Why does UK own part of Cyprus?
Britain promised to use Cyprus as a base to protect the Ottoman Empire from Russia, according to the secret Cyprus Convention agreement. On 5 November 1914 Britain annexed Cyprus, bringing an end to the convention. Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, after 82 years of British control.
Why did the British leave Cyprus?
During the course of the First World War Britain offered to cede Cyprus to Greece if they would fulfill treaty obligations to attack Bulgaria, but Greece declined. Britain proclaimed Cyprus the Crown colony of British Cyprus in 1925, under an undemocratic constitution.
What was the British protectorate over Cyprus?
A British protectorate under nominal Ottoman suzerainty was established over Cyprus by the Cyprus Convention of 4 June 1878, following the Russo-Turkish War, in which the British occupied the island as a consequence of the Ottoman Empire’s actions throughout the duration of the war.
Why is there still a British military base in Cyprus?
Cyprus was just too important for Britain to relinquish entirely, and the Suez Crisis of 1956 had left Cyprus as the most important military outpost in the region. As the Cold War intensified, the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri became the biggest British base of its kind, tasked with defending NATO’s southern flank. Yet the Cold War is long gone.
What happened during the Cypriot emergency?
Cyprus Emergency. The Cyprus Emergency was a military action that took place in Cyprus from 1955 to 1959. The Cyprus Emergency primarily consisted of a campaign by the Greek Cypriot military group EOKA to remove the British from Cyprus so it could be unified with Greece.
Why is Cyprus divided between Turkey and Greece?
In 1974 a Greek military coup, which aimed to unite the island with mainland Greece, led to a Turkish invasion and the division of the island between Turkish Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus. Cyprus remains divided to this day.