Northern Cyprus

Why is Cyprus divided?

Cyprus became independent from Britain in 1960. Its constitution shared power between Greek Cypriots (about 77% of the population) and Turkish Cypriots (about 18%). Britain, Greece and Turkey were guarantors. Power-sharing broke down in December 1963 in fighting known as "Bloody Christmas". Turkish Cypriots withdrew into enclaves. UN peacekeepers arrived in March 1964.

On July 15, 1974, the Cypriot National Guard, led by officers from Greece's military government, overthrew President Makarios to unite Cyprus with Greece. On July 20 Turkey invaded, citing its rights as a guarantor. Turkey calls it a peace operation. A second offensive on August 14-16 took about 36% of the island.

About 160,000 to 200,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were forced from the north. About 45,000 to 65,000 Turkish Cypriots fled or were moved to the north. A committee run jointly by both communities lists 2,002 people missing from 1963-64 and 1974. It has identified 1,076 of them.

What is the Green Line?

The UN buffer zone, known as the Green Line, runs about 180 km across Cyprus. It covers about 346 km². It is less than 20 m wide in parts of Nicosia and about 7 km wide near Athienou. Nicosia is often called the last divided capital in Europe. The UN force, UNFICYP, had 759 troops and 62 police in June 2026. Its mandate runs to January 31, 2027.

The first crossing points opened in April 2003. The crossing on Ledra Street, Nicosia's main shopping street, opened on April 3, 2008. People crossed 7.79 million times in 2025, a record. There has been no fighting across the line since 1974, but tensions rose in 2026. In April 2026 Turkish forces massed armored vehicles near the village of Pyla. Turkish Cypriot police began patrols inside the buffer zone.

Why has Cyprus never reunited?

The UN has led talks on reuniting Cyprus as a federation of two zones since the 1970s. In 2004 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan put a plan to a vote on both sides. On April 24, 2004, 65% of Turkish Cypriots voted yes. 76% of Greek Cypriots voted no. A week later, on May 1, Cyprus joined the EU as a whole island, with EU law suspended in the north.

Talks at Crans-Montana in Switzerland collapsed on July 7, 2017. The main dispute was Turkish troops and Turkey's guarantor role. From 2020 to 2025 the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, called for two states instead of a federation.

On October 19, 2025, Tufan Erhürman beat Tatar with 62.8% of the vote. Erhürman backs a federation. He and President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus had met 11 times by September 2026, and in May 2026 they agreed small confidence-building steps. No new crossing points have opened. In late September, at the UN in New York, Erhürman turned down a three-way meeting with the UN, saying Christodoulides had no new proposal. No date has been set for a wider UN meeting, and the UN envoy says the window for a deal is "gradually closing". The two leaders are due to meet again on October 13. Turkey's President Erdoğan called for recognition of the north at the UN on September 22, 2026.

What happened to Varosha?

Varosha was the beach resort district of Famagusta and the island's busiest tourist area before 1974. Its Greek Cypriot residents fled in August 1974. The Turkish army fenced it off. UN Security Council Resolution 550 of 1984 called any attempt to settle Varosha by people other than its inhabitants inadmissible. The resolution asked for Varosha to be handed to the UN.

On October 8, 2020, Turkish Cypriot authorities began opening part of Varosha to visitors, against UN resolutions. In 2021 they lifted military status on 3.5% of it. The UN holds Turkey responsible for the situation in Varosha. In October 2026 media reported that President Christodoulides had proposed placing Varosha under UN administration in exchange for opening Famagusta's port under EU supervision. The government has not confirmed the proposal. Erhürman denied reports that he accepted it and then dropped it on Turkey's orders.