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On November 15, 2003 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) celebrated 20th anniversary of its foundation. Except Turkey, no other country took notice of this important event. The reason: Except for Turkey no other country in the world recognises this tiny Muslim state, situated at the northern tip of Cyprus (Kýbrýs), a beautiful island in the Eastern Mediterranean 70 km off the Turkish coast.

The TRNC came into being because the Turkish Muslim minority of Cyprus was pushed to the wall. It faced total extinction due to the genocide planned and orchestrated by the Cyprus government controlled by the Greek Cypriot majority. The last straw was enosis, union with Greece, which became imminent when a military coup ousted Archbishop Makarios, first president the Cyprus Republic. Turkey acting in accordance with the treaty that has given independence to Cyprus intervened militarily and carved out a safe place for the Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus has seen many conquerors, 15 in all. Its last conquerors were Ottomans who ruled it from 1571 to 1878. The Turkish Empire at the middle of the 19th century was in decline. The Caliphs had lost touch with the reality. While Europe was experiencing the industrial revolution and emergence of England, France and Spain as potent military and naval powers the Ottoman caliphs were living on past glories. Turkey of that time was dubbed as the ‘sick man of Europe’, up for grabs by the rising powers of Europe.

In 1877, Russia invaded the Ottoman Empire and grabbed two-fifth of its territory along with one-fifth of its population. The British as usual were quick to take advantage of this conflict. They secured an agreement with the Sultan that gifted Cyprus to them. In return the British promised to help the Sultan in defending Ottoman Empire by force of arms if the Russians made any attempt "at any future time to take possession of any further Turkish territories". Thus on 2 July 1878 Admiral John Hay arrived in Cyprus and took its possession without firing a shot. Cyprus gained its independence from the British in the early sixties. Nevertheless, Britain continues to have two air bases there in perpetuity, which have proved quite handy for both Britain and the USA whenever they perceive danger to their interests in the Middle East.

The two agreements reached between Britain, Greece and Turkey, signed in Zurich (1959) and London (1960) gave birth to the Republic of Cyprus. The agreements had created a unique constitution for the governance of Cyprus. It envisaged Cyprus a ‘Partnership Republic’ giving the two communities, Greeks and Turks, political equality though the Turk community was only 30 percent of the population. It was done to ensure harmony, peace and equilibrium between the two communities. However, the Greek Cypriots reneged on the agreements with the result that the newborn republic was destroyed in three years.

Archbishop Makarios, president of the republic, on 30 November 1963 proposed 13 amendments to the constitution that was framed with the consensus of all the concerned parties. The amendments would have altered the basic articles of the constitution turning the partnership formula to that of majority rule, which would have made the Turkish Cypriots second-class citizens. Without waiting for the Turkish response, Makarios went ahead with his plans. On 22 December 1963 the Greeks took over the full control of the government and forcibly prevented the Turkish Cypriots ministers and bureaucrats from performing their duties. Then followed 11 years (1963-1974) of a long nightmare for Turkish Cypriots during which they were forced to live in ghetto-like isolated enclaves scattered all over the country.

The Turks were numerically in a disadvantageous position. Moreover, the government was totally in the hands of the Greek Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots wanted union with Greece (enosis) while Turks saw the enosis as their burial ground. The Turks were uprooted from their homes and they became refugees in their own country. The United Nations Security Council took notice of the plight of the Turks and on 4 March 1964 resolved to send a peacekeeping force to Cyprus. The UN action showed that what was happening in Cyprus was not a domestic problem of communal rioting but an international problem of serious magnitude. The UN peacekeeping force extended humanitarian assistance to the Turkish Cypriots right up to 1974.

On 15 July 1974, the Greek Cypriot National Guard with covert instigation of the Greek Junta in Greece staged a coup and overthrew President Makarios. The aim of the coup was the realisation of enosis. On 20 July 1974, Turkey intervened militarily pre-empting the declaration of enosis. Turkey’s intervention cannot be termed as invasion because it was her granted right based on 1959 and 1960 agreements and the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. The Turkish intervention prevented enosis and saved the Turks. The separation of the two communities was complete. All the Turkish Cypriots moved and settled in the northern one-third of Cyprus and all the Greek Cypriots moved and settled in the southern two-third.

The Turkish Cypriots did not close the negotiation doors. They have been perpetually talking to their southern counterparts to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus dispute. However, there has been no progress towards a settlement because of the intransigence attitude of the other party.

The waters were further muddied when UN General Assembly on 13 May 1983 adopted a resolution echoing the NAM resolution. The ‘Non-Aligned Contact Group on Cyprus’ composed of India, Algeria, Cuba, Guyana, Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia had sponsored the resolution. The representative of Turkish Cypriots was not permitted to participate in the debate. It was only at this juncture that Turkish Cypriots declared their statehood.

The European Union is now at the verge of accepting Greek Cyprus in its fold as the only legitimate government for the whole of Cyprus. It has given TRNC until May next to sort out its differences with the Greek Cypriots. The onus of settlement has solely been placed on the shoulders of TRNC, freeing Greek Cypriots from this obligation.

9The TRNC has a small area (3,355 sq km) and a small population (214,000), but it has proved that it is economically and politically viable. If there was no reunion with the South, the TRNC could live as an independent state and prosper. It has limited resources and yet its economy is robust despite the fact that it is living under embargo for the last 29 years. Its per capita GNP is nearly US $5,000, way ahead of Pakistan. Tourism is one of the main factors of its economic development. It has 7 universities imparting instructions in English. The number of foreign students in these universities is nearly 30,000 who contribute handsomely to the revenues of the country.

The TRNC does not get any development loans from anywhere. Turkey is the only country that helps it financially. Despite the numerous resolutions of the OIC, its member states have not developed trade and economic relations with TRNC. The OIC has yet to give TRNC the status of a member. The Islamic Development Bank does give some aid but only for the building of mosques.