In 1974, Turkey, in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, invaded Cyprus and since then continues to illegally occupy by the use of military force about 37% of the Republic's territory. The international community has stated categorically its support for the internationally recognised sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole of its territory, including the occupied part. United Nations resolutions reaffirm, inter alia, the right of the Republic of Cyprus and its people to full and effective control over the entire territory of Cyprus and natural and other resources and call upon all states to support and help the Government of the Republic to exercise these rights (United Nations General Assembly resolution 37/253, of 13 May 1983).

In 1983 the occupation regime arbitrarily and unilaterally declared the independence of the occupied part of Cyprus. The Security Council of the United Nations by its resolution 541(1983) deplored this declaration, considered it as legally invalid and called for its withdrawal. Furthermore, by its resolution 550(1984), the Security Council condemned all secessionist actions and called upon all states not to recognise the purported entity, the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" and not to facilitate or in any way assist the secessionist entity.

By the same resolutions as well as by a number of other resolutions the United Nations called upon the international community not to recognise any Cypriot state other than that of the Republic of Cyprus and to respect its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity.

The independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the legality of its internationally recognised Government have been recognised repeatedly in numerous resolutions and decisions of other international bodies too, such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, etc. The international community, with the sole exception of Turkey which prompted the purported declaration of independence of the occupied part, recognises only one state in Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus and its legal Government.

On 1 May 2004, Cyprus officially became a member of the European Union.