The abandoned beach of Varosha opens in Cyprus

Of: Adam westin

Published: Oct 11, 2020 at 7:37 a.m.
Updated: Oct 11, 2020 at 7:52 a.m.

In the 70s, Varosha was a world famous tourist destination.

But after the Turkish invasion, it has been a ghost town, until now.

“It’s a terrible day,” Greek Cypriot historian Anna Marangou told The Guardian.

In the early 1970s, world stars like Richard Burton, Elisabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot flocked to Varosha Beach. The area was called the Cypriot equivalent of the French Riviera.

But in 1974, northern Cyprus was invaded by Turkey and the island has been divided ever since. The invasion was triggered by a pro-Greek military coup aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.

Photo: Nedim Enginsoy / TT NYHETSBYRÅN

An abandoned building in Varosha.

“Floating in sandals”

About 150,000 Greek Cypriots fled the north of the country. Thousands of people died.

– People basically fled in sandals and T-shirts, with their necks above their heads. Varosha was bombed by Turkish fighter jets. Since then, there has also been looting. So from what you could see in the images, it’s a ghost town, says Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.

But this week, Varosha beach reopened, at the initiative of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A new road has been built to get to the beach.

According to local media, thousands of people have visited the abandoned pearl, some with Turkish and Turkish Cypriot flags.

You want to see a tough leader

The opening coincides with the presidential elections in northern Cyprus, a state that only Turkey has recognized.

– It appears that Ankara has lobbied for Varosha to be opened, among other things, to benefit Ersin Tatar, who represents a conservative nationalist party. That you want a slightly tougher leader. And this could be a way to improve his chances before Sunday’s elections, says Turkey expert Paul Levin.

The many Greek Cypriots who left Varosha in 1974 have received the news with dismay. Anna Marangou, a Greek Cypriot archaeologist and historian, called it “a terrible day,” writes The Guardian.

His family owned a beach villa that they left when the historian was 22 years old.

– There are many people who fled from Famagusta and Varosha who nurtured the hope of returning. The issue of the right of refugees to return, or the right to be compensated for the loss of housing, is always a very important and hot topic in Cyprus, says Paul Levin.

The President of Cyprus is furious

Nicos Anastasiade, President of Cyprus, has called the opening of the beach a “flagrant violation of international law”. The UN Security Council has called on Turkey to close the beach again and fears that tensions will escalate on the island, the AP writes.

The peace talks in Cyprus have consistently failed. Turkey wants to see a two-state solution, while the EU and the UN want to see a unification of the Mediterranean island.

Published: Oct 11, 2020 at 7:37 a.m.