Turkish Cypriots are almost ready to begin reopening the town of Varosha, the breakaway state’s premier said on Friday, a former resort area fenced off and abandoned in no-man’s land since a 1974 Turkish invasion that split the island. [ Ссылка ] #eudebates #Libya #Turkey #Greece #Cyprus #Drillings #ArmsEmbargo #NATO #War #LibyaWar
Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Ersin Tatar said the revival of Varosha, now an eerie collection of derelict hotels, churches and residences, would bring trade and tourism benefits.
Varosha, a southern suburb of the city of Famagusta, has been a ghost town since the invasion that partitioned Cyprus.
The former holiday resort has been off limits to all but the Turkish military since 1974.
Varosha has become a bargaining chip in the decades-long dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Ringed by a fence extending into the sea, the town is overrun by cacti and debris.
“Varosha is most definitely going to be opened. The tide has shifted, a new page has been turned,” Tatar said. (Northern Cyprus) will become stronger by opening Varosha to tourism.”
Tatar gave no specific time line for reopening Varosha.
“Varosha lies within TRNC territory,” he said, referring to the breakaway state recognised only by Turkey. “Nobody can take it from us. We are successfully continuing on our path. The inventory work is almost complete, we are in the opening phase.”
The European Commission has said it is aware of announcements made in the north to reopen Varosha and is calling on Turkey to commit and contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus problem, spokesperson Vivial Loonela said on Friday.
Loonela said: “On the status of Varosha, the European Union will continue to be guided by the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 550 (1984) and other relevant Security Council Resolutions.”
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN.
A 1992 resolution, 789, stipulates with a view to the implementation of resolution 550, the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus should be extended to include Varosha.
“The EU has repeatedly emphasised that it remains crucial that Turkey commits and contributes to the settlement of the Cyprus problem, including its external aspects, within the UN framework, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and respecting the principles on which the European Union is founded and the acquis,” she noted.
Loonela said: “The EU will continue to convey clear messages to Turkey in this regard.”
On the Cyprus talks, she said it is urgent for the parties to seek, with the support of the UN, a path back to their resumption.
Famagusta mayor Simos Ioannou also called for talks to resume as soon as possible.
He said the government needed to have a plan A and B for Famagusta so that if Turkish plans could not be averted, there could be an appropriate reaction.
“After the election of the Turkish Cypriot leader, talks need to definitely start,” he said. The elections in the north are due to take place in October having been postponed due to the pandemic.
Ioannou said it was important to avert Turkish plans to open Varosha as it would be difficult to be in a dialogue while the other party was creating faits accomplis.
[ Ссылка ] #eudebates
