Enclaved Greek Cypriots are the Greek Cypriots who have remained in enclaved villages in Northern Cyprus after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. [1]
In 2014, the population of Greek Cypriots was 343. The Greek Cypriots in Rizokarpaso elects their muhtar in the elections organized in the south by Republic of Cyprus (that has no legal personality in the laws of Northern Cyprus). [2]
Eleni Foka was one of three Greek Cypriot primary school teachers in Karpasia, whose safety was called into question. [3] [4] [5] She was a teacher at the Greek-Cypriot elementary school in Ayia Triada, Yialousa, in the Northern Cyprus' Karpas region. [6] She took her issue to the European Court of Human Rights. [7] On 5 May 1994, her case was mentioned in a report submitted by the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. It stated that:
"At the beginning of March 1994, the Greek Cypriot teacher of the enclaved school in Ayia Triada, Ms. Eleni Foka, was very nearly expelled [from Northern Cyprus] after making a public statement to the effect that she felt threatened. It was only after repeated protests that her expulsion was prevented. [8]
In February 2011, it was announced that Eleni Foka has joined the participants of the Greek Cypriots, et al. v. TRNC and HSBC Bank USA class action. [9] In September 2014, United States Federal Court rejected the case of Greek Cypriots. [10] [11]
In the 1996/97 school year the primary school in Ayia Triada had to close down "due to the denial of the Turkish occupational forces to allow the school teacher Mrs Eleni Foka to return to her village, regardless of the intense efforts of the [Republic of] Cyprus government for her return." [12] [13] The Cypriot Financial Mirror newspaper has recorded that as recently as September 2008, the government of Northern Cyprus has prevented schoolteachers from returning to the primary school in Rizokarpaso. [14]
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
The declaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) from the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish Cypriot parliament on 15 November 1983.
Loizidou v. Turkey is a landmark legal case regarding the rights of refugees wishing to return to their former homes and properties.
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and in response to a Greek junta-sponsored Cypriot coup d'état five days earlier, it led to the Turkish capture and occupation of the northern part of the island.
Kormakitis is a small village in Cyprus. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus. Kormakitis is one of four traditionally Maronite villages in Cyprus, the other three being Asomatos, Agia Marina and Karpaseia. The Maronites of Kormakitis traditionally speak their own variety of Arabic called Cypriot Maronite Arabic (CMA) in addition to Greek and recently Turkish and they follow the Catholic Maronite Church. Cape Kormakitis is named after the village.
The Karpas Peninsula, also known as the Karpass, Karpaz or Karpasia, is a long, finger-like peninsula that is one of the most prominent geographical features of the island of Cyprus. Its farthest extent is Cape Apostolos Andreas, and its major population centre is the town of Rizokarpaso. It is currently under the de facto control of the internationally-unrecognised state of Northern Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey, a country which facilitates many of its contacts with the international community. After it was occupied by Turkey, Northern Cyprus' relations with the rest of the world were further complicated by a series of United Nations resolutions which declared its independence legally invalid. A 2004 UN Referendum on settling the Cyprus dispute was accepted by the Turkish Cypriots but rejected by the Greek Cypriots. After that, the European Union declared its intentions to assist in reducing the economic isolation of Northern Cyprus and began giving aid to the territory. However, due to pressure from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, this aid coming from EU funds cannot be used on Greek Cypriot land and property nor on public bodies. As a result, these funds can be used only on 29 percent of people on the island of Cyprus.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Northern Cyprus:
Vatili is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, near Lysi. De facto, it is under the control of Northern Cyprus.
Galateia is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located on the Karpass peninsula. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus, where it is a municipality belonging to the district of Iskele.
Agia Triada is a village on the Karpas Peninsula, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Gialousa, in Cyprus. The village de jure is part of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus but since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 it is under the de facto control of the internationally unrecognized TRNC which claims the northern part of Cyprus.
The constitution of Northern Cyprus protects the freedom of religion, and it states that Northern Cyprus is a secular state.
Toumazou et al. v. Republic of Turkey et al., was a class action suit by Greek Cypriots and others against the TRNC Representative Offices in the United States and HSBC Bank USA. Turkey was dropped as defendant on 16 February 2010 and the lawsuit name was subsequently revised to Toumazou et al. v. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The TRNC Representative Offices are a commercial entity because the United States does not formally recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The staff of the Representative Offices do not have diplomatic visas and only operate within the United States using business visas. Tsimpedes Law in Washington DC sued for "the denial of access to and enjoyment of land and property held in the north". The lawsuit, originally initiated by Cypriots displaced during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, was joined by non-Cypriots who paid for but have never been given legal title to properties that they have purchased.
Human rights in Northern Cyprus are protected by the constitution of Northern Cyprus. However, there have been reports of violations of the human rights of minorities, democratic freedom, freedom from discrimination, freedom from torture, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, right to education, right to life, right to property, and the rights of displaced persons. The rights of Greek Cypriots displaced by the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, notably their rights to property and right of return, is one of the focal points of ongoing negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus question.
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Rizokarpaso Primary School is a Greek-Cypriot primary school in Rizokarpaso, in Northern Cyprus. For a number of years it was the only Greek language school in Northern Cyprus. It has regularly appeared in Greek language media because it was reported that primary school teachers had been prevented from teaching there by the government of Northern Cyprus.
Ersin Paşa is a quarter (mahalle) of Rizokarpaso in Northern Cyprus. De jure, Rizokarpaso is part of Cyprus.
Polat Paşa is a quarter (mahalle) of Rizokarpaso in Northern Cyprus. De jure, Rizokarpaso is part of Cyprus.
Sancar Paşa is a quarter (mahalle) of Rizokarpaso in Northern Cyprus. De jure, Rizokarpaso is part of Cyprus.
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu is a Turkish Cypriot politician. He served as a member of the Assembly of the Republic representing the Lefkoşa District between 1998 and 2018. During this time, he was a member of the National Unity Party (UBP) between 1998 and 2010, serving as the leader of the party between 2006 and 2008. He returned to the UBP in 2012 and remained its representative until the end of his tenure as an MP. He served in different ministerial positions, including a five-year tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense between 1998 and 2004.