Because of the vulnerability of the island, it was very unsettled for many years until the Turks arrived in 1571, when a certain amount of stability ensued for many centuries. Britain occupied the island during WWI and it became a crown colony in 1925. This did not go down well with the Greek population as they felt that they belonged to Greece. Cyprus was granted independence on 16 August, 1960, and Markarios became the first president, a position in which he stayed for 14 years until a military coup overthrew him. On 20 July, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and took over 30 per cent of northern Cyprus. The coup did not last for long and by December of that year, Markarios had been re-elected president. Turkish troops were granted permission to stay in the north and the island became divided by a UN buffer zone. In 1983, Turkish Cypriots declared that their part of northern Cyprus was to become a separate state called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This has been declared illegal by the UN and no country other than Turkey recognises it. In April 2005, Turkish Cypriots elected Mehmet Ali Talat to be president of their part of northern Cyprus. He has considered the coming together the two parts of the country, but the Greeks remain firmly against the idea. | 
