The administration in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus decided on Tuesday to open Varosha, an abandoned southern quarter of the Cypriot city of Famagusta, for settlement, Turkish Daily Sabah reported.

Varosha was a famous tourist area with a population of about 39,000 who fled in 1974 when the Turkish army invaded the island. It has remained closed off ever since.

“The council of ministers will evaluate the conditions for action in Varosha, which is legally a military zone ,” a Turkish official said, referring to the occupied north.

The city is protected by a 1984 UN Security Council resolution, stating that the the empty town can only be resettled by its original inhabitants.