A sandy beach fringing a ghost town in Cyprus’s has become Turkey’s latest front as it pushes for a two-state solution of the divided island and defends the enclave’s claims to any offshore energy finds.
With Ankara’s encouragement, the Turkish Cypriots are opening the long strip of beach at Varosha to the public on Thursday, ignoring warnings that the move could hinder reunification attempts.
Varosha had been the island’s premier tourist resort before it was abandoned and sealed off following the Turkish takeover of northern Cyprus in the summer of 1974. Now, Turkish Cypriots there want to redevelop it to win implicit international recognition.
Turkey Pressed by EU to Halt Reopening of Cypriot Ghost Town
Successive efforts to reunify Cyprus the island have failed, most recently in 2017, leaving Cyprus the only European country with UN peacekeepers on its soil. The island has been divided since Turkish forces captured its northern third following a coup attempt in which a military junta in Athens sought to unite Cyprus with Greece.
Last month, Turkey floated in especially explicit terms the concept of a two-state solution for Cyprus, saying it sees no common ground or vision for a solution. The idea was swiftly condemned by the Cypriot government, which officially has sovereignty over the entire island.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed full support for the reopening of the beach at Varosha, saying the town indisputably belongs to the Turkish Cypriots.
“The Turkish Cypriots will break chains of embargoes as it becomes richer and stronger,” Erdogan said on Tuesday, adding that Turkey will dictate terms with its “political, diplomatic and military strength.”
