Air-raid sirens sounded early in the morning signaling the time the Turkish invasion began against Cyprus on the 20th of July 1974, that drastically changed the history of the island, spreading death and destruction.
Fifty one years ago on this day, at 0530 local time, the Turkish army was invading Cyprus, the beautiful island of the Mediterranean, violating every rule of international law.
Today, Cyprus remembers and honors all those who defended their homeland against the Turkish invader in 1974. Various events are organised in all towns of the government controlled areas of Cyprus, to honor the fallen and pray for the missing persons.
President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, accompanied by Members of the Council of Ministers, will attend, at 8:00, an official prayer at the Makedonitissa Tomb military cemetery and war memorial and then attend the annual memorial service for those who fell during the Turkish Invasion, at the Apostle Barnabas Cathedral in Nicosia.
More memorial services will be held in all towns of the government controlled areas of Cyprus. Government officials will attend the memorial services and lay wreaths on behalf of the President of the Republic. The government will be represented in Limassol by Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic, Viktoras Papadopoulos, in Larnaca by Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, in Paphos by Government Spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, and in Paralimni by Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Giorgos Papanastasiou.
Political parties and citizen organisations have issued statements condemning the Turkish invasion and organise events of remembrance and honor for the fallen of the Cyprus tragedy, emphasizing the need for unity and reiterating their determination to work for a just and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem.
Turkey unleashed the first phase of the Cyprus tragedy, on July 20, 1974, while a few days later the second drama followed in which Famagusta was also occupied. Since then, Turkey illegally occupies 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004.
Five decades ago on this day Turkish soldiers were landing on the coast of northern Cyprus in a “peaceful operation” as the invasion was described by the Turkish army, under the code name “Attila”. Turkish transport planes were carrying paratroopers at around 5.20 in the morning in the area of the Turkish enclave of Nicosia-Agios Hilarion, while Turkish infantry forces were landing on the beaches of Kyrenia.
Within three days the Turkish soldiers spread absolute havoc with brutal executions, rapes, arrests of prisoners, destruction of churches, uprooting people from their homes. The “government” of the coup d’ etat, that took place five days earlier, resigned on July 23, 1974.
The UN Security Council holds a meeting in the afternoon of the 20th of July, passing Resolution 353 which calls for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus, an end to any foreign military intervention and the start of talks between the three Guarantor Forces of Cyprus for restoration of peace and constitutional Government on the island. The Council of the Permanent Representatives of NATO member countries meets in Brussels, but refrains from taking a position.
In Geneva, consultations begin to find a peaceful solution, but while they were ongoing, Turkey, in the early hours of August 14, withdraws its delegation, and a short time later proceeds to the second phase of its plans, by invading Cyprus again under the code name “Attila 2” that resulted to the occupation of the beautiful areas of Morphou, Famagusta and Karpasia.
The death toll reaches 3,000, the displaced Greek Cypriots were 162,000, refugees in their own country, the Turkish Cypriots were forced to leave their homes and move, as a result of Turkey’s blackmail policy, to the Turkish-occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
The 20,000 Greek Cypriots and Maronites who chose not to leave their homes despite the Turkish occupation were subject to constant harassment, restrictions on movement, denial of access to adequate medical care, and education, forcing them to leave their homes. To date, their number has dramatically dropped and is limited to 300.
The most tragic consequence of the Turkish invasion is the humanitarian issue of the missing persons. Thousands of Greek Cypriots had been arrested and held in concentration camps in Cyprus while over 2000 prisoners of war had been illegally transported and held in prisons in Turkey. Many of them are still missing.
As the Republic of Cyprus prepares to undertake for the second time the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, its capital, Nicosia, remains the last divided capital in Europe.