was Confessionalist, meaning that the government was divided between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots according to specific percentages and local rules. This led to a coup d'état in Cyprus by a Greek Cypriot leader who wanted to perform Enosis in 1974. Turkey used this revolt as an excuse to invade Cyprus and create a Turkish dominated North Cyprus, effectively cleaving the country in two.

To agitate the conflict, Turkey has permitted 200,000 Turkish Settlers into the Occupied Territories in a blatant attempt to alter the Demographics of Cyprus. (The total Cypriot population is 1.1 million people, so 0.2 million is a huge shift.) Turkey has refused to sign any accord with Cyprus that would force those Settlers to return to Turkey, thus making Cyprus Reunification effectively impossible unless the Greek Cypriots will accept such a massive population influx.

Answer 3

It depends who you ask.

Greeks, Greek Cypriots, and their sympathizers say that Turkey started the conflict. In their view, Turkey had wanted to re-invade Cyprus for many years after the British had colonized it and reintegrate into Turkey. They chose a moment when Cyprus was under political strife and coordinated an amphibious landing in several Turkish Cypriot communities that had been well-planned. To agitate the conflict, Turkey has permitted 200,000 Turkish Settlers into the Occupied Territories in a blatant attempt to alter the demographics of Cyprus. This further supports the idea that Turkey had a long-term plan for re-Turkifying Cyprus.

Turks, Turkish Cypriots, and their sympathizsers say that Greece and the Greek Cypriots started the conflict. The Greek Cypriots wanted to perform Enosis or Union with Modern Greece, but the Constitution of Cyprus was Confessionalist, meaning that the government was divided between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots according to specific percentages and local rules. This led to a coup d'état in Cyprus by a Greek Cypriot leader who wanted to perform Enosis in 1974. Turkey invaded Cyprus in order to protect the rights ot Turkish Cypriots whose station would be worsened by the act of Enosis (since the Greek-Cypriot united government would not be Confessionalist).

Answer 4

In 1923, as a final resolution between mainland Turkey and Greece (following nearly a century of war between the two countries), 1.5 million Greeks were deported from Turkey and received in Greece and 500,000 Turks were expelled from Greece and received by Turkey. This was a massive population swap and resulted in two countries that were more or less ethnically homogenous (if we do not count the Kurds in Turkey). Since Cyprus was under British Occupation at the time, it was not affected by this population swap. This made Cyprus an island with a Greek Orthodox majority and a Sunni Muslim minority well into the 1950s and 1960s. The Greek Orthodox see themselves as ethnically Greek and the Sunni Muslims see themselves as ethnically Turkish, even though both populations are generally indigenous to the island.

The Greek Cypriots wanted to perform Enosis or Union with Modern Greece, but the Constitution of Cyprus was Confessionalist, meaning that the government was divided between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots according to specific percentages and local rules. This led to a coup d'état in Cyprus by a Greek Cypriot leader who wanted to perform Enosis in 1974. Turkey used this revolt as an excuse to invade Cyprus and create a Turkish dominated North Cyprus, effectively cleaving the country in two.

To agitate the conflict, Turkey has permitted 200,000 Turkish Settlers into the Occupied Territories in a blatant attempt to alter the demographics of Cyprus. (The total Cypriot population is 1.1 million people, so 0.2 million is a huge shift.) Turkey has refused to sign any accord with Cyprus that would force those Settlers to return to Turkey, thus making Cyprus Reunification effectively impossible unless the Greek Cypriots will accept such a massive population influx.