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Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

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               Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti
   Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

   Flag of Northern Cyprus Coat of arms of Northern Cyprus
   Flag                    Coat of arms
   Anthem: İstiklâl Marşı  ( Turkish)
   "Independence March"
   Location of Northern Cyprus
        Capital       Nicosia (Lefkoşa)
                      35°10′N 33°22′E
   Official languages Turkish
   Government         Representative democratic republic
    - President       Mehmet Ali Talat
    - Prime Minister  Ferdi Sabit Soyer
      Sovereignty     from Republic of Cyprus (de facto)
    - Proclaimed      November 15, 1983
    - Recognition     Only by Turkey and OIC
                             Area
    - Total           3,355 km² ( not ranked)
                      1,295 sq mi
    - Water (%)       2.7
                          Population
    - 2006 census     264,172
    - Density         78/km² ( not ranked)
                      203/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2002 estimate
    - Total           $941.4 million ( not ranked)
    - Per capita      $4,409 ( not ranked)
        Currency      New Turkish Lira ( TRY)
       Time zone      EET ( UTC+2)
    - Summer ( DST)   EEST ( UTC+3)
      Internet TLD    .nc.tr
      Calling code    +90-392

   The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) ( Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs
   Türk Cumhuriyeti, KKTC) is a de facto formed state in northern Cyprus
   that is currently recognised only by Turkey. Indeed, the United Nations
   recognises the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole
   island.

Background

   The TRNC was unilaterally established in 1983 nine years after a Greek
   Cypriot coup d'état. The short-lived coup was carried out by supporters
   of EOKA-B with backing from the ruling Greek military junta of 1967 to
   1974. The ensuing Turkish invasion of Cyprus established this de facto
   political entity in Cyprus as a dependency of Turkey. The Turkish
   military maintain a strong presence in the TRNC to this day. Its
   immediate predecessor from 1975 to 1983 was the Turkish Federative
   State of North Cyprus; but the lead up to its establishment started in
   1963 with the collapse of the Cypriot community into two antagonistic
   camps.

   The TRNC has a population of about 265,000 and an area of 3,355 square
   kilometres (including the tiny enclave of Kokkina (Turkish: Erenköy).
   Its population is almost entirely Turkish-speaking ethnic Turks-
   although some Turkish Cypriots prefer emphasizing their Cypriot
   Turkishness, or simply their Cypriotness. The population consists of
   three main communities: indigenous Turkish Cypriots, integrated Turkish
   settlers who can be considered Turkish Cypriots either through marriage
   or birth on the island, and migrant Anatolian Turks; there are also
   some Kurds amongst the settlers . The Turkish Army is also present in
   the form of some 33,000 professional soldiers. Many of the older
   Turkish Cypriots speak and understand Greek - some may even be
   considered native speakers of the Greek Cypriot dialect. There are also
   populations of Greek Cypriots and Maronites still living in Dipkarpaz
   and Koruçam regions. The TRNC includes the northern part of the city of
   Nicosia (Turkish: Lefkoşa, Greek: Lefkosia), which serves as its
   capital. A large percentage of the people living in northern Cyprus
   after the 1963 have emigrated, particularly to United Kingdom but also
   to Turkey. Many left the island due to the grim economic situation of
   the TRNC which, because of the prevailing embargo imposed on it by the
   international community, faces many difficulties in trading with third
   countries. From the tip of the Karpass Peninsula ( Cape Apostolos
   Andreas) in the northeast, the TRNC extends westward to Morphou Bay and
   Cape Kormakitis (the Kokkina/Erenköy exclave marks the westernmost
   extent of the TRNC), and southward to the village of
   Louroujina/Akıncılar. The territory between the TRNC and the area under
   the control of the Republic of Cyprus is separated by a United
   Nations-controlled buffer zone.

