Cyprus marked 52 years since Turkey's 1974 military invasion on Monday, with sirens sounding across the island at 5:30 a...

Cyprus marked 52 years since Turkey's 1974 military invasion on Monday, with sirens sounding across the island at 5:30 am, the exact time Turkish forces landed in Kyrenia and began an aerial assault that killed more than 3,000 people, mostly civilians. Within a month of the invasion, Turkey had seized approximately 37% of Cypriot territory. Around 170,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots were displaced from their homes. Of those who went missing during the conflict, 1,619 have never been accounted for. The Cyprus Presidency posted on X that Turkey "continues to illegally occupy 37% of our homeland, perpetuating one of the greatest crimes in the post-war history of Europe." The statement also accused Turkey of expanding illegal settlements, destroying religious and cultural heritage, and refusing to provide answers about the fate of the missing over five decades. Turkey's invasion had been triggered by a Greek-backed coup that overthrew Cyprus' first elected president, Makarios III, just five days before Turkish forces moved in. Ankara used the coup as its justification for military intervention. Today, the northern territory remains recognised only by Turkey. No other country in the world, and no international body, has recognized the Turkish-controlled north as a legitimate state. Cyprus is the only EU member state currently under foreign military occupation. Greece reaffirmed its support for a settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation under a single sovereignty, in line with UN Security Council resolutions. Brussels has pursued a diplomatic resolution for decades but has not achieved one. #Cyprus #Turkey #CyprusInvasion