Shortly after independance in 1960 Cypras has a constitutional crisis in that the Constitution set up that gave independance from colonial powers also seemed to give huge power to the Turkisk Cypriot minority instead of teh Greek Cypriots. The then President, Makario, proposed thriteen amendments to try and balance the power but this failed and ethnic tensions between the two sides grew.
On the 21st of December 1963 Greek Cypriot police shot and killed a Turkish Cypriot motorist. Almost instantly riots began in the capital Nicosia and the Turkish minorities clash with Greek Cypriots. The violence ends on Christmas day thanks to international help to secure a ceasefire between the two sides.
Following the evens of December 1963 the two ethnic groups became much more withdrawn from one another and the Turkish groups lived in all Turkish communities and enclaves having little to do with Greek Cypriots. This did little to help the situation and soon radical groups were emerging. Turkish families moved to the North and what was known as the 'Green Line' (A line that ran through Cypras cutting it into two through the capital) was created seperating the two groups.
It was during this time that the political system came about. The Legislature would contain 24 seats reserved for Turkish Cypriots and the Vice President would be a Turkish Cypriot but these seats and posistions remained vacant due to the problems.
In 1971 radical Greek Cypriot staged a coup against the government of Makario in order to try and get Cypras united with Greece. They succeeded in killing many government officials but the President escaped alive and fled the nation. The group then formed a puppet government under Nikos Sampson. Shortly after Turkey invaded the north of the island to protect Turkish Cypriots who it was rumoured were being abused.
A brief war began between the two sides resulting in international intervention. On the 16th of August 1974 a ceasefire was declared but the island remained split between Turkey in the north and Cypras in the south. Makarios is reinstalled as President, and the blueprint for the current situation in Cypras is set.
A few years after the ceasefire the North officially broke away and formed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cypras however, this nation was unrecognised by the internaitonal community at large who instead support the Republic's claim of de jure ownership of the whole island. The seats and Vice Presidency still remain vacant. The Green Line became a buffer zone patroled by international peacekeeping forces while two foreign military bases were installed in the South.
The North formed its own armed forces and its own government (Current President - Derviş Eroğlu) and was protected by a huge number of Turkish troops while the South also maintained a small garrisson of Greek troops. The South officially views the North as an occupied zone of Cypras under unjust foreign military rule. Abuses of human rights have been claimed by both sides and many people are still missing after the short conflict as people were displaced, kicked out of their homes or simply murdered. Hundreds of missing people still adorn the walls of major cities as desperate families cling onto hope that they survived the ethnic cleansing.
Yesterday a famous vote was taken by the people of the island as work to try and reunite the island grew. The vote was to set up a new government but it was widely rejected by the Cypriot people. A few hours after the poll closed motor rounds were fired from the North over the Green Line killing a few peacekeepers and hitting southern civilian targets but the North denies these claims. Both sides suddenly began mobilising and there are fears the violence could escalate and the Cypras split has suddenly become at the forefront of international attention once again.
OOC: Please take a side, each side shall post a letter to other nations and I hope you will get involved. You can send peacekeepers to teh Green Line or you could put pressure on the south to recognise the north. I would also like nations to say whether they recognise North Cypras or not.
On the 21st of December 1963 Greek Cypriot police shot and killed a Turkish Cypriot motorist. Almost instantly riots began in the capital Nicosia and the Turkish minorities clash with Greek Cypriots. The violence ends on Christmas day thanks to international help to secure a ceasefire between the two sides.
Following the evens of December 1963 the two ethnic groups became much more withdrawn from one another and the Turkish groups lived in all Turkish communities and enclaves having little to do with Greek Cypriots. This did little to help the situation and soon radical groups were emerging. Turkish families moved to the North and what was known as the 'Green Line' (A line that ran through Cypras cutting it into two through the capital) was created seperating the two groups.
It was during this time that the political system came about. The Legislature would contain 24 seats reserved for Turkish Cypriots and the Vice President would be a Turkish Cypriot but these seats and posistions remained vacant due to the problems.
In 1971 radical Greek Cypriot staged a coup against the government of Makario in order to try and get Cypras united with Greece. They succeeded in killing many government officials but the President escaped alive and fled the nation. The group then formed a puppet government under Nikos Sampson. Shortly after Turkey invaded the north of the island to protect Turkish Cypriots who it was rumoured were being abused.
A brief war began between the two sides resulting in international intervention. On the 16th of August 1974 a ceasefire was declared but the island remained split between Turkey in the north and Cypras in the south. Makarios is reinstalled as President, and the blueprint for the current situation in Cypras is set.
A few years after the ceasefire the North officially broke away and formed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cypras however, this nation was unrecognised by the internaitonal community at large who instead support the Republic's claim of de jure ownership of the whole island. The seats and Vice Presidency still remain vacant. The Green Line became a buffer zone patroled by international peacekeeping forces while two foreign military bases were installed in the South.
The North formed its own armed forces and its own government (Current President - Derviş Eroğlu) and was protected by a huge number of Turkish troops while the South also maintained a small garrisson of Greek troops. The South officially views the North as an occupied zone of Cypras under unjust foreign military rule. Abuses of human rights have been claimed by both sides and many people are still missing after the short conflict as people were displaced, kicked out of their homes or simply murdered. Hundreds of missing people still adorn the walls of major cities as desperate families cling onto hope that they survived the ethnic cleansing.
Yesterday a famous vote was taken by the people of the island as work to try and reunite the island grew. The vote was to set up a new government but it was widely rejected by the Cypriot people. A few hours after the poll closed motor rounds were fired from the North over the Green Line killing a few peacekeepers and hitting southern civilian targets but the North denies these claims. Both sides suddenly began mobilising and there are fears the violence could escalate and the Cypras split has suddenly become at the forefront of international attention once again.
OOC: Please take a side, each side shall post a letter to other nations and I hope you will get involved. You can send peacekeepers to teh Green Line or you could put pressure on the south to recognise the north. I would also like nations to say whether they recognise North Cypras or not.
A map showing the two sides, the Green Line, and the capital of Nicosia.