History

1960 - Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus

   The Republic of Cyprus was established after the British rejected Greek
   Cypriots' demands for its unification with Greece; they offered
   sovereignty instead and the island gained independence from the United
   Kingdom. Both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities living
   on the island were called to govern the new republic. However, due to
   the clauses based in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, no
   Turkish Cypriot could be elected President and no Greek Cypriot could
   be elected Vice President. Some international political analysts have
   stated that the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus was "a problem
   waiting to happen" (citation needed). Both communities were allocated
   seats in the governmental chambers and granted positions in the civil
   service. The Constitution provided that 70% of the members of the House
   of Representatives would be Greek Cypriots and 30% Turkish Cypriots.
   For some matters, such as the budget, separate majorities were
   required. For the army and the civil service, the ratio was set at
   60-40 respectively. Greece, Turkey, and the UK became guarantor powers
   of the Republic under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

   UN Security Council Resolution 541 (1983) stated that the "attempt to
   create the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is invalid, and will
   contribute to a worsening of the situation in Cyprus". It went on to
   state that it "considers the declaration referred to above as legally
   invalid and calls for its withdrawal".

1963 - Inter-communal fighting and constitutional collapse

   Founder President, Rauf Denktaş
   Enlarge
   Founder President, Rauf Denktaş

   In December 1963, the government of Cyprus collapsed after the Turkish
   Cypriots withdrew their participation. For 3 years its legislative
   powers were stalling due to the constant inability of the two
   communities to reach decisions. Tensions increased when Makarios
   proposed thirteen amendments to the constitution of the Republic of
   Cyprus.

   Turkish Cypriots were opposed to the proposal since it allegedly
   re-classfied their status as a minority, instead of co-founders of the
   state; the proposals also removed what they saw as their community’s
   constitutional safeguards. These amendments were largely seen as a move
   towards Enosis (union with Greece) by Turkish Cypriots. On 21 December
   1963, clashes between Turkish Cypriots and Polycarpos Yorgadjis (the
   Interior Minister) plainclothes special constables left two Turkish
   Cypriots and one Greek Cypriot policeman dead . Although the ensuing
   violence led to attacks launched by both communities, Turkish Cypriots
   had born the brunt of the offensive, leading to 700 Turkish Cypriot
   hostages being taken and full scale attacks launched by Nicos Sampson
   against the Turkish Cypriot population .

   The fighting left 191 Turkish and 133 Greek Cypriots dead and 209 Turks
   and 41 Greeks missing . Widespread looting of Turkish Cypriot villages
   led to twenty thousand refugees retreating into armed enclaves which
   remained for 11 years, relying on food and medical supplies from Turkey
   to survive. Though much of the initial withdrawal was in the wake of
   violence, it has been alleged that the Turkish Cypriots' own
   paramilitary group TMT exercised influence in preventing some Turkish
   Cypriots returning to their villages, thus leading to the segregation
   of the communities.

Enclaves

   According to Brigadier Francis Henn^1, former Chief of Staff, UN Force
   in Cyprus from 1972-1974, the Turkish Cypriots were "besieged" and
   "56,000 members of the community had been deprived [by the Greek
   Cypriots authorities] of their normal means of subsistence".

1974 - Greek and Turkish military actions

   On 15 July 1974, the Greek military junta of 1967-1974 backed a Greek
   Cypriot military coup d'état in Cyprus. President Makarios was removed
   from office and Nikos Sampson, a former EOKA fighter and a member of
   the Parliament, took over the presidency. Turkey claimed that under the
   1960 Treaty of Guarantee the coup was sufficient reason for military
   action and thus Turkey invaded Cyprus on 20 July 1974. Turkey's
   position was that such intervention was necessary to protect the
   Turkish Cypriot populace. The coup failed and Makarios returned to
   Cyprus. Turkish forces proceeded to take over about 37% of the island,
   causing a large numbers of Greek Cypriots to abandon their homes. Over
   195,000 Greek Cypriots fled to the south of the island, while 50,000
   Turkish Cypriots fled north. By the end of the invasion, thousands of
   Turkish Cypriots from the southern communities were missing, as were
   thousands of Greek Cypriots missing from northern communities, although
   it is known that small numbers Greek-Cypriots have continued to live
   with their Turkish neighbours.

