Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974 (“Attilas 1”), developments in the Greek and Greek Cypriot camp have been rapid. The dictatorship in Athens collapsed and the dawn of July 24 was formed a government of national unity under Constantine Karamanlis. In Cyprus, the president, Nikolaos Samson, had resigned and had been replaced by the elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, Glafkos Clerides.
Anxious diplomatic efforts followed to find a solution with the UN mediation, but the Turkish side rejected all the proposals. Immediately after the shipwreck of the Geneva Conference on August 14, 1974 at 4:35 am, the Turkish army launched a fierce attack on all fronts of Cyprus, leading the Cypriot forces – fighting alone – in retreat below the “green line” of Nicosia.
See HERE shocking testimonies of the Turkish invasion of SKAI
Cyprus had been divided by two ethnic compact populations, a situation that lasts to this day.
In the 28 days of military operations in Cyprus in total, the Losses of the Greek side amounted to 4,500 – 6,000 dead and injured (military personnel and civilians) and 2,000 – 3,000 missing.
Turkish casualties amounted to 1,500 dead and 2,000 injured.
Diplomatic Initiatives
On July 24, 1974, it was time for diplomacy. The representatives of the two communities in Cyprus, Clerides and Denktashthey met to discuss the truce application. On the same day, the Archbishop Blissful was accepted by US Secretary of State Henry Kissingerat a time when the United States was plagued by the Watergate scandal and President Nixon was resigned. (He finally resigned on August 9, 1974 and was replaced by Vice President Gerald Ford, five days before Attila 2).
The following day, July 25, following the establishment of the Security Council UNmet in Geneva ‘Trilateral Conference’with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the three guarantor forces, Greece, George Mavrou, Turkey Turan Guenies and Great Britain James Kalahan in order to seek solutions to remove the situation in Cyprus, in absentia of its concerned parties. After intense discussions, the three ministers adopted an expert report on July 30, consisting of four points:
– No military expansion beyond the lines of July 30 (10 pm).
– Creating a seat belt around the positions occupied by the Turks.
– Return to the Turkish Cypriots of all military pockets occupied by the Greek side.
– Gradually reduction of military forces on the island.
At the same time, the three ministers adopted Declarationwith which the recognition of the Existence of two autonomous administrations on the islandof the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot, which states that “the negotiations must be carried out as soon as to ensure a) the restoration of peace in the region and (b) the restoration of the Constitutional Government in Cyprus”. Finally, they decided to convene on August 8th of a new conference, which would participate in addition to the guarantor forces and by one representative of the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
OR New Conference actually met in Geneva on August 8with the participation of the Ministers of the UK, Greece and Turkey and the representatives of Greek Cypriots Glafkos Clerides and Turkish Cypriots Rauf Dektas. Greek negotiators George Mavros and Glafkos Clerides tried to lead things to a rational and honest negotiation, but were constantly confronted with Turkish arrogance and intolerance. All the time since the truce of July 22, the Turks reinforced the Kyrenia enclave and carried out a small -scale military operations. It is characteristic that the Four days of July 22 – 26 The Turks violated the truce 55 times.
The Greek Cypriot side in the negotiations supported the return to the 1960 Constitution and the repetition of inter -communal talks, but the Turkish Foreign Minister rejected the Clerides’ suggestion and a plan that the Republic of Cyprus would be a bi -communal federal state. In addition, Denktash proposed a bi -zonal federation, in which the Turkish Cypriot federal state would also cover 34% of the area of democracy.
Under the pressure of the circumstances and in strong objections, Glafkos Clerides proposed the following plan:
– The constitutional structure of Cyprus to maintain its bi -communal character.
– The coexistence of the two communities to be achieved by institutional consonants.
– The Greek and Turkish Community Administration to exercise powers in the zones where the respective populations have a majority.
The Turkish side refused to discuss the Plan Clerides and requested that the Turkish proposals be accepted immediately. Clerides demanded a postponement of 36 or 48 hours so that he could talk to Makarios.
The Turks rejected his request and Geneva’s second conference ended at 3:30 on the morning of August 14, 1974. George Mavros, in his statements, denounced the Turkish stance internationally.
“Attilas 2”
Sixty -five minutes after the wreck of the Geneva Conference, at 4:35 am., the Turkish army launches fierce attack on all fronts of Cyprus (“Attilas 2”).
Battle tanks and strong infantry units move east in the direction of Famagusta and west to the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Lefka and the town of Morphou. The battles were raging all day, especially in the north of Nicosia and its airport. Greek Cypriots face the hordes of Turkish invaders alonesince help from Greece could not be sent for objective reasons (a long distance from Cyprus, a non -honorable armed forces at that time, a danger of Turkey’s antagonism in the region of Greece), as the Prime Minister Constantine Konstantinos had assured.
On August 15, the Turkish forces occupied the city of Famagusta without resistance and cut off the entire Karpasian peninsula.
OR Cyprusunder the pressure of the much stronger Turkish forces and the air bombardment, was forced to retreat under the ‘green line’ of Nicosia and south of Nicosia – Famagusta and Nicosia – Morphou streets.
Thus, the Turkish forces, when At 6 pm August 16 August was a ceasefire of firethey had understood The whole section provided for by the Denktas plan and in addition to Famagusta, areas whose extent was 37% of the Cypriot territory.
During their advance, Turkish soldiers made creepy cruelty and acts of violence.
Thousands of Cypriots were expelled from their homes and a wave of 200,000 refugees moved from the occupied areas in the Free South. The opposite course was followed by 51,000 Turkish Cypriots.
Cyprus had been divided by two ethnic compact populations, a situation that lasts to this day.
In the diplomatic field, the UN Security Council met on August 15 and 16, and with four resolutions (357-360) called for the immediate ceasefire, the departure from Cyprus of all foreign troops, and the repetition of interested parties. All four resolutions were provocatively ignored by Turkey.
To August 14, 1974Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, interpreting the feelings of the Greek nation’s indignation against the inertia of the US factor, announced the Greece’s departure from NATO’s military side.
Source: sansimera.gr
Source: Skai
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