Cyprus is a Mediterranean island had been conquered and ruled by many imperial powers like the Greeks, Persians, Turks and the English. But, the population mainly practise two traditions-Greek and Turkish.
After the island gained independence, the Greek Cypriots wanted to join Greece. The Turk Cypriots did not agree to this. This led to an outbreak of conflict between the two groups. When the conflict picked up, the Security Council sent in UNFICYP, a UN force. This happened in 1964.
However in 1974, a Turkish force invaded and conquered the Greek part of the island. UNFICYP was not powerful enough to resist them. But it was successful enough to prevent a full-scale civil war.
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