In-Depth Analysis· cyprus dispute explained

The Cyprus Dispute Explained: 1960, 1963, 1974 and Today

Cyprus dispute explained: a clear timeline from the 1960 settlement to 1963, 1974, the TRNC, the Annan Plan and today's federal vs two-state debate.

By WPD Editorial Team

Published: October 26, 2026

⏱ 9 min read (1,951 words)

Executive Summary & Key Facts

The Republic of Cyprus was founded in 1960 as a partnership state between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom as guarantor powers.
The partnership broke down in December 1963 after constitutional disputes and intercommunal violence, and UN peacekeepers (UNFICYP) have been on the island since March 1964.
After a Greek-junta-backed coup on 1974-07-15, Türkiye intervened on 1974-07-20, and the island has been divided along a UN-patrolled buffer zone ever since.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), declared in 1983, is recognised only by Türkiye, and UN Security Council Resolution 541 called that declaration legally invalid.
In the 2004 Annan Plan referendums, roughly two-thirds of Turkish Cypriots voted yes and roughly three-quarters of Greek Cypriots voted no.
The central question today is whether a settlement should be a bizonal, bicommunal federation, as UN resolutions describe, or a cooperative arrangement between two states, as Ankara and recent Turkish Cypriot leaderships have argued.

By WPD Editorial Team

Why It Matters

The Cyprus dispute is one of the longest-running unresolved conflicts in Europe, and it affects relations between Türkiye, Greece, the EU and NATO. It also shapes energy and maritime questions in the Eastern Mediterranean. This guide follows the main turning points in order, then sets out what each party says in its own words.

Background: A Timeline

1960: The partnership republic

Cyprus became independent from British rule on 1960-08-16 under the Zurich and London agreements of 1959. The settlement produced three treaties: the Treaty of Establishment, the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Guarantee. In the last, Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom guaranteed the independence, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the new state. Our explainer, What Is the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and Why Does It Matter for Cyprus?, covers it in detail.

The constitution was built around two communities. The president was to be a Greek Cypriot and the vice-president a Turkish Cypriot, each with veto powers over certain matters. Seats in the House of Representatives were split 70:30, and public posts were distributed by agreed ratios. The first president was Archbishop Makarios III and the first vice-president was Dr Fazıl Küçük.

1963-64: Breakdown and intercommunal violence

The power-sharing system collapsed within three years. In November 1963 Makarios proposed thirteen constitutional amendments that would have reduced some of the Turkish Cypriot safeguards. Turkish Cypriot leaders and Ankara rejected them. Fighting broke out in Nicosia on 1963-12-21 and spread across the island over the following months.

The two sides still tell this episode differently:

Turkish Cypriot account: they were pushed out of state institutions and into enclaves, and many lived under restrictions for years.
Greek Cypriot account: Turkish Cypriot leaders chose to withdraw from government and pursued separation.

What is not disputed is the outcome. Turkish Cypriots no longer took part in the government of the Republic, and a ceasefire line, later known as the Green Line, divided Nicosia. UN Security Council Resolution 186 (1964-03-04) created the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), which is still deployed. Further violence followed in 1964 and 1967.

1974: Coup and intervention

On 1974-07-15 the Greek Cypriot National Guard, backed by the military junta then ruling Greece, overthrew Makarios and installed Nikos Sampson. On 1974-07-20 Türkiye landed troops on the island, citing its rights under the Treaty of Guarantee. A second phase of operations in August extended Turkish control, and a ceasefire line was established. Türkiye now controls roughly a third of the island.

The war displaced people from both communities. A large majority of Greek Cypriots living in the north moved south, and many Turkish Cypriots moved north. The fate of missing persons from both communities is still handled by the bicommunal Committee on Missing Persons under UN auspices. Security Council Resolution 353 (1974) called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign military personnel other than those present under international agreements. The Greek junta fell days after the intervention.

1983: The TRNC declaration

The Turkish Cypriot side proclaimed a Turkish Federated State of Cyprus in 1975. On 1983-11-15 it declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The Security Council deemed this legally invalid in Resolution 541 (1983) and repeated the point in Resolution 550 (1984). Türkiye is the only state that recognises the TRNC. Turkish Cypriot officials argue that the declaration followed two decades of exclusion from the state and did not end their commitment to a negotiated settlement.

