United for Cyprus

Missing Persons and Internally Displaced

 

A force of more than 43.000 Turkish troops, equipped with modern weaponry and supported by the Turkish Air Force and Navy, are still illegally stationed in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

 

400,000 settlers from Turkey have illegally colonized the occupied areas, as part of Turkey’s policy to alter the demographic structure of the island.

 

58,000 out of the 116,000 Turkish Cypriot population have emigrated from the island since Turkey’s invasion, because of the economic, social and moral deprivation which prevails in the occupied areas.

 

There has been systematic property usurpation, misappropriation and exploitation of properties belonging to Greek Cypriots who were forcibly displaced by the Turkish invasion in 1974.

 

Turkey and the illegal occupation regime have systematically eradicated and destructed the cultural and historical heritage of 10,000 years in the occupied areas.

 

165,000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots fled from the North of the island. 45,000 Turkish Cypriots were 'helped' to flee to the North by attacks from Greek Cypriot paramilitary units and attacks by Turkish Cypriot terror units.

 

200,000 Greek Cypriots – approximately a quarter of the total population were

forcibly expelled from the occupied northern territories of the island where they

constituted approximately 70 per cent of the population. They are still denied the

right to return and reclaim their homes and properties. They became refugees on their

own land.

 

Prior to the Turkish invasion and occupation in 1974, there was not one part of the island

that was predominately Turkish Cypriot and another part that was predominately Greek

Cypriot. The 2 communities were intermixed. 

 

The fascist junta in Greece has long given way to a democratic regime; the Turkish

occupying forces remain in place.  But for how long more?