A demilitarized zone is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary between two or more military powers or alliances. A DZ may sometimes form a de facto international border, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Other examples of demilitarized zones are a 9-mile wide area between Iraq and Kuwait; Antarctica ; and outer space.
The Cyprus problem, also known as the Cyprus conflict, Cyprus issue, Cyprus dispute, or Cyprus question, is an ongoing dispute between the leadership of the Greek Cypriot community in the southern portion of Cyprus, and that of the Turkish Cypriot community, situated in the north.
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1964 and extended in 1974 after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the de facto partition of the island into the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and the largely unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north. The zone, also known as the Green Line, stretches for 180 kilometres from Paralimni in the east to Kato Pyrgos in the west, where a separate section surrounds Kokkina.
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.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions. Major General Ingrid Gjerde is the current Force Commander of UNFICYP, appointed in 2021, and preceded by Cheryl Pearce (Australia). Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu (Finland) is the current Senior Police Adviser appointed in 2021.
Cyprus was part of the British Empire, under military occupation from 1914 to 1925, and a Crown colony from 1925 to 1960. Cyprus became an independent nation in 1960.
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.
The Politics of Northern Cyprus takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state and the prime minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of the Republic. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The London and Zürich Agreements for the constitution of Cyprus started with an agreement on 19 February 1959 in Lancaster House, London, between Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom and Cypriot community leaders. On that basis, a constitution was drafted and agreed together with two prior Treaties of Alliance and Guarantee in Zürich on 11 February 1959.
This is a timeline of events of the 1974 Cypriot coup d'état and the responding Turkish invasion of Cyprus from 15 July to 16 August 1974.
United Nations Security Council resolution 789, adopted unanimously on 25 November 1992, after reaffirming resolutions on Cyprus including 365 (1974), 367 (1975), 541 (1983), 550 (1984) and 774 (1992) and noting a report by the Secretary-General, the Council urged all concerned to implement a set of confidence-building measures.
United Nations Security Council resolution 927, adopted unanimously on 15 June 1994, after recalling resolutions 186 (1964), 831 (1993) and 889 (1993), the council expressed concern at the lack of progress in the political dispute in Cyprus and extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 December 1994.
United Nations Security Council resolution 969, adopted unanimously on 21 December 1994, after recalling resolutions 186 (1964), 831 (1993) and 889 (1993), the Council expressed concern at the lack of progress in the political dispute in Cyprus and extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 30 June 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1000, adopted unanimously on 23 June 1995, after recalling all resolutions on Cyprus, particularly resolutions 186 (1964) and 969 (1994), the Council expressed concern at the lack of progress in the political dispute in Cyprus and extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 December 1995.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1062, adopted unanimously on 28 June 1996, after recalling all resolutions on Cyprus, particularly resolutions 186 (1964), 939 (1994) and 1032 (1995), the Council expressed concern at the lack of progress in the political dispute in Cyprus and extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 December 1996.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1092, adopted unanimously on 23 December 1996, after recalling all resolutions on Cyprus, particularly resolutions 186 (1964), 939 (1994) and 1062 (1996), the Council expressed concern at the deterioration of the political dispute in Cyprus and extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 30 June 1997.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1251, adopted unanimously on 29 June 1999, after reaffirming all past resolutions on the situation in Cyprus, including resolutions 1217 (1998) and 1218 (1998), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for a further six months until 15 December 1999.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3212 was adopted on 1 November 1974, after statements in debate and the Report of the Special Political Committee on the Question of Cyprus regarding the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
