Cyprus Issue between the Period of Independence and Turkey’s Intervention in 1974

Abstract

The dispute between Turkey and Greece regarding Cyprus has been a major source of concern in global politics and has drawn the attention of many nations and international organizations, particularly after Turkey’s military intervention in 1974. Turkey has tried to justify its intervention, which has been disputed, with its legality in international law questioned, and until now no solution appears in sight for the Cyprus problem. This paper tries to shed some light on the legal position of Turkey’s military venture in Cyprus and the options for a hopeful solution to the Cyprus issue, how Turkey has pursued the Cyprus issue since its beginning, with allies such as the United States, as well as with certain organizations including the EU, the UN and the O.I.C. The paper argues that Turkey’s intervention suffered from a crisis of authority regarding its legitimacy, as only the UN Security Council could authorize an intervention, and also saw unification or official partioning as the only options for the resolution of the dispute.

Keywords: Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, U.S., International law, Settlement.