“Do Do you want to ride a bike or walk? Asked Seki Mindik. The municipal staff pointed to the colorful bicycles stacked within the police barrier at the entrance of Varosha under the scorching sun in July. “There is a lot to see. Tourists love it here. “
Not long ago, the idea of resurrecting the most famous ghost town in the eastern Mediterranean as a 21st century theme park was unimaginable. For more than 40 years, there has been little movement among the ruins of the war that decayed over time.
But in the north occupied by Turkey Cyprus, Transformation is imminent.
In a place where fate may change the rules of the game, in order to reunite the divided islands, construction workers have been tidying up: laying cement, removing debris, and using ropes to seal buildings from public view since Ankara sent troops and tanks. In 1974.
On Demokratias Street, next to a building that was allowed to rot after the Greek Cypriots were forced to flee 47 years later, there is a mobile cafeteria that provides cakes and juices for those who want to gaze at the remnants of the conflict; On the beaches, the Turkish Cypriot authorities erected tables, umbrellas and chairs.
All of these are small signs brewing around a resort that was the most charming destination in the Mediterranean before it became a bargaining chip in a geopolitical chess game. It was here, along the legendary beach, that Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor played. In the summer of 1960, Paul Newman was enjoying the famous turquoise water here when he was shooting this epic movie. Exodus. It is here that European international elites are attracted until right-wing extremists support EnosisOr unite with Greece and launched an unfortunate coup with the support of the colonel who ruled Athens at the time, prompting the Turkish invasion.
Until last year Ankara shocked diplomats to announce Varosha will partially reopenThe once vibrant enclave of the city of Famagusta—the home of approximately 40,000 Greeks in its heyday—has been out of reach behind a barbed wire fence. This is a symbol of division and the hope of former residents, who optimistically believes that, At least, it has not been reoccupied like other territories captured in 1974.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will fly into this scene on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the invasion. In a move condemned by the European Union, the strongman supported Ersin Tatar’s proposal, his hardline Turkish Cypriot counterparts, Elected with the support of Ankara October-Seeking a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.
On Friday, after morning prayers, he promised to bring “good news” to the separated republic, and during his visit to Nicosia’s self-styled Turkish Cypriot Parliament, he hinted that he might make a groundbreaking statement.
Since the remnant party republic unilaterally declared its independence in 1983, it has only been recognized by various countries. TurkeyThe international isolation that has caused the population for many years is not only weakened by resettlement policies, but also increasingly dependent on Ankara’s aid.
This month, Brussels reiterated that any solution that undermines efforts to reunite the two ethnic communities in the bi-regional, bi-ethnic federation — which has long been the focus of the UN-supported reunification negotiations — will not work.
“I want to reiterate that we will never accept a two-state solution,” said Ursula von der Lein, president of the European Commission, insisting that the 27-member EU will pay close attention to Erdogan’s visit. “We are very firm about this and we are very united.”
For many, the changes in Varosha reflect the disappointment of the Turkish Cypriots over decades of failed negotiations. In 2004, under the leadership of the late Kofi Annan at the time of the United Nations, when Cyprus was the closest to reaching a peace agreement, minority communities voted for the plan by an overwhelming majority. In contrast, the Greek Cypriots rejected it.Trying to find earlier this year Common ground for initiating negotiations Little progress has been made.
But the gradual commercialization of Varosha is also seen as part of Erdogan’s broader policy aimed at increasing Ankara’s influence, as potentially explosive tensions claimed by competitors on maritime energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean have not yet been resolved.
Hubert Faustmann, Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Nicosia, said: “This is part of a broader Turkish strategy that has been implemented in recent years to create facts on the ground to improve their negotiating position. , Or become a permanent benefit.” The recognized South. “And this is obviously to appease the Turkish nationalists, and in a way that is very offensive to the government of Nicos Anastasiades.”
Few places are as reminiscent of the Greek Cypriots as the suffering they have suffered-as heavily armed Turkish troops advance through the Mesoria plains towards the eastern port towns, they become refugees overnight. The abandoned houses at noon, the meals left on the table, and the valuables hurriedly hidden by the residents, except for the clothes on their backs, are almost all legends. “Say what?” Alexandra Orfanou said, returning to Varosha to visit the city and retrieve a photo taken on the day of her engagement with her husband Sotiris. This is a photo that a kind Turkish Cypriot doctor found and hoped to return. “Lost, lost, lost, this is how I feel,” she said, staring at the frozen building in time. “We live in a nearby village, but come here every day. I still remember taking my daughter to elementary school, just like yesterday.”
On August 14, 1974, Ankara launched the second phase of the “Peace Operation” on this land. Anna Marangu’s family spends every summer in the town. She also wears flip-flops, swimsuits and T-shirts. get away. Saw the Turkish army occupied 37% of the island.
At the age of 70, she still clearly remembers sipping Pimm’s on the porch of the beach house where she and her relatives left by plane. “We went to the British base. Everyone said we would be back in a few hours,” said the famous archaeologist and art historian.
In November last year, Erdogan announced that he planned to have a picnic on the once fenced coastline of Famagusta. As part of the new policy to develop Varosha, her response was A kind The cry of the heart video This quickly went viral, reminding him that this was neither his hometown nor the hometown of Turkish investors or settlers, but the Greek Cypriots who lived here in history.
“Away from Cyprus, away from Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, respect our human rights,” she said in the voice-over. “We have the right to bring peace and love back to our country, respect each other, and accept our similarities and differences. As long as you stay away from our land, we can work together.”
However, Malangu is also an ardent supporter of reconciliation. He co-founded the Cyprus Famagusta Movement, which recently participated in the parliamentary elections. Successive Greek Cypriot governments have handled negotiations in an “all or nothing” manner.
“Famagusta has always been a special case,” she insisted, adding that an agreement to end the territorial dispute could have played a decisive role in reaching a settlement. “It is under Turkish military occupation and has never belonged to the separated Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. There is a UN resolution [stipulating] Return it to its legal owner. We have obtained it seven times, including in 1978 when we could have swept the floor and moved back to our home. But there is always this’all or nothing’ approach. “
The Anastasiad government has been criticized at home and abroad for its poor handling of peace negotiations. According to reports, in 2017, the moderate Turkish Cypriot Mustafa Akıncı prepared to make unprecedented concessions, and the Greek Cypriot leader withdrew from the negotiations.
However, the prospect of a two-state solution also faces strong resistance from the Turkish Cypriots themselves. Many people are shocked that a ghost town that has never belonged to them should now be open to tourists. “This place does not belong to us,” Peril Emiroğluları said, looking at the dilapidated building still decorated with Greek signs. “The original owner should be back. We should live in Cyprus together.”
Erdogan also hinted that he would call on the Greek Cypriots to return home.
More than 300 people have applied to the Real Estate Commission in Northern Cyprus to win back real estate that could cost Turkey billions of dollars. If local remedies fail, they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
“The Greek Cypriots are deprived of the right to enjoy their property, and I encourage everyone to make claims against government policies,” said Achilleas Demetriades, the island’s leading human rights lawyer, who also spent most of his childhood in Famagusta. Over. “I hope to be proven on this issue, but I also hope to reconcile.”
As a possible contender for the next presidential election, the 60-year-old remains optimistic, although all signs indicate that the division will be more serious.
He said that Cyprus is too small to be divided and that “peace is good”.
“Resolving the Cyprus problem is in the interests of both communities. We may be in a frozen conflict, but we are still in conflict. Varosha is a beacon to guide the way. If we lose it, we will lose the direction to resolve the problem.”
