Northern Cyprus is a de facto republic on the island of Cyprus, which has a rich history of being fought over by various Mediterranean civilizations. The island was administered by the Templars and later came under the control of Venice and the Ottoman Turks. After independence, the island was divided between a Greek-controlled region and a Turkish-controlled region in Northern Cyprus. In 1974, Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus, causing a large population of Greek Cypriots to flee south and a large population of Turkish Cypriots to flee north. Northern Cyprus declared its independence in 1983, but it is only recognized by Turkey. Despite the division, the island offers many fascinating historical sites of interest.
Northern Cyprus is a small de facto republic on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. The island covers 1300 square miles (3360 square km), making it a little larger than the state of Rhode Island. Northern Cyprus shares the island with the Republic of Cyprus and the British-controlled military regions of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Cyprus was first settled in the 8th millennium BC and by the time of the Phoenicians and Greeks in the 2nd millennium BC it had become an important port island. The island was fought over by various Mediterranean civilizations for the next few thousand years. It was an important trading center in the Roman Empire, and later passed to the Byzantine Empire in the 4th century.
In the 12th century the island was occupied by Richard the Lionheart, to be used as an important base for the Crusades. The island was administered by the Templars, until it was sold to Guy of Lusignan after losing his kingdom in Jerusalem. His line held control of Cyprus until the end of the 15th century, when the island came under the control of Venice.
The Ottoman Turks began raiding Cyprus almost immediately after Venice took control. Their first large-scale attacks were unsuccessful and the Venetians increased the fortifications immensely, but by the end of the 16th century the Ottomans had completely taken control of Cyprus. The Ottomans immediately began offering lands to Turks who promised to stay on the island, and quickly injected a large Turkish component into the population.
The island’s population became evenly divided between Christians and Muslims over the next couple hundred years, and a number of small revolts occurred. In the late 19th century, in exchange for their support of the Ottomans against the Russians, Cyprus was given control to the British, although technically it still remained under Ottoman suzerainty. In the aftermath of World War I, Cyprus passed completely to Great Britain.
A strong Greek nationalist movement on the island led to a push for unification with Greece, but Britain weathered both World War I and World War II. Unification was never achieved, but in 1960 Britain agreed to grant Cyprus independence, with the exception of two small regions earmarked for British military use. After independence, large sections of the population continued to push for unification with Greece. The Turkish part of the population, largely in Northern Cyprus, saw this as an intolerable situation and instead proposed that the country be divided between a Greek-controlled region and a Turkish-controlled region in Northern Cyprus.
Only a few years after the declaration of independence, the situation had drastically degenerated. The violence had claimed the lives of hundreds on both sides, and Turkish members of the government resigned, leaving Greek Cypriots as heads of government. Violence against Turkish Cypriot communities in Northern Cyprus has resulted in large numbers of Turks taking shelter in heavily armed communities.
Following the Greek-backed Cyprus coup in 1974, which Turkey believed violated the treaty that established independence, Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus. Turkish military forces have conquered almost 40% of Northern Cyprus, causing a large population of Greek Cypriots to flee south and a large population of Turkish Cypriots to flee north.
In 1983 Northern Cyprus declared its independence, despite the lack of international recognition from any nation except Turkey. The country has remained divided ever since, despite a strong push for unification prior to the country’s entry into the European Union.
The island of Cyprus is beautiful and offers many fascinating historical sites of interest. The threat of imminent violence has been greatly reduced in recent years, and the UN-brokered Green Line is now open to free passage, making the entire island accessible.
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