Libya’s support for Türkiye during 1974 Cyprus Operation

Libya was one of the few countries that supported Türkiye during its 1974 military intervention in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, according to Uluc Ozulker, a former Turkish ambassador to Libya.

“There was support from very few countries around the world for the Turkish Armed Forces to land in the Cyprus (Island). But one of the leading countries that supported Türkiye was Libya and (Muammar) Gaddafi,” Ozulker said.

Ozulker noted that Libya, which had two large arms warehouses at the time, opened its entire inventory to Türkiye in case of need. Gaddafi’s offer was straightforward: “Come and get whatever you need. If all the materials in this warehouse are in a position to meet your needs, you are free to take anything you want, and I am your supporter in this sense,” he recounted.

Following Gaddafi’s offer, Turkish military experts were dispatched to Libya to inspect the warehouses. Ozulker confirmed that Libya provided all available compatible weaponry to Türkiye. “Gaddafi continued to support Türkiye on the Cyprus issue both during and after the operation,” he added, describing the bilateral relations as “extremely warm and positive.”

The island of Cyprus has been entangled in a prolonged conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite numerous diplomatic efforts for a comprehensive resolution. Ethnic tensions in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a coup by Greek Cypriots seeking to annex the island to Greece prompted Türkiye, as a guarantor power, to intervene militarily to protect Turkish Cypriots from violence and persecution. This intervention led to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in 1983.

The Greek Cypriot administration joined the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan aimed at resolving the longstanding dispute.