Green Line (Cyprus)

A street cut by the Green Line in Nicosia

The term Green Line is often used to refer to the line of demarcation that divides the Cypriot capital of Nicosia into the southern Greek Cypriot region and the northern Turkish Cypriot region. It was first established in 1964 when Turkish Cypriots decided they needed their own enclaves for protection. It was strengthened following the July 1974 invasion by Turkey which, under the name 'Peace Operation' intervened in response to the Greek Cypriot coup. The Green Line became a de facto, though unrecognised border in 1983 with the self-proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and recognized only by Turkey on the occupied side of Cyprus. This line is also referred to as the 'Attila Line' on some maps (named after the Turkish code-name for the 1974 Military Intervention: Operation Attila).

See also

*UN Buffer Zone on Cyprus
*Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

External links

*Trapped in the Green Line Tony Angastiniotis Cyprus peace activism in Cyprus
*The United Nations Force in Cyprus Since 1964
*EU Commission report on implementation of the Green Line Regulation (July 14, 2005)
*EU Green Line Regulation (April 29, 2004)
*cyprus international press service