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Before 1974, the Varosha district of Famagusta in Cyprus was a popular tourist area, with 12,000 hotel rooms and 25,000 inhabitants.
Later, the area was invaded by Turkish forces.
More than 150,000 residents had to leave their homes. The area was closed and used as a bargaining chip in the ceasefire between northern Turkish Cyprus and southern Greek Cyprus.
Since then, it has been a ghost town, reports The Guardian. Famagusta was named “The Forbidden City”.
But now, after 46 years, the city has reopened.
The forgotten jewel of the Mediterranean: in northern Cyprus, time has stood still for 41 years
Protester
It was the leader of northern Cyprus, Ersin Tatar, who promised to open the vacation paradise this week.
– We started the process of people who use the public spaces, streets and beaches of Sahil and Democracia. Maras, which was a ghost town, is now coming to life, he said Thursday.
He received the support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, writes CNN.
Hundreds of people are said to have entered through the gates when the barricades were removed, celebrating that they were finally able to use the beach area. Now the beach will be open from 09 to 17 every day.
Violent riots in Athens
However, the opening also encountered resistance. The images show demonstrations in front of the Turkish embassy in Athens, with posters reading “Erdogan, Varosha will take revenge.”
Residents who were evicted from the area in 1974 also protested against the opening.
– How can you not be upset by what you saw today? Varosha should have been returned to her owners. This is psychologically exhausting, says Greek Cypriot mayor Simos Ioannou in Famagusta.
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Prejudices
Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades says the opening is illegal and a clear violation of UN resolutions. On Wednesday this week, the EU condemned the reopening, calling it a serious ceasefire.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, says opening up will intensify the conflict.
“The opening of this area, which is a closed area under the UN ceasefire, is a serious breach of this agreement,” Borrell said.
– This won’t help. On the contrary, it will make it more difficult to reach an agreement on a particularly difficult situation for all of us in the eastern Mediterranean, he added.
– This will be the holidays in 2021
Relations between Greece and Cyprus are already tense, as both countries seek gas resources in the maritime area and carry out military exercises, according to Reuters.
If the diplomatic dispute over Varosha escalates, it will put more pressure on relations between Greece and Turkey.
The UN Security Council has announced a meeting on the situation. Borell will ask for a statement asking Turkey to stop “this activity.”
