On 20 July 1974, the armed forces of Turkey invaded the northern portion of the Republic of Cyprus in response to the Greek military junta-backed 1974 Cypriot coup d'état that took place on the island against the country's democratically elected President, Archbishop Makarios III. The initial phase of the Turkish invasion, commonly referred to as "Attila-1", lasted until 24 July 1974, after which the offensive faltered and a ground war ensued.