Green Line (Cyprus)

The term Green Line is often used to refer to the cease fire line that "de facto" divides the island nation of Cyprus into two, cutting through the capital of Nicosia. It was first established in 1964, when Major-General Peter Young was the commander of a "peace force", a predecessor of the present UNFICYP. After stationing his troops in different areas of Nicosia, the general drew a cease-fire line on a map with a green pencil, which was to become known as the "Green Line".

The Green Line became impassable following the July 1974 invasion by Turkey which, euphemistically called "Peace Operation", intervened by air, sea, and land, capturing approximately 8% of Cyprus territory in response to a short lived Greek Cypriot coup. When the coup dissolved, the Turkish Armed Forces advanced to capture approximately 37% of the island and meet the "Green Line".

The Green Line became a separation barrier between the Turkish community and the Greek community of the Republic of Cyprus in 1983 with the self-proclamation of the separatist [Christopher Hitchens, Uncorking the Genie: The Cyprus Question and Turkey's Military Rule MERIP Reports, No. 122, Turkey under Military Rule (Mar. - Apr., 1984), pp. 25-27, doi:10.2307/3011799] Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an act which was recognized only by Turkey and officially condemned by United Nations members ["The Security Council … 1. Deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities … 2. Considers the declaration referred to above as legally invalid…" ( [http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/1983/scres83.htm see Res 541] )] . This line is also referred to as the "Attila Line" on some maps (named after the Turkish code-name for the 1974 Military Intervention: Operation Atilla). Since 2004 it has been possible for travelers to walk across it in some places. The meandering green line cuts Cyprus into two and it is the southernmost points that the Turkish troops occupied during the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

ee also

*Cyprus dispute
*United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
*United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation in Cyprus

External links

* [http://www.tzalavras.com/about_Nicosia.html "Nicosia in Dark and White"] A photo project about the abandoned buildings around the Green Line
* [http://fcms.emu.edu.tr/tony/ Trapped in the Green Line Tony Angastiniotis "Cyprus"] peace activism in Cyprus
* [http://britains-smallwars.com/cyprus/UNFICYP.html The United Nations Force in Cyprus Since 1964]
* [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2005:0320:FIN:EN:PDF EU Commission report on implementation of the Green Line Regulation (July 14, 2005)]
* [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:206:0051:0056:EN:PDF EU Green Line Regulation (April 29, 2004)]

References