International Law and Cyprus: Selected Historical Documents (part I)

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The Republic of Cyprus was placed under British administration in 1878 until independence in 1960 . With these agreements, Cyprus became a constitutional democracy and is now a member of both the United Nations and the European Union. The Republic of Cyprus is recognized internationally as it's government is considered to be the legitimate government of the whole island. In the years after the recognition of Cyprus as a democracy, inter-communal violence broke out and UN forces were deployed in Cyprus. An attempted invasion of Cyprus by Turkey in 1964 was put to an end by the US President Lyndon Johnson. In 1967, Rauf Denktas and Glafkos Klerides tried to negotiate a settlement, which led to a temporary relief of the tension between both parties. However, a coup d'etat of 1974 led to extreme violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, resulting in the invasion and occupation by Turkey in July 1974. From that moment on, Turkey controls the northern part of the island. This part of the island is not under effective control of the republic and is recognized by Turkey since 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , but is not recognized by the international community. UN Security Council Resolution 541 does not recognize the TNRC as lawful and called upon Turkey to retreat from northern Cyprus. The resolution furthermore called upon others not to support and recognize the TNRC. The last major effort to settle the dispute dates from 2004, when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan tried to negotiate reunification of both sides of the Island. Direct reason to start these negotiations was Cyprus' upcoming membership of the EU. This UN Comprehensive Settlement of The Cyprus Problem, known as the 'Annan Plan,' organized referenda in both the north and the south, but gained support of the Turks only, as it was rejected by the Greeks. At present, there is a ceasefire between both parties, even though the UN still deploys troups. This book offers a selection of historical documents, including the ones mentioned above, and provides an overview of the international dispute that has been going on for decades. The book will be of interest to those who work on the dispute between Cyprus and Turkey, as well as for those who wish to know more about the involvement of the international community in the Cyprus conflict.