| United Nations Buffer Zone In Cyprus |
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The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a 300 km (187 mile) Separation Barrier along the 1974 ''' Green Line ''' (or ceasefire line) de facto dividing the Republic Of Cyprus into north and south regions. The north part of the Republic of Cyprus is de facto not under its effective control; the government administrating this area, which is recognised only by Turkey, calls itself the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus . The Republic of Cyprus offered the land to the UN after the Turkish Invasion Of Cyprus to protect the Republic from further Turkish hostilities. It separates the occupied northern 37% (mostly inhabited by Turks and Turkish Cypriots ) of Cyprus, from the southern part (mostly inhabited by ethnic Greek Cypriots ), and also divides the capital Nicosia . Separation of people according to their ethnic background was not widespread prior to the Turkish invasion of 1974, which lead to the expulsion of 200,000 ethnic Greek Cypriots from the North, and also forced around 60,000 Turkish Cypriots to move to the North. The "Green Line" is also referred to as the '''Turkish Cyprus barrier''', or the '''Atilla Line''' after the name given to the 1974 military intervention by Turkey ( Operation Atilla ). The Buffer Zone is patrolled by United Nations peacekeeping forces. Its width ranges from a few metres in Nicosia to several kilometres near the village of Athienou . On the northern side of the Buffer Zone, there exists a barrier constructed by the Turkish military. It consists mainly of barbed wire fencing, a few concrete wall segments, watch-towers, anti-tank ditches, and minefields. Tensions along the barrier have arisen several times in the past, with the latest civilian incident taking place in 1996 , when in a demonstration at Deryneia , a Greek Cypriot was beaten to death by Turkish Cypriots while trying to cross the Green Line. The following day, another Greek Cypriot man was shot and killed trying to climb up a flagpole to retrieve a Turkish Cypriot flag. After a nearly 30-year ban on crossings, the Turkish Cypriot De Facto administration significantly eased travel restrictions across the dividing line in April 2003 , allowing Greek Cypriots to cross at the Ledra Palace Crossing located just outside the walls of old Nicosia. Today a total of 5 crossings exist, with one additional crossing in the construction stage: {Link without Title}
Further crossings are planned but have not yet materialized. Prior to Cypriot accession to the 's effective control, but they are not stamped. Summary :
COMMANDERS OF UN FORCES (UNFICYP)
DEATHS WITHIN THE BUFFER ZONE In August 1996, Greek Cypriot refugees demonstrated with a march against the Turkish-supported section of Cyprus. The demonstrators' demand was the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops and the return of The Refugees to their homes and properties. On August 11 of the same year, a Greek Cypriot demonstrator, Tassos Isaak , crossed into the buffer zone, but came face to face with Turkish counter-demonstrators and was beaten to death {Link without Title} . Another man, the killers were identified and legal proceedings were taken against them, to be applied when they are found outside Turkey or the Turkish-supported areas of Cyprus. Both killings were witnessed by UNFICYP personnel (two of whom were injured by the Turkish shootings) and by the United Nations Force Commander {Link without Title} . No one has ever been prosecuted to date. SEE ALSO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
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