1975 - From federation to independence

   In 1975, the "Turkish Federated State of North Cyprus" was declared as
   a first step to international recognition of a Turkish Cypriot
   separatist state in Cyprus. The move was rejected by the Republic of
   Cyprus, by the UN, and by the international community. After eight
   years of failed negotiations with the leadership of the Greek Cypriot
   Community, the north declared its independence on 15 November 1983
   under the name of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The UDI of
   the TRNC was rejected by the UN and the Republic of Cyprus.
     * History of Cyprus
     * Cyprus under the Ottoman Empire
     * Cyprus dispute
     * Operation Atilla

   Reference ^1 Brigadier Francis Henn, A Business of Some Heat - the UN
   force in Cyprus before and during the 1974 Turkish invasion, Pen &
   Sword Books 2004.

Politics

   Detailed map of Northern Cyprus
   Enlarge
   Detailed map of Northern Cyprus

   Its electoral system has a president elected for a five year term. Its
   legislature is the Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) which
   has 50 members elected by proportional representation from five
   electoral districts. In the elections of February 2005, the Republican
   Turkish Party, which favours a peace settlement and the reunification
   of Cyprus, retained its position as the largest parliamentary party,
   but failed to win an overall majority.

Economy

   The economy of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is dominated by
   the services sector including the public sector, trade, tourism and
   education, with smaller agriculture and light manufacturing sectors.
   The economy operates on a free-market basis, although it continues to
   be handicapped by the political isolation of Turkish Cypriots, the lack
   of private and governmental investment, high freight costs, and
   shortages of skilled labor. Despite these constraints, the Turkish
   Cypriot economy turned in an impressive performance in 2003 and 2004,
   with growth rates of 9.6% and 11.4%. This growth has been buoyed by the
   relative stability of the Turkish Lira and by a boom in the education
   and construction sectors. The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on
   monetary transfers from the Turkish government. Under the 2003-06
   economic protocol, Ankara plans to provide around $550 million to the
   TRNC. The number of tourists visiting Turkish Republic of Northern
   Cyprus during January-August 2003 was 286,901.

   Over the same period, per capita income almost doubled
     * US$4,409 (2002)
     * US$5,949 (2003)
     * US$8,095 (2004)
     * US$10,248 (2005)

International status and foreign relations

   The international community - with the exception of Turkey - does not
   recognize the TRNC as a sovereign state, but recognsie the de jure
   sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island. The United
   Nations considers the TRNC to be illegal in several of its resolutions.
   (Note: the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan,
   does regard the TRNC as sovereign, while the state of Azerbaijan
   officially has not followed suit). The Organization of the Islamic
   Conference gives the TRNC the status of a constituent state, and it is
   an observer member of this organization. A number of other nations have
   expressed gestures towards recognition including Pakistan, Qatar, and
   Gambia

   Since the April 2004 referendum on the United Nations Annan Plan, the
   attitude of the international community towards the TRNC has begun to
   improve. Günter Verheugen, the EU's Enlargement Commissioner, was
   reported as saying that the EU was considering opening a representative
   office in the TRNC. EU foreign ministers agreed to give the TRNC 259
   million euros (US$307 million) in aid. This aid was blocked by the
   Greek Cypriot Administration who argued that the Turkish Cypriots
   wanted to receive this money directly. That is why the southern
   Republic of Cyprus has blocked it at EU level. The result was for half
   of the money so far to be lost. A number of high profile formal
   meetings have also taken place between President Mehmet Ali Talat and
   various foreign leaders and politicians including US Secretary of State
   Condoleeza Rice, British foreign minister Jack Straw, Pakistani
   President Pervez Musharraf.
   Northern Cyprus Border in Nicosia
   Enlarge
   Northern Cyprus Border in Nicosia

   Legally, however, the European Union continues to consider Turkish
   Republic of Northern Cyprus as EU territory with a disputed foreign
   military presence and thus indefinitely exempt from EU legislation
   until a settlement has been reached. While certain outlying regions of
   the EU can and do obtain exemptions from EU law, Turkish Republic of
   Northern Cyprus is the only part of the Union where such laws are not
   enforceable. The number of seats assigned to Cyprus in the European
   Parliament (six seats) is based on the population of the entire island.
   Despite the fact that the Turkish Cypriot residents of Turkish Republic
   of Northern Cyprus- and possibly some of the naturalized Anatolian
   Turks - are EU citizens, fewer than expected Northerners voted in the
   2004 elections. There is no support for admitting two Cypriot member
   states into the EU, as long as the Cyprus problem is not solved.

