The reflection of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on the İzmir press

Cyprus has been a strategic region that has attracted the interest of major powers due to its geopolitical position. With the Ottoman Empire's conquest of Cyprus on August 1, 1571, a significant Turkish population emerged on the island, and for centuries, Turks and Greeks coexisted there. However, as the Ottoman Empire weakened and lost territories in the 19th century, Cyprus was temporarily handed over to Britain on June 4, 1878. Later, on November 5, 1914, Britain unilaterally annexed the island, and this was officially recognized by Turkey with the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923. By the mid-20th century, the Greek Cypriots' efforts to unite the island with Greece (Enosis) and their increasing pressure on the Turkish Cypriot community had turned the Cyprus issue into an international crisis. From the 1950s onwards, violent attacks by the EOKA organization and rising tensions between the two communities further destabilized the island. The Republic of Cyprus, established in 1960, quickly became dysfunctional. During the 1963-1964 events, Turkish Cypriots suffered severe attacks, leading to discussions about Turkey's right to intervene as a guarantor power. Eventually, on July 15, 1974, a Greek-backed coup overthrew the Makarios government, replacing it with Nikos Sampson's administration. This event prompted Turkey to exercise its guarantor rights and launch the Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, 1974. This thesis aims to explore how the operation was reflected in local newspapers in İzmir. The study analyzes the content of newspapers such as "Yeni Asır," "Ege Telgraf," "Demokrat İzmir," and "Ege Ekspres" published between May and September 1974. The research examines newspaper headlines, language, opinion columns, and editorial perspectives to determine how public perception of the operation was shaped.