For over a decade, between 1963 and 1974, Turkish Cypriots endured unspeakable horrors. Ethnic cleansing, systematic violence, and genocidal campaigns orchestrated by Greek Cypriots reduced Turkish villages to ashes and forced thousands into exile. And yet, during this dark chapter, the international community, embodied by the United Nations, remained deafeningly silent.

The only two resolutions passed during these 11 years revealed the UN’s bias: one to establish a peacekeeping force (Resolution 186), ostensibly to maintain order but not to stop or prevent the genocide and ethnic cleansing, and the other (Resolution 193) appealing to Türkiye to stop defending Turkish Cypriots, leaving them open to ongoing sustained attacks by Greek Eoka militants. There was no effort to address the atrocities, forced displacement of communities into enclaves, or the illegal removal of Turkish Cypriots from the government. This lack of accountability emboldened Greek Cypriots to continue their campaign of violence with impunity.

Fast-forward to 1974, when Türkiye legally intervened under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee to halt a violent Greek invasion on July 15th 1974 and prevent the total annihilation of Turkish Cypriots. Suddenly, the UN awoke from its slumber, churning out 22 resolutions— astonishingly none condemning the Greek-led invasion that initiated the crisis. The sheer disparity—2 resolutions before 1974 versus 22 after—raises serious questions about the impartiality of the international community. Where was this urgency when Turkish Cypriots were being slaughtered?

The Forgotten Atrocities: 1963–1974

The seeds of Cyprus’ tragedy were sown in December 1963 when Greek Cypriots launched the infamous “Akritas Plan”—a blueprint for the ethnic cleansing of Turkish Cypriots. Thousands were displaced, and entire communities wiped off the map. Villages such as Küçük Kaymaklı (Geunyeli), Taşkent (Tochni), and others bore the brunt of these massacres, with mass graves later uncovered in Muratağa, Sandallar, and Atlılar, bearing grim testimony to the brutality inflicted upon Turkish Cypriots. Forced into enclaves and besieged for over a decade, the community endured ethnic cleansing and systematic violence that amounted to nothing short of genocide. The discovery of these mass graves is a stark reminder of the horrors Turkish Cypriots faced, horrors that were met with near-total apathy from the international community.

Yet, the UN responded with near-total apathy. The only resolutions during this period were:

1. Resolution 186 (4 March 1964): Established the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), ostensibly to prevent further fighting.
2. Resolution 193 (25 September 1964): Appealed to Türkiye to halt military actions aimed at defending Turkish Cypriots, while requesting the Greek-led Republic of Cyprus to stop its offensives.

Neither of these resolutions condemned the atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots. Resolution 193, in particular, is an affront to justice, as it essentially urged Türkiye to stop protecting a people abandoned by the international community. The silence on the genocide is as deafening as it is damning.

The Invasion That Changed Everything

On 15 July 1974, the Greek junta staged an invasion, overthrowing Cyprus’ legitimate government and aiming to annex the island to Greece. This brazen act of aggression marked a full-scale Greek invasion. Despite its gravity, the UN issued no resolutions condemning this invasion.

Five days later, on 20 July 1974, Türkiye intervened under its legal rights as a guarantor power. The intervention saved countless Turkish Cypriot lives and prevented the island from becoming a Hellenic outpost. Yet, this is when the UN sprang into action, unleashing a torrent of resolutions, starting with:

1. Resolution 353 (20 July 1974): Called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign troops.
2. Resolution 354 (23 July 1974): Reiterated the ceasefire.
3. Resolution 355 (1 August 1974): Condemned continued violence, but ignored the Greek coup.
4. Resolution 357 (14 August 1974): Criticized Türkiye’s actions without addressing the Greek invasion.
5. Resolution 358 (15 August 1974): Demanded compliance with previous resolutions without acknowledging the root causes.
6. Resolution 359 (15 August 1974): Deplored the deaths of UN peacekeepers while ignoring the suffering of Turkish Cypriots.
7. Resolution 360 (16 August 1974): Expressed “disapproval” of “unilateral military actions” without mentioning the Greek coup.
8. Resolution 361 (30 August 1974): Highlighted humanitarian concerns but offered no solutions for displaced Turkish Cypriots.
9. Resolution 365 (13 December 1974): Endorsed the General Assembly’s vague calls for negotiations.
10. Resolution 367 (12 March 1975): Deplored the declaration of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus but ignored Greek Cypriot atrocities.
11. Resolution 370 (13 June 1975): Extended UNFICYP’s mandate without addressing ethnic violence.
12. Resolution 383 (13 December 1975): Reiterated earlier calls for ceasefire compliance.
13. Resolution 391 (15 June 1976): Extended the peacekeeping mandate without tackling core issues.
14. Resolution 401 (14 December 1976): Continued the pattern of superficial resolutions.
15. Resolution 410 (15 June 1977): Repeated calls for compliance with earlier resolutions.
16. Resolution 414 (15 September 1977): Expressed concern over a lack of progress in talks.
17. Resolution 422 (15 December 1977): Extended the mandate while maintaining the status quo.
18. Resolution 430 (16 June 1978): Offered little more than mandate extensions.
19. Resolution 440 (27 November 1978): Highlighted lack of progress but ignored Greek culpability.
20. Resolution 443 (14 December 1978): Extended UNFICYP’s mandate once again.
21. Resolution 451 (15 June 1979): Reiterated calls for negotiations and extended UNFICYP’s mandate.
22. Resolution 452 (15 December 1979): Condemned further actions by all parties but focused disproportionately on Türkiye’s intervention.

2 Resolutions for 11 Years of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide, 22 Resolutions After Legal Intervention

The numbers tell a story of glaring bias. For 11 years, while Turkish Cypriots were subjected to ethnic cleansing, the UN managed only two resolutions—neither of which condemned the aggressors. Yet, within months of Türkiye’s legal intervention, 22 resolutions poured in, painting Türkiye as the villain while exonerating the Greek coup plotters and their heinous actions.

The Underlying Bias

What explains this blatant double standard? The answer lies in geopolitics and the interests of powerful nations. Greece’s Western alliances ensured diplomatic cover, while the Turkish Cypriots, isolated and vilified, were left to fend for themselves. The UN’s inaction during the 1960s and 70s reveals an institution swayed more by political expediency than a commitment to justice. Have we not seen this same delayed silence in recent times during the recent conflict in occupied Palestine & Israel?

A Case for the Two-State Solution

This historical injustice underscores why Turkish Cypriots now demand self-determination and a two-state solution. How can a people place its trust in an international system that ignored their suffering for over a decade and then vilified their protector? Recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is not just a political necessity; it is a moral imperative.

The UN’s record in Cyprus is a case study in hypocrisy. It failed to protect Turkish Cypriots from genocide, ignored a Greek invasion, and then condemned Türkiye for doing what the UN itself should have done: safeguarding an endangered community. It’s time for the world to acknowledge this bias and rectify its historical wrongs by supporting Turkish Cypriot self-determination.

References:

United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Cyprus (1964–1979), Treaty of Guarantee (1960), historical records of Turkish Cypriot enclaves and massacres.