On July 20, 1974, under the guise of protecting Turkish Cypriots and the Republic’s constitutional government, the Turkish armed forces invaded Cyprus. Seizing an area containing roughly 4% of the island nation, they ended the peaceful, centuries long cohabitation between Cypriots of both Greek and Turkish descent. On August 14, 1974, three weeks after the constitutional government of Cyprus returned to power, the Turkish occupying army did not leave. Instead, it expanded its control of the island to occupy 38% of the Cyprus. In that process, 170,000 Greek-Cypriots found themselves as refugees and approximately 1,500 Greek-Cypriots simply disappeared. Over forty years later, 43,000 Turkish troops still illegally reside in the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey has additionally been illegally exporting settlers to the island, an effort directed at the demographic restructuring of the island to artificially create a sovereign state, not Cypriot, but Turkish in flavor.

A truly independent Republic of Cyprus cannot exist whilst experiencing constant intervention from foreign military and political powers such as Turkey. A truly reunited and free Republic of Cyprus will have no foreign troops patrolling the streets; it will guarantee the Cypriot people the right to return to their homes. A truly reunified Cyprus respects the nation, its history and its people. A truly reunified Cyprus means the removal of all colonial and military forces so the Cypriots can live in and govern their own nation in peace.

The American Hellenic Council advocates for the freedom and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and the immediate removal of all Turkish occupation troops. The AHC also advocates for the implementation of conditions on all military and economic aid to Turkey as well as the implementation of economic sanctions against the Turkish state. These conditions and sanctions will remain in power until Turkey removes its troops and colonists from Cyprus and complies with the United States’, United Nations’ and international law.

 Removal of all illegal Occupation Troops;

 Removal of the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus;

 Illegal Turkish mainland settlers to return to Turkey;

 Full accountability of the 1100+ missing;

 Restoration of Famagusta (Varosha) to the Republic of Cyprus;

 Compensation to the lawful owners for properties illegally seized;

 Recognition of Famagusta (Varosha) to the Republic of Cyprus;