2004: The Annan Plan referendums

The UN plan, named after Secretary-General Kofi Annan, proposed a United Cyprus Republic with two constituent states. Separate and simultaneous referendums were held on 2004-04-24. Roughly 65% of Turkish Cypriot voters approved the plan and roughly 76% of Greek Cypriot voters rejected it. Greek Cypriot leaders cited concerns over security arrangements, property and the long-term presence of settlers and troops. Turkish Cypriots felt the result left them penalised for saying yes.

Cyprus joined the EU on 2004-05-01. EU law (the acquis) is suspended in the areas where the government of the Republic does not exercise effective control. EU institutions pledged to ease the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, but trade and transport restrictions largely remain.

2017 to today

Talks at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without agreement in July 2017 over security, guarantees and troop questions. At an informal meeting in Geneva in April 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said there was no common ground yet for formal negotiations. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Ankara argued for two states, while the Greek Cypriot side and the UN continued to refer to federation. In October 2025 Turkish Cypriots elected Tufan Erhürman, who is associated with a more federation-friendly line. Check current statements, since positions in this process shift with each election and each round of talks.

Key Players and Positions

Actor	Stated position	Where to read it
Turkish Cypriot leadership	Political equality and equal status for the two sides. Recent leaders have differed on whether the form should be a federation or two states. Isolation should end.	Statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader and the TRNC administration
Greek Cypriot leadership (Republic of Cyprus)	Bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality as set out in UN resolutions. Foreign troops and the guarantee system should end. It considers the Republic the sole legal state on the island.	Cyprus government and Foreign Ministry statements
Greece	Supports a settlement within the UN framework and EU values. It regards the guarantee system and the Turkish troop presence as outdated.	Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs statements
United Nations	Successive Security Council resolutions call for a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality. The Secretary-General's good offices continue.	Security Council resolutions and Secretary-General reports
European Union	Supports a comprehensive settlement under UN auspices, in line with EU principles. It wants Turkish Cypriots to benefit from a settlement.	European Council conclusions

Two disputes are worth separating. The first is the form of a settlement: federation, confederation or two states. The second is how to deal with the 1974 consequences: property claims, territory such as Varosha (Maraş), security, and the future of guarantees and troops.

🇹🇷 Official Policy · Primary Turkish Sources

Türkiye's Position

Ankara states that its position rests on the 1960 treaties, the partnership character of the Republic and what it calls the realities on the island. The following summarises Turkish government positions as presented in Foreign Ministry and Presidency statements and in Türkiye's addresses at the UN.

Treaty rights. Ankara argues that Article IV of the Treaty of Guarantee gave it the right to act after the 1974 coup, which ended the constitutional order the treaty was meant to protect. It describes the 1974 action as a peace operation. Greek Cypriot and Greek sources call it an invasion.
Two equal peoples. Türkiye says the 1960 Republic was founded by two equal communities and that the Greek Cypriot administration has not represented Turkish Cypriots since 1963. Turkish official terminology uses the term Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus.
Rights of Turkish Cypriots. Ankara argues that Turkish Cypriots are entitled to equal political status, effective participation in any shared decision-making and an end to economic and transport isolation. It points to the 2004 referendum result as evidence of their willingness to compromise.
A solution based on realities. Since 2020 Türkiye has advocated a settlement based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the two sides. It argues that decades of federal negotiations have not produced results. Statements in the early 2020s used the language of two states, while Turkish officials have also said Ankara would support whatever the Turkish Cypriots endorse.
Guarantees and troops. Türkiye says that any settlement must include effective security guarantees for Turkish Cypriots and that the Treaty of Guarantee remains important.

Türkiye's maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean are linked to this position, since Ankara argues that Turkish Cypriots have a right to hydrocarbon resources around the island. See Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Disputes Explained: Rights, Maps and Positions.

The Rights of Turkish Cypriots

Turkish Cypriot rights are central to the dispute, and their legal status is argued over from several directions:

Political rights. The 1960 constitution guaranteed Turkish Cypriots a vice-president, quotas in parliament and administration, and veto rights. They have not taken part in the Republic's institutions since 1963.
Economic rights. Because the TRNC is not recognised, its ports and airport at Ercan face restrictions on direct international trade and flights. Turkish Cypriot officials and several international bodies have called for the isolation to be eased. The Greek Cypriot side says the restrictions follow from the non-recognition of the TRNC under UN resolutions.
Citizenship and EU status. The Republic of Cyprus treats Turkish Cypriots as its citizens, and they may hold EU passports. EU law is suspended in the north.
Property. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled on property claims by Greek Cypriots, including Loizidou v. Turkey. In Demopoulos v. Turkey (2010) it accepted the Immovable Property Commission in the north as a domestic remedy. Turkish Cypriots also have property claims in the south that remain unresolved.

