Fifty years after Turkey’s invasion and occupation of 36% of Cyprus, the systematic Islamization of the island’s northern part has become increasingly evident. This transformation is not incidental but a calculated initiative by Ankara, aligning with its broader neo-Ottoman ambitions. The steady shift toward political Islam in northern Cyprus carries profound implications for regional stability, European security, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

The 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, widely condemned as unlawful by the international community, forcibly displaced nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots and led to the systematic erasure of Greek cultural heritage in the north. Greek street names, monuments, and place names were replaced with Turkish equivalents. Over 520 Greek Orthodox churches and cemeteries were desecrated or looted, and more than 23,000 Byzantine icons were either destroyed or stolen—an act UNESCO has described as an “institutionalized erasure” of Christian heritage.

Simultaneously, Turkey has facilitated illegal settlements from mainland Anatolia, significantly altering the region’s demographics. This population transfer, in violation of Article 49 of the Geneva Convention, has transformed northern Cyprus from a predominantly secular society into one increasingly influenced by Islamist ideology.