The properties of expelled Greek Cypriots were given to Turkish Cypriots who had been displaced from the south to settlers brought from Turkey or to the military, and claims are still coming in

Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister announces partial lifting of the sealing of Varosha

photo_camera AFP/BIROL BEBEK - This photograph taken on 8 October 2020 shows a view of abandoned buildings along a street in Varosha, in the fenced-off area of Famagusta, in the Turkish-occupied north of the divided Cypriot island in the eastern Mediterranean

The Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTNC), Ersin Tatar, announced on Tuesday the opening of part of Varosha, the sealed-off neighbourhood of the city of Famagusta, and the lifting of the military zone status in that area, which contravenes UN resolutions.

During a speech on the occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus in 1974, Tatar, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, assured that 3.5% of this fenced-off area will be opened, and that priority will be given to its former Greek Cypriot owners to present their claims for restitution or compensation.

According to Turkish Cypriot media, the area in question could be an area close to the populated area of Famagusta (for reasons of electricity, water, telecommunications), where there are about half a thousand houses, for which there are 681 Greek Cypriot title deeds.

In 1984 the UN Security Council passed a resolution prohibiting settlement of Varosha by persons other than its inhabitants and calling for the transfer of the area to UN administration. 

El presidente turco Tayyip Erdogan celebra una conferencia de prensa con Ersin Tatar, dirigente del Estado escindido de Chipre del Norte

Last October, Tatar had already announced a first opening of this ghost town, although at that time it only affected access to the beach and the possibility to walk on some streets.

Since then, more than 200,000 people have visited the area, said the prime minister of a state recognised only by Ankara.

After the 1974 invasion of the northern part of Cyprus there was a displacement of about 200,000 Greek Cypriots to the south and about 60,000 Turkish Cypriots to the north.

The properties of the expelled Greek Cypriots were given to Turkish Cypriots who had been displaced from the south to settlers brought from Turkey or to military personnel of the deployed detachments.

Vista de los edificios desiertos de la zona turística de Varosha, en la zona vallada de Famagusta, en el norte ocupado por los turcos de la dividida isla chipriota del Mediterráneo oriental

From the 1990s onwards Greek Cypriots started to bring legal cases against Turkey on this issue, until 2006 when the Real Estate Commission was established in the north where Greek Cypriots can file their claim to choose one of three options: restitution, compensation or exchange.

Varosha covers an area of about 6.2 square kilometres and constitutes about 17 per cent of Famagusta, where about 12,000 Greek Cypriots lived out of the municipality's total population of 43,000.

The announcement of Tatar had initially been expected from Erdogan himself, according to leaks in pro-government media on the eve of the Turkish president's visit to northern Cyprus.

Las tropas turcas reabrieron parcialmente el balneario chipriota de Varosha, cerrado desde que sus habitantes grecochipriotas huyeron en 1974, lo que desató una controversia días antes de las elecciones turcochipriotas

During his speech at the end of the military parade to mark the anniversary, Erdogan made only a cursory reference to the Varosha issue, noting that a new era for Varosha will begin once work begins once the property rights issue is resolved.

"No one should expect the Turkish Cypriots to give up their status of equality and sovereignty and accept to live as a minority under the will of the Greek Cypriots," added Erdogan, who again blamed the Greek Cypriots for the failure of the island's reunification negotiations.

During his first day in Northern Cyprus on Monday, Erdogan reaffirmed his position that, after decades of unsuccessful negotiations, the only way out for Cyprus is the final division and the creation of two independent sovereign states.

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