Page "Politics of Cyprus" Paragraph 5

Turkey responded by launching a military operation on Cyprus in a move not approved by the other two international guarantor powers, Greece and the United Kingdom using as a pretext the protection of the Turkish minority from Greek militias.

The invasion is called " Cyprus Peace Operation " by the Turkish side.

Turkish forces captured the northern part of the island.

Many thousands of others, from both sides, left the island entirely.

In addition to many of the Greek Cypriot refugees ( a third of the population ), many Turkish Cypriots ( on whose pretext Turkey invaded ) also moved to the UK and other countries where for the past 30 years they have lived as neighbours with the Greek Cypriots.

In the meantime Turkey illegally imported Turkish colonists to populate the occupied territories, thereby altering the ethnic make up of the occupied north.

Under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, it is a war crime to transfer, directly or indirectly, the civilian population of a country power onto land under that country's military occupation.