1974 Cypriot coup d'état

The 1974 Cypriot coup d'état was a military coup d'état by Greek Cypriots backed by the Greek military junta of 1967–1974. The coup plotters ousted president Makarios III and replaced him with pro-enosis nationalist Nikos Sampson.^[1]

At the request of the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş, Turkey sent troops to the island in 1974, taking control of the north and dividing Cyprus along what became known as the Attila Line, cutting off about a third of the total territory. Sampson resigned, the military regime that had appointed him collapsed, and Makarios returned. The Turkish Cypriots established an independent government for what they called the ‘Turkish Federated State of Cyprus’ (TFSC), with Denktaş as president. In 1983 they would proclaim the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on this territory, which remains a de facto state to the present day.

References

1. ^ "CYPRUS: Big Troubles over a Small Island". TIME. July 29, 1974. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911440,00.html.