Military

   The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has a 2,000 man Defense Force
   which is primarily made up of conscripted Turkish Cypriot males between
   the ages of 18 and 40. This force supplements the 40,000 strong Turkish
   Army force, which includes the XI Corps with two divisions, which is
   stationed on the island.

   As an area under dispute, the Turkish military presence in Turkish
   Republic of Northern Cyprus is seen differently by the communities in
   the region, the Greek population seeing it as an occupational force,
   while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus citizens see it as
   protecting their life.

Communications and transport

   Because of its status, the TRNC is heavily dependent on Turkish
   military and economic support. It uses the New Turkish Lira as its
   currency. All TRNC exports and imports have to take place via Turkey.
   International telephone calls are routed via a Turkish dialling code:
   +90 392. On the web TRNC is under the Turkish second-level domain
   .nc.tr, and mail must be addressed via Mersin 10, TURKEY as the
   Universal Postal Union refuses to recognize the TRNC as a separate
   entity.

   Direct flights to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are forbidden by
   the Republic of Cyprus. The airports of Geçitkale and Ercan are only
   recognized as legal ports of entry by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

   TRNC sea ports had been declared closed to all shipping by the Republic
   of Cyprus since 1974. Turkey, however, rejects this declaration while
   TRNC-registered vessels have free access to Turkish sea ports.

   Naturalized TRNC citizens or foreigners carrying a passport stamped by
   the TRNC authorities may be refused entry by the Republic of Cyprus or
   Greece, although after the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the
   EU such restrictions have been eased following confidence-building
   measures between Athens and Ankara and the partial opening of the UN
   controlled line by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus authorities.
   The Republic of Cyprus also allows passage across the Green Line from
   the part of Nicosia that it controls (as well as a few other selected
   crossing points), since the TRNC does not leave entry stamps in the
   passport for such visits.

Airports and harbours

   Girne/Kyrenia Port
   Enlarge
   Girne/Kyrenia Port
     * Ercan/Tymvou Airport (Lefkoşa/Nicosia - Main Airport)
     * Geçitkale/Lefkoniko Airport (Gazimağusa/Famagusta)
     * Ilker Karter Airport (Girne/Kyrenia)
     * Pınarbaşı Airport (Girne/Kyrenia)
     * Topel Airport (Güzelyurt/Morphou)
     * Port of Girne/Kyrenia
     * Port of Gazimağusa/Famagusta

Universities

     * Eastern Mediterranean University
     * Near East University
     * European University of Lefke
     * International Cyprus University
     * Girne American University
     * Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus / Guzelyurt

NGOs

     * Management Centre for the Eastern Mediterranean

   The Management Centre for the Eastern Mediterranean is an umbrella and
   support institution for civil society organisations in Turkish Republic
   of Northern Cyprus. It organises conferences, training and other
   events, contains useful lists of NGOs and other organisations and
   reports from studies and initiatives.
     * Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Red Crescent Association

   Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Red Crescent Association Crescent
   claims descent from an organisation founded in 1974, but was long
   dormant. It started to try and reorganise itself in 2005.

   In April 2006, a General Assembly of the organisation elected the
   recently retired president of the supreme court, Taner Erginel, as
   President.

Tourist attractions

     * Lefkoşa has an old town centre similar to that of Gazimağusa. The
       ancient city centre is surrounded by a 5.5 km long city wall, which
       is still intact.
     * To the northeast the mythical Five Finger mountains (
       Pentadactylos, Turkish: Beşparmak) guard the city. This rocky five
       finger mountain rises 700 meters above sea level and harbours the
       legend of the Byzantine hero Digenis, who defeated the invading
       Arabs with supernatural strength.
     * A giant TRNC flag is painted on the southern side of the mountain,
       near the village of Vouno/Taşkent, which can be easily seen from
       most of Lefkoşa.
     * One of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean is in the
       Karpaz in the furthest Easten tip of the island and is a nesting
       ground for endangered loggerhead and green turtles.

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