Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus according to the agreements of Zurich – London between Gt. Britain, Greece and Turkey beca me an independent Republic on August 16th, 1960.
According to the Constitution the Turkish Cypriot community, constituting 18% of the population, was given cultural and religious autonomy and a privileged treatment in governance i.e.
The Turkish Cypriots (T/C) had :
The right of veto and other separatist provisions in the Constitution created practical difficulties to the operation of the State. Proposals made by the President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios, in November 1963 to amend the Constitution were rejected outright by Turkey first and then by the Turkish Cypriots. The T/C left their posts in the Government and set up Turkish Cypriot enclaves in various areas of the island. Inter communal relations initially entered a period of tension but then a period followed during which the tension subsided and eventually a dialogue between the communities was established to find a solution. The events of 1974 with the coup d’ etat and the Turkish invasion gave a new and tragic dimension to the Cyprus problem. The presence of thousands of Turkish troops and illegal colonists from Anatolia pose a very serious threat against the security and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. Thus the Armed Forces of the Republic are entrusted with an especially difficult task.
Ministry of Defence
Since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus the Ministry of the Interior and Defence were united. It was in 1985 that the two Ministries were separated and the Ministries rose to 11.
The main mission of the Ministry of Defence is the security of the country against any foreign threat a task involving the organization of the defence forces of the Republic.
Former Ministers of Defence
Former Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Defence
