In a bid to improve odds of resolving the Cyprus issue and easing the divide between people on the basis of their ethnicity, Turkish Cyprus is all set to “reopen” the city of Varosha and allow for people to settle there again.
Kudret Özersay, foreign minister and deputy prime minister of the unrecognized Turkish Cyprus “nation,” has revealed that the “Council of Ministers” in the region will be evaluating the conditions for action in the city, which technically is in a military zone. He added that all actions in this regard will be coordinated with Ankara, and a team of experts from the latter country shall be visiting Varosha to make a record of all movable as well as immovable property. The next steps will then be decided on the basis of the results of the study.
Özersay also spoke of the Maronite village, saying that contracts will be signed to allow current residents to move to other places, and to allow 10-15 homes to be returned.
Once one of Cyprus’ most popular tourist destinations, Varosha was abandoned in 1974, Varosha continues to stay in Turkish occupation.