Several distinct periods of intercommunal violence involving the Greek and Turkish Cypriots marked mid-20th century Cyprus. These included the Cyprus Emergency of 1955–59 during British rule, the post-independence Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, and the Cyprus crisis of 1967. Hostilities culminated in the 1974 de facto division of the island along the Green Line following the coup organized by US-backed Greek junta (1974 Cypriot coup d'état), and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The region has been relatively peaceful since then, but the Cyprus dispute has continued, with various attempts to solve it diplomatically having been generally unsuccessful.
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👉 Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations Peacekeeping Force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions. Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri (Mongolia) is the current Force Commander of UNFICYP, appointed in 2024, and preceded by Ingrid Gjerde (Norway).
Initially, UNFICYP consisted of military and civilian contingents drawn from Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. However, over its long history the Force has been the subject of various UNSC resolutions and reorganisations, and currently comprises contingents from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Cyprus crisis of 1963–64
- 👉 Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
- Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of Bloody Christmas (1963)
- Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of Church of the Holy Cross, Nicosia
- Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 186
Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of Bloody Christmas (1963)
Bloody Christmas (Turkish: Kanlı Noel) refers to the massacre of the Turkish Cypriot population during the Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, on the night of 20–21 December 1963 and the subsequent period of island-wide violence amounting to civil war. This initial episode of violence lasted until 31 December and was somewhat subdued with the start of peace talks at the London Conference, but outbursts of violence continued thereafter. The violence precipitated the end of Turkish Cypriot representation in the Republic of Cyprus.
The death toll for the entire conflict between December and August amounts to 364 Turkish Cypriots and 174 Greek Cypriots, of whom 136 Turkish Cypriots and 30 Greek Cypriots were killed in the initial period between 21 December and 1 January.
Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of Church of the Holy Cross, Nicosia
The Church of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic parish located in the city of Nicosia in Cyprus.
The first church dedicated to the Holy Cross was built in 1642 and operated continuously until the late nineteenth century. In April 1900 a new church dedicated to the Holy Cross was financially supported in part by the Spanish Royal Family and partly by the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. Its formal inauguration took place in 1902. It also has a friary which was rebuilt in 1959. Part of the access to the garden was blocked as a consequence of the Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 and the war of 1974, as the church sits in the buffer zone between Nicosia and North Nicosia.
Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 186
United Nations Security Council Resolution 186, adopted unanimously on 4 March 1964 during the Cyprus crisis of 1963–64, calling on all member states to conform to their obligations under the Charter, asked the Government of Cyprus to take all additional measures necessary to stop violence and bloodshed and called on communities in Cyprus and their leaders to act with restraint. The resolution then recommended the creation of a peace-keeping force in the interest of preserving international peace and to prevent a recurrence of fighting and that, in agreement with the Governments of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, a mediator would be appointed to try to promote a peaceful solution to the problem confronting Cyprus.