Ghost town sparks new tensions between Egypt, Greece and Turkey

Egypt expressed on Wednesday his “deep concern” about the opening of a game of Varosha, the Sealed district of the city of Famagusta, located in the Turkish-influenced part of Cyprus, and the lifting of the status of military zone.

“The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its deep concern at the announcement of the change of situation in the Varosha region of Cyprus and of partially open it, in violation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security CouncilAccording to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In this direction, Egypt demanded “the need to comply with UN resolutions” and “to avoid any unilateral action which could complicate the situation and increase the level of tension”.

The Egyptian reaction comes after Erdogan on Tuesday closed a visit to northern Cyprus in which he definitively rejected the island’s reunification negotiations and He left it to the Turkish Cypriot leaders to announce a partial opening of the sealed district of Varosha, against any UN resolution.

The Turkish Cypriot nationalist leader, Ersin Tatar, announced that he will raise the status of military zone by 3.5% of this ghost district of Famagusta, sealed after the Turkish invasion, and from which some 12,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced.

Varosha’s story

After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus July 20, 1974 in response to “pro-Greek” coup, the Greek Cypriot army withdrew its forces in Larnaca. The Turkish army advanced to the Green Line, which is the current border between the two communities. A few hours before the Turkish and Greek Cypriot army crossed fire in the streets of Famagusta, the whole population, fearing a massacre, fled. Many of its inhabitants have taken refuge in the south, in different towns. One of these cities, Paralimni, has since become the new capital of the Cypriot district of Famagusta.

When the Turkish army took control of the area during the invasion, it fenced it off. Since then he has banned access except to the Turkish army.

The reason Varosha is abandoned is due to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 550 (taken May 11, 1984), which states that “Attempts to settle in any part of Varosha by anyone other than a resident are inadmissible”. As a result, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are unable to repopulate the area under their control, which has led to the abandonment of Varosha district.

The absence of population and therefore of reparations, it causes the buildings to gradually collapse. Nature is gaining ground, metal corrodes, windows shatter and plants are spreading their roots on walls and sidewalks. Have also been seen sea ​​turtles spawning on its deserted beaches. Dealerships are frozen with old vehicles from 1974, and years after they were abandoned there are people who say they have seen light bulbs still shining through the windows of empty buildings.

Since, the island is divided by a line of demarcation: to the south, the Republic of Cyprus, with a Greek Cypriot majority, which belongs to the European Union; in the northern third, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and recognized only by Ankara.

On several occasions, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in collaboration with the Prime Minister of the Self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Ersin Tatar, ordered the reopening of Varosha.

Almost immediately, the United Nations Security Council reaffirmed the status of Varosha as indicated in previous United Nations Security Council resolutions, notably resolution 550 (1984) and resolution 789 (1992). In addition, He reiterated that no action should be taken in relation to this locality which does not comply with these resolutions.

According to a survey conducted by the University of Nicosia, interviewing 1,000 former residents of Varosha, 73% would refuse to settle in the city if, once opened, it was under the control of the Turkish Cypriot administration.

“They made the city uninhabitable. It is easy for them to offer to go back because they know we will say no. We refuse to live under Turkish law ”, says Andreas Anastassiou, 67, a former resident of the place.

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