Five elderly Greek Cypriots were arrested on July 19th in the village of Trikomo, which is located in the Turkish-occupied north of the Republic of Cyprus. They were visiting their ancestral properties and are now facing charges of “entering a military zone, espionage and disturbing peace.” These individuals (who are all over 60 years old) are being held in harsh prison conditions despite suffering from chronic health issues.
The detentions occurred shortly before the 51st anniversary of the 1974 Turkish military invasion of Cyprus.
The detained Greek Cypriots spent more than ten hours in a military court on August 1st. During that time, they answered accusations regarding their alleged “illegal entry” and other activities in the occupied north. The prosecution demanded that all five be ordered to remain in custody for up to three months, pending trial.
Cypriot freedom activist Harry Theocharous posted on X:
Turkish developers are building resorts on stolen Greek Cypriot properties in occupied Cyprus and selling to foreigners. The Republic of Cyprus, the legal authority of the whole island, has issued international arrest warrants for all involved, the usurpers, developers and buyers. This upset the illegal regime and under direct orders of Turkey via its representative in occupied Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, the invading force are abducting Greek Cypriots crossing to the occupied areas.”
Meanwhile, the government of the Republic of Cyprus has stated that the detentions are illegal and are a politically driven move meant to intimidate.
“This is not justice; it’s a staged trial,” said Victor Papadopoulos, Director of the Office of the President, in a written statement. “These abductions are part of a well-planned tactic by the Turkish Cypriot leadership, completely at odds with the UN Secretary-General’s call to build a climate of trust.”
The Turkish military invaded Cyprus twice in 1974 (on July 20th and August 14th). This occurred just 14 years after Cyprus gained independence from British rule and became an independent republic in 1960.
The Turkish military campaign was characterized by murders and the bombing of civilian targets, including hospitals, as well as the unlawful detention of both soldiers and civilians in what amounted to concentration camps. The campaign also included the systematic, summary execution of civilians and rape, as well as the torture and mistreatment of Greek Cypriots. To this day, at least 1,000 Cypriots remain missing.
Through these atrocities, the Turkish occupation forces terrorized Greek Cypriots, causing approximately 170,000 to flee to the southern part of the island. Like the rest of the island, the northern part of Cyprus was majority-Greek until the invasion; Greek Cypriots constituted 80% of the inhabitants of the north.
After they were forcibly displaced, their lands, homes, businesses, and other properties were seized, looted, and distributed to members of the Turkish occupation army and illegal settlers from Turkey.
At the same time, the Turkish Cypriots who lived in the free, southern areas were forced by their leaders to move to the occupied, northern area. The invasion has thus forcibly changed the demographic character of Cyprus.
Turkey has since occupied approximately 37% of Cyprus’s land area. Their occupation corresponds to where around 70% of the natural resources of the island are concentrated. Illegal settlers have been brought over from Turkey to colonize the occupied area with the aim of changing the demography of the island and to further control the political situation.
The “Attila line” (“Operation Attila” was the code name Turkey gave to the invasion of Cyprus) now artificially divides the island country into the Turkish-occupied north and the free south. It also prevents Cypriots from moving freely within their own country.
Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots have emigrated from the north to other countries since 1974 as a result of the economic, social, and cultural deprivation that prevails in the occupied area. As a result, the Turkish Cypriots who are left in the occupied area are outnumbered by the Turkish troops and illegal settlers.
The ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC), which was unilaterally proclaimed in 1983 in the occupied area (and is recognized only by Turkey), does not have the legal jurisdiction to perform valid property transfers, according to international law and numerous UN resolutions.
However, because Turkey does not regard itself as being in occupation of the north of the Republic of Cyprus, there have been continuous violations of the International Law of Occupation and International Humanitarian Law for which Turkey is responsible. Yet, Turkey has gotten away with it amidst an ongoing climate of impunity tolerated by the UN, the U.S., the UK, the EU, and other international actors.
An example of a wholesale property violation has to do with Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949. In any conflict or occupied area, Article 147 establishes the criminalization of “extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.” Yet, Article 147 has been flouted with impunity.
It should be noted that it is not only Turkey who is complicit in this, but also the private individuals/companies (as well as the EU) who provide funding to “the Turkish Cypriot Community.” Hundreds of millions more of EU taxpayers’ money have been wasted in the occupied area under the guise of the EU’s “Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community.” To quote the European Commission, “In the period 2006-2024, the EU allocated EUR 728 million to projects in support of the Turkish Cypriot community.”
How many of those hundreds of millions have had the effect of propping up the occupation of the illegal occupation regime?
Another example is Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, which has been flouted with impunity ever since the occupation began. Because Article 64 has been ignored, Turkey has effectively suspended the application of the Republic of Cyprus’ criminal law in the occupied areas, replacing it with the so-called criminal law of the post-1974 occupation regimes, including that of the self-declared TRNC after 1983. To quote Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention in full:
The penal laws of the occupied territory shall remain in force, with the exception that they may be repealed or suspended by the Occupying Power in cases where they constitute a threat to its security or an obstacle to the application of the present Convention. Subject to the latter consideration and to the necessity for ensuring the effective administration of justice, the tribunals of the occupied territory shall continue to function in respect of all offences covered by the said laws.
The Occupying Power may, however, subject the population of the occupied territory to provisions which are essential to enable the Occupying Power to fulfil its obligations under the present Convention, to maintain the orderly government of the territory, and to ensure the security of the Occupying Power, of the members and property of the occupying forces or administration, and likewise of the establishments and lines of communication used by them.
Greek Cypriots remain devoid of their right to return to the occupied north, reclaim their property, and live freely on their indigenous homeland without the Turkish military occupation. Turkey has been illegally occupying European territory for the past 51 years. Nevertheless, it remains a NATO member and an EU candidate.