Military Cyprus
Military branches:
Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes
air and naval elements); north Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security
Force (GKK)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 184,352
females age 18-49: 175,567 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 150,750
females age 18-49: 144,344 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 18-49: 6,578
females age 18-49: 6,200 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$384 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.8% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Cyprus
Disputes - international:
hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous
entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a
Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since
1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; March
2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots later opened
their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on 24 April
2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities voted in
simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve the
UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the 30-year division of
the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus Republic," a
majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered
the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation
and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north