Carving Turkey (NWCM3)

Carving Turkey (Part 3 of 8)

Cyprus Affair Campaign

New World Order Series

HDS3 MEDC Battleset

When the NSC made good on its promises to deliver SA-10 Grumble SAM systems to the Greek Cypriots in Spring 1995, despite Turkish protest, the stage was set for another conflict in Cyprus. The presence of the advanced weapons shifted the delicate balance of power, as it put nearly all aircraft operating from the Turkish side of the island at risk. When regular Turkish forces stormed the island a few months later, NATO was embarrassed. It had not been aware of Turkey's intention to reclaim Cyprus once and for all. Hand in hand with the economic boom in the NSC came military modernization and revitalization, funding for which was fuelled at least partly by an unprecedented level of arms exports. The NSC would no longer sit idly by while its national interests were decided by others. It launched a major attack against Turkey in June 1995. The NSC did not believe NATO would intervene in the Cypriot affair after having been snubbed by its Turkish partner and after the beating it had received in the Baltic conflict a year earlier. The NSC was wrong.

Pleased that NATO had thus far remained only a verbal combatant, the Kremlin became blinded to the original objective - the liberation of Greek Cyprus. They suddenly realized that here was a golden opportunity to finally rid themselves of the Bosporous-Dardenelles chokepoint. To do so, it would be necessary to invade and claim at least a portion of Turkish territory. An amphibious assault has been launched to carry out the mission. (Released August 2000).