(10 Jan 2007)
Turkish Cypriot north
9 January 2007
1. Selimiye Mosque
2. Banner (English): 'Those who are watching from the wall of shame! This is the bridge of peace.'
3. Two onlookers in front of footbridge
4. Wide of onlookers and media
5. Close up of sign (Turkish and English): 'To be opened soon. No access beyond this point.'
6. Bystanders
7. Various of men working on bridge
8. Onlookers
9. Men working on bridge
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Oya G�rel, Local Resident:
''In a way it is good to be removed because, well it is a good step forward towards a peace movement, a solution movement.''
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahmet Kunt, Local Resident:
''In Nicosia both Greeks and Turks live together. They can freely move from one to another, they can freely trade, freely interchange, have inter-action in both nations.''
10. Aerial shot of street and footbridge
11. Various of men lowering demolished steps of bridge onto truck
12. Pan up from bridge to Greek Cypriot flag
Greek Cypriot south
10 January 2007
13. Pan from red arrow sign in southern Nicosia to bridge in the north
14. Turkish Cypriot custom's post with sign (Turkish): "Come break down your wall and together we will get rid of the bridge."
15. Close up of closed custom's door near footbridge
STORYLINE:
Turkish Cypriots on Tuesday dismantled a bridge that has angered Greek Cypriots and frustrated plans for a new crossing in the heart of Europe's last divided capital.
Work on the bridge started early and was finished a day ahead of schedule.
Removal of the footbridge at the Turkish end of Ledras Street could revive bilateral efforts, frozen for over a year, to allow movement between the Greek and Turkish sectors in the walled Old City, Nicosia's commercial and tourist centre.
Oya G�rel, a resident of the Turkish Cypriot north said the removal of the bridge was a good step.
''In a way it is good to be removed because, well it is a good step forward towards a peace movement, a solution movement.''
Greek Cypriots claimed the bridge, which carries Ledras Street over a road used by the Turkish military, encroaches on the United Nations (U.N.) patrolled buffer.
Although five crossings have functioned on the island since 2003, there are none in the city centre and for more than four decades Ledras Street has been the most prominent symbol of Cyprus' ethnic partition.
Ahmet Kunt, who lives in the Turkish Cypriot north, said the dismantling of the bridge meant that both Greeks and Turks could freely live together.
Construction of the bridge in late 2005 prompted Greek Cypriots to withdraw support for plans to reopen Ledras Street as an avenue cutting across the buffer zone that has separated the island since the Turkish invasion in 1974.
Efforts to reunify the island have been effectively frozen since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. reunification blueprint accepted by Turkish Cypriots in a referendum.
Cyprus is divided into a Greek Cypriot south representing the island's internationally recognised government and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north which is not.

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