1974 Turkish Invasion
What Happened
The summer of 1974 split the history of Cyprus into “before” and “after.” Within a few weeks, the island was cut in two, hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes, thousands were killed or went missing.
Timeline of Events
15 July 1974 — Coup
The Greek military junta organized a coup against President Makarios. The putschists wanted enosis — union with Greece.
Makarios miraculously escaped and fled abroad. Power was seized by Nikos Sampson — a former EOKA-B militant.
20 July 1974 — Invasion (First Phase)
Turkey sent in troops, declaring it was “protecting Turkish Cypriots” under the 1960 treaty.
The landing took place near Kyrenia. Turkish forces captured a corridor from the coast to the Turkish quarters of Nicosia. Kyrenia fell on 22 July (still the first phase).
❓ When did Turkey invade Cyprus?
→ 20 July 1974
23 July — Fall of the Junta
The coup failed. In Greece, the military junta fell. In Cyprus, the legitimate government was restored.
But Turkey did not leave.
14 August 1974 — Second Phase
After the failure of the Geneva talks, Turkey launched a second wave of the offensive.
Within two days, Turkish forces occupied 36.2% of the island’s territory — the entire north up to the Morphou–Famagusta line.
⚠️ Exam trap: which phase?
The July 2026 paper asked for the order of events (Kyrenia, Morphou, the pseudo-state, the Annan referendum). Keep the phases apart:
| When | What | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July 1974 | Coup against Makarios (Greek junta, EOKA-B) | Not the invasion — five days before it |
| 20 July 1974 | Landing near Kyrenia, corridor to Nicosia, Kyrenia taken | First phase |
| 14 August 1974 | Advance east to Famagusta and west to Morphou; 36.2% occupied | Second phase |
| 15 November 1983 | Unilateral declaration of the pseudo-state | Nine years later |
| 24 April 2004 | Referendum on the Annan Plan | Thirty years later |
❓ Kyrenia or Morphou first? → Kyrenia (first phase, July 1974), then Morphou (second phase, August 1974)
❓ 15 or 20 July? → 15 July is the coup; 20 July is the invasion
Consequences in Numbers
| Fact | Data |
|---|---|
| Territory occupied | 36.2% |
| Greek Cypriots expelled | ~200 000 (1/3 of the population) |
| Turkish Cypriots relocated to the north | ~45 000 |
| Missing persons (still unaccounted for) | 758 Greek Cypriots (of 1,619 originally; 2025) |
| Turkish troops on the island | ~43 000 soldiers |
| Settlers from Turkey | ~160 000 people |
❓ How many Greek Cypriots became refugees in 1974?
→ About 200 000 (one third of the population)
Refugees
200 000 Greek Cypriots were forced to leave their homes in the north. They made up 70% of the population of the occupied areas.
People fled with whatever they managed to grab. Many thought they would return in a few days. They have still not returned.
Enclaves: After the invasion, about 20 000 Greeks and Maronites remained in the north. Today there are only 331 (2025) — the rest were forced to leave.
Missing Persons
Of 1,619 Greek Cypriots originally listed as missing, 758 are still unaccounted for (PIO, 2025) — soldiers and civilians.
The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) works with both sides, but the Turkish side refused to cooperate for a long time.
Every year remains are found and identified. For many families, 50 years of waiting have passed.
Turkish Troops and Settlers
Troops
There are ~43 000 Turkish soldiers in the occupied territory — one of the highest concentrations of troops in the world relative to area and population.
Settlers
Since 1974, Turkey has relocated ~160 000 people from mainland Turkey to Cyprus — this is illegal colonization under international law.
Emigration of Turkish Cypriots
A paradox: more than 57 000 out of 116 000 indigenous Turkish Cypriots left the island after 1974. Reasons include economic isolation, lack of prospects, and becoming a minority in their own land.
Result: Today Turkish Cypriots are a minority in the north — there are fewer of them than Turkish soldiers and settlers combined (ratio roughly 1:2).
❓ Who are more numerous in the north: Turkish Cypriots or settlers from Turkey?
→ Settlers from Turkey (plus troops)
Varosha (Βαρώσια / Varosha)
Where: District of the city of Famagusta (Αμμόχωστος / Ammochostos)
Before 1974: One of the most popular resorts in the Mediterranean. Hotels, beaches, nightclubs. Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot vacationed here.
After 1974: A ghost town. A closed military zone. Buildings have been decaying for 50 years.
Residents fled on the morning of 14 August 1974. Many left breakfast on the table, thinking they would be back by lunch.
❓ What is the name of the ghost town in Famagusta?
→ Varosha (Βαρώσια)
Cultural Losses
The Turkish occupation is accompanied by the systematic destruction of Greek and Christian heritage:
- Churches: turned into mosques, warehouses, barns, nightclubs
- Icons and frescoes: looted, sold on the black market
- Cemeteries: desecrated, gravestones destroyed
- Names: Greek place names replaced with Turkish ones
Why This Is Illegal
| Body | Position |
|---|---|
| UN resolutions | Condemn the occupation, demand withdrawal of troops |
| European Court of Human Rights | Holds Turkey responsible for massive human rights violations |
| EU | Cyprus is an EU member; the north is the occupied territory of an EU member state |
| The entire international community | Does not recognize the “TRNC” |
All resolutions and court decisions remain unimplemented. Turkey ignores international law.
