| 1878-1960 |
British occupation. British take on administration of the
island, ceded from the Ottomans, for its strategic value, to
protect their sea route to India via the Suez Canal. In exchange, Britain agrees to help Turkey to attack Russia.
|
| 1914 |
Cyprus annexed by Britain when Turkey joins with Germany and Austro-Hungary in World War I.
|
| 1925 |
Cyprus becomes British Crown Colony. |
| 1931 |
First serious riots of Greek Cypriots demanding Enosis, union with Greece. |
| 1939 |
Greek Cypriots fight with British in World War II, but remain set on Enosis after war is over. Turkish Cypriots, however, want British rule to continue.
|
| 1950 |
Archbishop Makarios III elected political and spiritual leader.
Heads the campaign for Enosis with the support of Greece. |
| 1955 |
Series of bomb attacks, start of violent campaign for Enosis by
EOKA (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) led by
George Grivas, ex-colonel in Greek army, born in Cyprus.
Grivas takes name of Dighenis, legendary Cypriot hero, and
conducts guerrilla warfare from secret hideout in Troodos
mountains. Estimated to have 300 men maximum, yet
successfully plagues 20,000 British troops and 4,500 police. |
| 1956 |
Britain deports Makarios to Seychelles in attempt to quell
revolt. Turkish Cypriots used as auxiliaries of British
Security Forces, allegedly torturing EOKA captives durings
British cross-examinations. |
| 1957 |
Field Marshal Sir John Harding replaced by civilian
governor Sir Hugh Foot in conciliatory move. |
| 1958 |
Turkish Cypriots alarmed by British conciliation and begin
demands for partition. Intercommunal clashes and attacks
on British.
|
| 1960 |
British, Greek and Turkish governments sign Treaty of Guarantee to provide for independent Cypriot state within the
Commonwealth and allowing for retention of two Sovereign
Base Areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri. Under the treaty, each power has the right to take military action in the face of any threat to the constitution. Cyprus truly independent for first time. Archbishop Makarios is first president, Dr Fazil Kucuk vice-president. Both have right of veto. Turkish Cypriote who form 18% of population, given 30% of places in government and administration, 40% in army, and separate municipal services in the five major towns. |
| 1963-73 |
Greek Cypriots view constitution as unworkable and propose
changes which are rejected by Turkish Cypriots and Turkish government. Intercommunal fighting escalates and UN Peace Keeping Force sent in, but powerless to prevent incidents. |
| 1974-76 |
Military government (junta) in Greece supports coup by Greek National Guard to overthrow Makarios. Makarios forced to flee. Puppet regime imposed under Nicos Sampson, former EOKA fighter. Rauf Denktash, Turkish Cypriot leader, calls for joint military action by the UK and Turkey, as guarantors of Cypriot independence, to prevent Greece imposing Enosis. The Turkish prime minister travels to London to persuade the UK to intervene jointly with Turkey, but fails, so Turkey exercises its right under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and lands 40,000 troops on the north coast of Cyprus. Turkey describes this invasion as 'a peace operation to restore constitutional order and protect the Turkish Cypriot community'. UN talks break down and Turkish forces are left in control of 37% of the island. Refugees from both communities cross to respective sides of the de facto border. Turks announce Federated State in the north with Denktash as leader. UN forces stay as buffer between the two zones. Some 20,000 mainland Turks, mainly subsistence farmers, are brought in to settle and work the underpopulated land. Those that stay more than five years are given citizenship of North Cyprus. |
| 1977 |
Makarios dies, having been restored as President of Greek
Cyprus after 1974. Succeeded by Spyros Kyprianou. |
| 1983 |
Turkish Federated State declares itself independent, as
Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC), still with Denktash as president. New state is not recognised by any country except Turkey. |
| 1992-95 |
UN-sponsored talks between the two sides run into the
sand, but with a commitment to resume. |
| 2002-03 |
Concerns in Europe that a divided nation could join the
European Union in 2004 prompted further UN-brokered peace talks. The plans, authored by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, envisioned the establishment of a Swiss-style confederation made up jointly of the two sides. Proposals included the formation of a common state with one single Cypriot citizenship and a reduction in Turkish Cypriot land from 36% to 28.5%; while the Greek Cypriots, for their part, would have to formally acknowledge that not all their refugees could return to their houses in the north. A three-year interim government was also mooted, with Turkish and Greek Cypriot representatives as co-leaders.
Despite a willingness by many Turkish Cypriots to seek a solution to the stand-off, Denktash rejected the revised proposals within hours of receiving them. |
| 2004 |
Years of political word games and cajoling from the UN
came to a head on 24 April, when Cyprus went to the polls to vote on the reunification proposals laid down by the Annan Plan. The turnout on both sides of the divide was high (84% in the north and 89% in the south), reflecting the depth of feeling that exists amongst both communities. Alas this was the only commonality to be found - the respective
votes could not have been more disparate. In the clearest sign yet that the Turkish Cypriots favour a resolution, 65% voted 'Yes' to reunification, whilst the Greek ballots yielded a depressing and overwhelming 86% 'No' vote, with the Greek Cypriot government citing 'unacceptable' restrictions on property rights as an insurmountable hurdle. As a result, on 1 May the southern Republic of Cyprus ascended to full member status of the EU (with all the associated benefits) whilst the north continues to remain in political isolation. |
| 2005 |
17 April becomes a watershed in the history of North
Cyprus as Denktash stands down from the presidency he has held since independence was declared in 1983. His successor, Mehmet Ali Talat, is a radically different character. Reserved, softly spoken and, by eastern Mediterranean standards, still young, Talat cuts the image of a more moderate politician and carries the north's hopes for a unified and peaceful future. A fierce supporter of the UN's reunification plan, Talat's centre-left Republican Turkish Party has been gaining momentum for some time and, with anti-Denktash feeling escalating amongst the population, most agree that the time for change had arrived. |
