Object ID
F2016.24
Object Name
Photograph
Date Created
1980s
Event
Protest by Women Walk Home against the division of Cyprus
Medium
Photo Paper
Object Description
A color photograph. The photo depicts a large group of people standing in a grassy area. There are several bushes in front of them and an barren tree behind them. A road is also visible behind them, and behind this are more bushes and trees. Soldiers in khaki uniforms are standing in front of the group, facing them. In the foreground of the photo, a soldier in a khaki uniform is grabbing a woman. The woman has dark curly hair and is wearing a red shirt and a blue skirt.
Origin
This photo was taken near the border between Cyprus and Northern Cyprus. The woman is part of a group called Women Walk Home. The woman, and possibly others in the photo, is protesting against the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus. It appears that the woman is trying to cross the border into Northern Cyprus by running around the soldiers, and the soldier is trying to prevent her from doing so. Three of these demonstrations were staged in the late 1980s. Northern Cyprus is a self-declared state in the northeast of the island of Cyprus. In 1974, coup took place in Cyprus, part of an attempt to make Cyprus part of Greece. In response, Turkey invaded Cyprus. Turkey evicted much of the Greek population of the North and most of the Turkish Cypriots living in the south moved north. In 1983, Northern Cyprus unilaterally declared independence, however the state has never been recognized by any country other than Turkey. Northern Cyprus greatly relies on Turkey for economic, political, and military support. A buffer zone controlled by the United Nations separates Northern Cyprus from the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the largest city and capital. The soldiers in this picture are likely members of either the Turkish army or the UN peacekeeping force.
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Citation
Photograph, 1980s, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/4925. Accessed 04/20/24.