Commemorative Dates
| Date | What is commemorated |
|---|---|
| 15 July | Memorial day of the coup |
| 20 July | Memorial day of the invasion |
On these days there are ceremonies, laying of wreaths, and moments of silence. For Cyprus this is a living trauma, not distant history.
1974 by phases
The invasion came in two phases: 20–22 July and 14–16 August 1974. Know which town fell in which phase.
| Date | Event | Greek name | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 July 1974 | Coup against President Makarios, organised by the military junta in Athens; Nikos Sampson installed as "president" | Πραξικόπημα της 15ης Ιουλίου | Nicosia (Presidential Palace) |
| 20 July 1974 | First phase of the Turkish invasion ("Operation Attila"), from the sea and the air | Τουρκική εισβολή – Α΄ φάση («Αττίλας») | North coast near Kyrenia |
| 20 July 1974 | UN Security Council resolution 353: ceasefire, end of foreign military intervention | Ψήφισμα 353 του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας | UN, New York |
| 20–22 July | Turkish forces open a corridor from the Kyrenia coast to the Turkish Cypriot enclave north of Nicosia | Προγεφύρωμα Κερύνειας – Λευκωσίας | Kyrenia → Nicosia |
| 22 July (noon) | Kyrenia captured | Κατάληψη της Κερύνειας | Kyrenia |
| 22 July, 16:00 | First ceasefire | Εκεχειρία | Whole island |
| 23 July | The coup collapses: Sampson resigns, Glafcos Clerides becomes acting president; the junta in Greece falls | Κατάρρευση του πραξικοπήματος | Nicosia, Athens |
| 25–30 July | Geneva Conference (foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey, UK); Geneva Declaration of 30 July | Διάσκεψη της Γενεύης | Geneva |
| 6 August | Despite the ceasefire, Turkish troops take Karavas and Lapithos | Καραβάς, Λάπηθος | West of Kyrenia |
| 14 August 1974 | Geneva talks collapse → second phase ("Attila 2") | Β΄ φάση της εισβολής («Αττίλας 2») | — |
| 14–16 August | East: Famagusta and the Karpasia peninsula; West: Morphou and Lefka | Αμμόχωστος, Καρπασία, Μόρφου, Λεύκα | East and west of the bridgehead |
| 16 August, 18:00 | Ceasefire. The lines recorded by UNFICYP that day are still today's ceasefire lines; the UN buffer zone lies between them | Εκεχειρία της 16ης Αυγούστου | ~180 km, Kato Pyrgos → Dherynia |
| Result | 36.2 % of the Republic occupied — the line Morphou – Nicosia – Famagusta | Γραμμή Μόρφου – Λευκωσίας – Αμμοχώστου | North |
| 15 Nov 1983 | Unilateral declaration of the pseudo-state ("TRNC"); declared legally invalid by UNSC resolution 541 (18 Nov 1983) | Ανακήρυξη του ψευδοκράτους | Occupied north |
Which phase?
| Town / area | Phase |
|---|---|
| Kyrenia (Κερύνεια) | 1st (fell 22 July) |
| Karavas, Lapithos | Between the phases (6 August) |
| Famagusta (Αμμόχωστος), Varosha | 2nd |
| Morphou (Μόρφου), Lefka | 2nd |
| Karpasia peninsula (Καρπασία) | 2nd |
Enclaved (Εγκλωβισμένοι)
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Greek Cypriots and Maronites who stayed in the north (end of 1974) | ~20 000 |
| Where most of them lived | Karpasia (Rizokarpaso, Agia Triada), Kyrenia area, Maronite villages near Morphou (Kormakitis) |
| Still enclaved today | ~330 |
❓ Which town fell in the first phase, which in the second? → Kyrenia – 1st (July); Morphou and Famagusta – 2nd (August)
❓ Correct order: capture of Kyrenia → capture of Morphou → pseudo-state (1983) → Annan referendum (2004)
❓ After the failure of which conference did the second phase begin? → Geneva
Key Facts to Remember
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Date of the invasion | 20 July 1974 |
| Territory occupied | 36.2% of the territory |
| Refugees (Greek Cypriots) | ~200 000 |
| Missing persons (still unaccounted for) | 758 (2025) |
| Turkish troops | ~43 000 |
| Settlers from Turkey | ~160 000 |
| Turkish Cypriots who emigrated | more than 57 000 (of 116 000) |
| Kyrenia | 1st phase (fell 22 July) |
| Morphou, Famagusta | 2nd phase (August) |
| Ceasefire line | 16 August 1974 |
| Ghost town | Varosha |
| Who recognizes the “TRNC” | Only Turkey |