Talks between Glafcos Clerides and Rauf Denktash, representing the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, respectively, had begun in 1968.

They continue inconclusively until 1974, the Turks demanding and the Greeks rejecting the proposal for a bizonal federation with a weak central government.

As Sisco negotiates in Athens, Turkish invasion ships are already at sea.

A last-minute reversal might have been possible had the Greeks made concessions, but they have not.

The intervention begins early on July 20, 1974.

Three days later, the Greek junta collapses in Athens, Sampson resigns in Nicosia, and the threat of war between NATO allies is over.

The Turkish army, however, remains on Cyprus.

Konstantinos Karamanlis, in self-imposed exile in France since 1963, had been called back to head the Greek government once more.

Clerides is sworn in as acting president of the Republic of Cyprus, and the foreign ministers of the guarantor powers meet in Geneva on July 25 to discuss the military situation on the island

Prime Minister Ecevit publicly welcomes the change of government in Greece and seems genuinely interested in eliminating the tensions that have brought the two countries so close to war.

Nevertheless, during the truce that is arranged, Turkish forces continue to take territory, to improve their positions, and to build up their supplies of war materiel.

Sampson is expendable, of course, to the Athens regime, but Sisco can get an agreement only to reassign the six hundred and fifty Greek officers.

As Sisco negotiates in Athens, Turkish invasion ships are already at sea.

A last-minute reversal might be possible if the Greeks made concessions, but they do not.

At the same time, Turkish prime minister Bülent Ecevit flies to London to elicit British aid in a joint effort in Cyprus, as called for in the 1959 Treaty of Guarantee, but the British are either unwilling or unprepared and decline to take action as a guarantor power.

The United States takes no action to bolster the Makarios government, but Joseph J. Sisco, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, goes to London and the eastern Mediterranean to stave off the impending Turkish invasion and the war between Greece and Turkey that might follow.

The Turks demand removal of Nikos Sampson and the Greek officers from the National Guard and a binding guarantee of Cypriot independence.

Sampson, of course, is expendable to the Athens regime, but Sisco can get an agreement only to reassign the six hundred and fifty Greek officers.

...the notorious EOKA terrorist Nikos Sampson is declared provisional president of the new Cypriot government.

It is obvious to Ankara that Athens is behind the coup, and major elements of the Turkish armed forces go on alert.

Turkey had made similar moves in 1964 and 1967, but had not invaded.

Glafcos Clerides, who as president of the House of Representatives automatically succeeds the head of state in the latter's absence, is sworn in as acting president of the Republic of Cyprus; while. ..

A second conference in Geneva begins on August 10, with Clerides and Denktash as the Cypriot representatives.

Denktash proposes a bizonal federation, with Turkish Cypriots controlling thirty-four percent of island.

When this proposal is rejected, the Turkish foreign minister proposes a Turkish Cypriot zone in the northern part of the island and five Turkish Cypriot enclaves elsewhere, all of which would amount once again to thirty-four percent of the island's area.

Clerides asks for a recess of thirty-six to forty-eight hours to consult with the government in Nicosia and with Makarios in London.

His request is refused.

...Famagusta (Gazimagusa) in the east, the Turks order a cease-fire.

The second phase of the Turkish intervention begins early on August 14.

Two days later, after having seized thirty-seven percent of the island above what the Turks call the "Atilla Line," the line that runs from Morphou Bay in the northwest to ...