Source Comparison

The vocabulary alone shows how differently sources frame the conflict.

Event or term	Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sources	Greek Cypriot and Greek sources	UN and EU documents
1963-64	Turkish Cypriots were forced out of state institutions	Turkish Cypriots withdrew on their leaders' instructions	Describe intercommunal violence and establish UNFICYP
1974	Peace operation under the Treaty of Guarantee	Invasion and occupation	Resolutions call for ceasefire and withdrawal of foreign forces
North of the island	TRNC	Occupied territory	Area not under effective control of the Republic, or Turkish Cypriot-administered area
Settlement goal	Equal status and sovereign equality, or federation on equal terms	Bizonal, bicommunal federation	Federation with political equality

The European Court of Human Rights has attributed responsibility for events in the north to Türkiye on the basis of effective overall control. Ankara disputes that attribution and says the TRNC is a separate authority. Readers can compare these claims against the originals, and our approach to labelling is explained in Editorial Principles: How WorldPoliticsDaily Separates Fact from Position. For disputed claims about Türkiye in the press, see Fact Check: Claims About Türkiye in International Media.

Perspective Note

WorldPoliticsDaily presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources.

Cross-Publication Dossiers & Sister Desk Perspectives

For complementary primary-source analysis across our specialist editorial network, consult:

Interstate Journal: Cyprus and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee: What It Says and Why It Matters — 1960 Treaty of Guarantee Cyprus explained: what Article IV allows, whether it is still valid and why the island is divided, from 1960 to the two-state debate.
Doctrine Review: Cyprus and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee: What It Says and Why It Matters — The 1960 Treaty of Guarantee in Cyprus explained: what Article IV says, how 1963-74 unfolded, where the UN talks stand, and Türkiye's official position.
The Political Accord: The Cyprus Issue: 1960 Treaties, 1974 and the Case for a Sovereign Equal Two-State Solution — Cyprus issue explained: from the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and 1963–1974 to the Annan Plan, Crans-Montana and Ankara's sovereign equal two-state thesis.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Cyprus dispute in simple terms?

It is a disagreement over how Cyprus should be governed after the partnership republic of 1960 failed. The island has been divided since 1974, with the Republic of Cyprus controlling the south and the Turkish Cypriot administration the north. A UN buffer zone separates them, and efforts to agree a settlement have not succeeded.

What happened in Cyprus in 1974?

On 1974-07-15 a coup backed by Greece's military junta overthrew President Makarios. Türkiye intervened on 1974-07-20, citing the Treaty of Guarantee, and later extended its control to roughly a third of the island. Turkish sources call this a peace operation, while Greek Cypriot and Greek sources call it an invasion.

Is the TRNC recognised internationally?

Only Türkiye recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984) called the declaration legally invalid. The TRNC takes part in some bodies as a Turkish Cypriot entity rather than as a state.

What was the Annan Plan and why did it fail?

It was a UN proposal for a United Cyprus Republic with two constituent states, put to separate referendums on 2004-04-24. Turkish Cypriots approved it by roughly 65%, while Greek Cypriots rejected it by roughly 76%. Greek Cypriot opponents cited security, property and settler issues, so the plan did not take effect.

Federal solution or two states: what is the difference?

A federation, as UN resolutions describe it, would be one internationally recognised state with two constituent states and political equality between the communities. A two-state solution would mean two sovereign states with equal international status. Ankara has favoured the latter since 2020, while the UN and the Greek Cypriot side insist on the former.

Are Turkish Cypriots EU citizens?

The Republic of Cyprus considers Turkish Cypriots its citizens, and those who qualify can hold EU passports. However, EU law is suspended in the north, so the EU rules on trade and movement do not apply there in the same way. Turkish Cypriot and Turkish officials say this leaves Turkish Cypriots economically isolated.

Cross-Publication Perspectives & Cited Research

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