Military history of Cyprus

On July 20, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Tayyip Erdogan will be in Cyprus for separate events, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion. Their presence, just 11 kilometers apart, highlights ongoing tensions despite attempts at rapprochement between Greece and Türkiye.

With the 50th anniversary of Turkey's bloody invasion of Cyprus coming up on July 20, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Tuesday said his country is preparing to celebrate what he said was a "peace operation" on the divided Eastern Mediterranean island.

The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens marked the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus on Tuesday with a photo exhibition aiming to visually recount the devastation of 1974.

The Greek Foreign Minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, described the Cyprus issue as the “pinnacle” of Greece’s foreign policy, speaking in the news bulletin of ANT1 Cyprus.

Turkish Minister of Defense, Yasar Guler, has called for a two-state solution on the Cyprus issue, accusing the Greek Cypriot side of intransigence.

Yesterday in Cyprus, the burial of another eight fallen soldiers from 1974 took place

The remains of recently identified Greek soldiers were killed on duty in Cyprus from 1963 to 1974 have been returned to their families following their identification using DNA in some cases. Eight of the soldiers will be repatriated and buried in Greece. 

This coming July marks 50 years since the partition of Cyprus by an invading army, also 50 years since a brutal Greek dictatorship meekly handed over power to civilian politicians.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus characterized the meeting as very important, not only for Greek-Turkish relations but also for the Cyprus issue

The UN secretary-general's special envoy for Cyprus, Angela Holguin Cuellar, is expected to visit the island on Tuesday for a new round of contacts.

This will be her third mission to Cyprus since she assumed office; the UN has announced she will stay until the 14th of May.