Northern soul

Hussein Chalayan: How has the isolation of Northern Cyprus affected your world view and work?

A TURBULENT PAST

Late 1950s

Start of the intercommunal conflict on the Mediterranean island; first between the Greek Cypriots and the British, and then between Greek and Turkish Cypriots

1960

Cyprus gains independence from Britain, with a powersharing agreement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Britain, Turkey and Greece become its guarantor nations

1963

Power-sharing crumbles, fighting ensues

1964

A buffer zone patrolled by UN peacekeeping forces is established across the island, dividing Turkish Cypriots in the North from Greek Cypriots in the South, and splitting the capital of Nicosia in two

1974

A right-wing coup attempts to unite Cyprus with Greece. In response, Turkish forces land in Cyprus and enforce its partition, displacing both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The buffer zone becomes impermeable

1983

The North declares itself the Turkish Republic of Northern