Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday said that authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) plan to reopen the disputed ghost town of Varosha, also known as Maras in Turkish, drawing condemnation from the Republic of Cyprus and Greece. The TRNC’s announcement was also criticised by the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU).
During an official visit to North Cyprus, Erdoğan welcomed the TRNC President Ersin Tatar’s decision to open Maras. He said, “Maras will be opened in a way that will harm no one’s rights within the framework of the international law, and it will regain its beauty.” He stressed that Turkey “will continue to stand with you [Turkish Cypriots] through works that touch the daily lives of the people.” Moreover, Erdoğan condemned the Greek Cypriots for imposing an “unlawful and inhumane embargo” on Turkish Cypriots, whom he described as “equal and joint owners of the Island.”
Erdoğan’s comments came after the TRNC authorities announced a partial reopening of Varosha for potential resettlement. Varosha is located in Famagusta, a city that was Cyprus’ leading tourist destination before 1974. However, after Turkish troops invaded the city in the same year, most of the residents of Varosha fled to the south, leaving the town deserted ever since.
The government of Cyprus formally protested against the latest announcement along with the United Nations (UN) and the EU. Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades called the move “illegal and unacceptable,” saying that it was a Turkish bid to annex the town and stall peace efforts. “I want to send the strongest message to Mr Erdoğan and his local proxies that the unacceptable actions and demands of Turkey will not be accepted,” Anastasiades said. Likewise, the Greek Foreign Ministry said, “Greece condemns in the strongest terms today’s announcement by the Turkish side on the declassification of part of the fenced-off area of Varosha.” The Ministry called it a “violation” of the UN Security Council resolutions 550 and 789, which call on Turkey to refrain from taking unilateral actions that destabilise the region.
Furthermore, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged “Turkish Cypriots and Turkey to reverse their decision announced today.” Blinken underscored “the importance of avoiding provocative unilateral actions that increase tensions on the island and hinder efforts to resume Cyprus settlement talks” as per the UNSC resolutions. The UK and the EU also expressed concerns over the move. A British Foreign Office spokesperson called on all parties “not to take any actions which undermine the Cyprus settlement process or increase tensions on the island.” Similarly, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the move was a “unilateral decision [that] risks raising tensions on the island.”
On Monday, in an address to the Republican Assembly of the TRNC, Erdoğan guaranteed the Turkish Cypriots of Turkey’s support for a two-state solution to resolve the crisis with Cyprus. “There are two separate states, two separate peoples in the island. This fact will be acknowledged by the international community as well sooner or later,” Erdoğan told Assembly members. A two-state solution to the Cypriot conflict was rejected by the Greek Cypriots and the international community, including the EU and the US, which called for a “bizonal, bicommunal federation to benefit all Cypriots and the wider region.”
The island nation of Cyprus is divided into the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus in the south and Northern Cyprus, which only Turkey recognises. The two areas are separated by a UN buffer zone (known as the Green Line) to prevent clashes. Turkey occupied the island in 1974 and has tried to expand its maritime claim using the borders of Northern Cyprus. Talks to resolve the decades-old dispute have failed to make any breakthrough so far.