Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan provoked Cyprus and Greece by visiting the town of Varosha in Northern Cyprus.
Istanbul - Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has the
coastal settlement of Varosha
, which was once inhabited by
Greek Cypriots
Visited Northern Cyprus and thus re-fueled the conflict over the divided Mediterranean island.
On Sunday
Erdogan
took part in an
event
he himself called a “
picnic
” in the district of the port city of Famagusta, which was still closed a few weeks ago.
Varosha
is in the territory of only from
Turkey
recognized
the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus
(KKTC).
It is clear who the "real owners" of Varosha are, said
Erdogan
in a joint statement with
Northern Cyprus
President Ersin Tatar in Varosha.
Erdogan is currently just as acutely at odds with Cyprus as it is with Greece.
Tables were set up under a pavilion on the beach, as can be seen on photos.
The
Turkish President was accompanied
by the ultra-nationalist politician Devlet Bahceli, with whose party
Erdogan's
Islamic-conservative AKP
has a government
alliance
in
Turkey
.
The two were greeted by stormy and rainy weather.
Turkey / Cyprus: Erdogan calls for negotiations on a two-state solution
The President of the
Republic of Cyprus
in the south, Nikos Anastasiades, had already described
Erdogan's
visit to the coastal settlement of Varosha on Saturday as an "unprecedented
provocation
".
He also accused
Erdogan of
undermining efforts by the
United Nations
(UN), which wants to initiate new negotiations to overcome the division of the Mediterranean island.
The seemingly harmless “
picnic
” is symbolic and
further
strains
relations with Cyprus and Greece
, with which Ankara is already fighting over natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean.
From the point of view of the EU country
Cyprus
,
Erdogan's
visit
to Varosha is a further step towards the final division of the island.
In a speech in
Lefkosa
,
northern Cyprus
,
Erdogan
called for
talks on a two-state solution.
Cyprus
has been divided since 1974 after a
Greek coup
and a
Turkish military intervention
.
In the north there is the
Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus
,
which is only recognized by
Turkey
; the Republic of
Cyprus
in the south has been an EU member since 2004.
A UN-controlled buffer zone, in which the status quo of 1974 is to be preserved, separates the two parts of the island.
Famagusta in the east of the island is a symbol of division.
When the Turkish tanks advanced on the city in August 1974, around 40,000 residents of the
Greek Cypriot district of Varosha
had to leave their homes.
Turkey / Cyprus: Varosha - formerly a tourist stronghold, today a ghost town
Varosha
was once
a popular seaside resort where US actress Elisabeth Taylor vacationed.
After the Turkish intervention, the former tourist stronghold was declared a restricted military area.
Since then, the area has resembled a ghost town.
Hotels and houses are falling into disrepair.
For
decades, the
UN has been
demanding that the former residents of the
ghost town
- almost all Greek
Cypriots
- be able to return to their city under the administration of the United Nations.
But despite international criticism, the
Turkish Cypriot government opened Varosha
partially for the first time since 1974 in early October.
A large
stretch of beach
has since been accessible to holidaymakers and locals.
Nicosia
suspects that Ankara and the hardliner Tatar will gradually open other parts of Famagusta after the beach and then open them for settlement - contrary to the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
Legal professionals in Nicosia see an elaborate scheme behind the actions.
Because only the beach was opened and not the
city
itself, from
Ankara's perspective
the status quo was not changed after 1974.
In order to make the beach
accessible to
vacationers and tourists
, essential changes had to be made in the
ghost town
.
Two central streets were re-paved as part of the partial opening and lead through the city to the beach.
The
Turkish Cypriot government
set up bicycle paths and planted trees.
The EU has repeatedly criticized this.
In a further step, bars, cafes and shops such as rental car companies and travel agencies could emerge - and ultimately hotels too.
That would be like a gradual settlement, so the criticism from Nicosia.
Turkey / Cyprus: United Nations want a federation of two equal countries
According to analysts, the government of
Northern Cyprus
could
go even further
with the support of
Ankara
and the former residents of Varosha
call for an application to get their property back or for compensation.
With that the
Greek Cypriots
would
recognize
the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
.
Anyone moving to Famagusta would also have to
live
under
Turkish Cypriot administration
.
The Greek Cypriots are likely to do both
hardly be ready.
+
Turkey / Cyprus: Erdogan is in the conflict for a two-state solution.
© Umit Bektas / dpa / Xinhua
The solution to the
Cyprus question
is now a long way off.
The aim of the
United Nations
is to form a federation of two politically equal countries - a
Greek-Cypriot
in the south and a
Turkish-Cypriot
in the north.
The
Turkish Cypriot
side has so far called for the formation of a loose confederation with a weak central government.
Turkish
troops should stay on the island.
With the election of the hardliner Tatars as president in October,
Northern Cyprus has
moved further from its original position anyway.
The new president - like
Erdogan
- advocates a two-state solution.
Erdogan recently had to struggle with serious domestic political problems - including the withdrawal of a close confidante.
(
dpa
)
* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network.