Abstract
‘A One-sided Coin: A Critical Analysis of the Legal Accounts of the Cypriot Conflicts’ in Berber Bevernage and Nico Wouters, The Palgrave Handbook of State-sponsored History after 1945 (Palgrave, 2018), 583-597
The chapter focuses on two historical events that took place in Cyprus in the summer of 1974 and argues that they are remembered differently by Greek Cypriots because of the varied reactions of state institutions to each. Turkey’s invasion of the island, which is remembered vividly by Greek Cypriots, has resulted in legal action on behalf of Cyprus that was well-planned, executed and publicised. Conversely, the legal response relating to the coup orchestrated by the Greek-junta government, which is only vaguely remembered by the population, has been characterised by a lack of political commitment to punish the perpetrators. This suggests that a government’s decision to use law in a particular way affects whether and how historical events are remembered by the population at large.