when did turkey invade cyprus

Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, in the first phase of the invasion. This initial landing was at Kyrenia on the northern coast of the island. The invasion occurred in response to a coup d'état in Cyprus five days earlier, which was orchestrated by the Greek military junta with the aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece. The Turkish operation aimed to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority and guarantee the independence of Cyprus as allowed under the Treaty of Guarantee. After a ceasefire was momentarily declared, a second major phase of the invasion took place between August 14 and 16, 1974, resulting in Turkish forces occupying about 37% of the island. This invasion led to the partition of Cyprus along the United Nations Buffer Zone known as the Green Line, which still divides the island today. The conflict caused massive displacement and has ongoing political ramifications, including the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.