Kokkina (Greek: Κόκκινα, locally [ˈkot͡ʃːʰina]; Turkish: Erenköy or Koççina) is a coastal exclave (pene-exclave) of the de facto Northern Cyprus, and a former Turkish Cypriot enclave in Cyprus. It is surrounded by mountainous territory, with the Morphou Bay on its northern flank. Kokkina sits several kilometres west of mainland Northern Cyprus and is a place with symbolic significance to Turkish Cypriots, because of the events of August 1964 (cf. Battle of Tillyria). In 1976, all Kokkina inhabitants were transferred to Yialousa (renamed Yeni Erenköy or "New Erenköy" in Turkish) and the enclave has since functioned as a North Cyprus Defence Force military camp for the Turkish forces.
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👉 Kokkina in the context of United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established on 4 March 1964. It was extended on 9 August after the Battle of Tillyria and extended again in 1974 after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the de facto partition of the island into the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (excluding the British Sovereign Base Areas) and the largely unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north. The zone, also known as the Green Line (Greek: Πράσινη Γραμμή, Prasini Grammi; Turkish: Yeşil Hat), stretches for 180 kilometres (112 miles) from Paralimni in the east to Kato Pyrgos in the west, where a separate section surrounds Kokkina.
The dividing line is also referred to as the Attila Line, named after Turkey's 1974 military invasion, codenamed Operation Attila. The Turkish army has built a barrier on the zone's northern side, consisting mainly of barbed-wire fencing, concrete wall segments, watchtowers, anti-tank ditches, and minefields. The zone cuts through the centre of Nicosia, separating the city into southern and northern sections. In total, it spans an area of 346 square kilometres (134 sq mi), varying in width from less than 20 metres (66 ft) to more than 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Nicosia remains the last divided capital in Europe. Some 10,000 people live in several villages and work on farms located within the zone; the village of Pyla is famous for being one of the few remaining villages in Cyprus where Greek and Turkish Cypriots still live side by side. Other villages are Deneia, Athienou, and Troulloi. Some areas are untouched by human interference and have remained a safe haven for flora and fauna.
In this Dossier
Kokkina in the context of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state comprising the northern third of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, with the international community considering it territory of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish military occupation. It extends from Cape Apostolos Andreas (the tip of the Karpass Peninsula) in the northeast to Morphou Bay in the northwest, with Cape Kormakitis at its westernmost point and the Kokkina exclave west of the mainland. A buffer zone controlled by the UN forms a barrier between both sides of the island and runs through Nicosia, the island's largest city and the capital of both sides.
After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, Cyprus was dominated by intercommunal violence between the island's Greek and Turkish populations. Greek Cypriots favoured enosis (union with Greece), while Turkish Cypriots favoured taksim (partition of the island). A coup d'état in 1974, performed as part of the Greek military junta's attempt to annex the island, prompted Turkey to invade Cyprus and capture the northern third of the island. This resulted in the eviction of much of the north's Greek Cypriot population and the flight of Turkish Cypriots from the south; the Turkish-occupied north unilaterally declared independence in 1983. UN Security Council Resolution 541 rejected the declaration as illegal and urged UN members not to recognise it. Attempts to resolve the Cyprus problem have been unsuccessful; Northern Cyprus and Turkey favour a two-state solution, while the Republic of Cyprus, the EU, and the UN favour a federalised Cyprus.
Kokkina in the context of Battle of Tillyria
The Battle of Tillyria (Greek: Μάχη της Τηλλυρίας) or Battle of Kokkina (Greek: Μάχη των Κοκκίνων), also known as Erenköy Resistance (Turkish: Erenköy Direnişi), was a conflict on 6 August 1964 between units of the Cypriot National Guard and Turkish Cypriot armed groups in Kokkina area of Cyprus.
Kokkina in the context of Yialousa
Yialousa (Greek: Γιαλούσα [from Αιγιαλούσα, meaning "Sea"]; Turkish: Yeni Erenköy) or Gialousa, is a town under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus, claimed by Cyprus. Yialousa is located on the Karpas Peninsula, and one of the sub-districts of the İskele District. In 2011, Yialousa had a population of 1,774.
In 1960, Yialousa had 2,538 inhabitants, only one of whom was a Turkish Cypriot, the rest being Greek Cypriot. By 1973, the population was 2,460, and composed of only Greek Cypriots. When the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces reached the town during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974, the Greek inhabitants could not move to the south of the island, which was controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. Residents of the village were forcibly evicted by the Turkish army, whilst some left the village gradually because of restrictions on freedom of movement and education, and to reunite with family members who had been taken as prisoners and had ended up in the southern portion of the island after they were returned. In 1976, displaced Turkish Cypriots from the Kokkina exclave (Turkish Erenköy) were resettled in the village, and it was renamed "Yeni Erenköy" ("New Erenköy").
Kokkina in the context of Lefke District
Lefke District (Turkish: Lefke İlçesi) is a district of Northern Cyprus. Its capital is Lefka, also known by its Turkish name, Lefke. It had been a sub-district of the Güzelyurt District between 1998 (when that district was separated from the Lefkoşa District) and 27 December 2016. On 27 December 2016, the Assembly of the Republic unanimously voted to separate Lefke and make it the sixth district. Its population was recorded as 11,091 in the 2011 census, constituting 3.9% of the population of Northern Cyprus.
Erenköy (Kokkina) exclave is part of the district.