The leader of the Turkish Cypriots, Ersin Tatar, said that the government of the unrecognized TRNC intends to allow everyone to live in Varosha, Famagusta.
Tatar stressed that all the efforts of local officials are now aimed at opening the former elite resort. He also mentioned that the recent renovation of some sites has significantly transformed the area.
Tatar stressed that since the opening of Varosha for residents and guests of the island, more than 250 thousand people have visited it.
The Turkish Cypriot leader also reaffirmed his commitment to create two independent states on the island. He added that Turkey supports him in this matter.
This policy paves the way for a new era in Cyprus and offers hope for a brighter future. There is no other alternative for Cyprus, as “two different nations” live on the island, they have different languages, religions, cultures and histories. In order to negotiate, it is first necessary to consider whether the two sides have common points of contact, Tatar said.
As you may know, the tourist resort Varosha (Maraş in Turkish) in Famagusta has been closed since 1974 after the occupation of a part of Cyprus by Turkish troops and the partition of the island.
Varosha is protected by a 1984 UN Security Council resolution, which states that the empty city can only be inhabited by its original inhabitants. In October 2020, representatives of Turkey and the unrecognized TRNC opened a checkpoint to visit the tourist quarter, which was closed for 47 years. Since then, a number of streets have been cleared and beaches have been modernized. Tatar said that they "are restoring the closed Varosha for humanity, Cyprus and the whole world." Tatar later announced that properties in Varosha would be returned to their owners.
Despite all the protests of the official Nicosia, the government of the TRNC continued its campaign to reactivate the demilitarized area - they cleared the territory on one of the main roads of the former tourist resort, on Anexartisias Avenue, calling it "the second stage".
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