clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Egypt concerned about plans to partially open abandoned resort in Cyprus

July 23, 2021 at 12:34 pm

A view of abandoned buildings in Maras (or Varosha in Greek), Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on February 15, 2020 [Muhammet Fatih Oğraş / Anadolu Agency]

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry voiced deep concerns on Wednesday about a planned change in the abandoned resort of Varosha in Turkish Cyprus, Egypt Today has reported.

Varosha contains derelict high-rise hotels and residences and has been deserted since the 1974 war that divided the island into Greek- and Turkish-ruled sectors. Since then it has been a military zone which nobody has been allowed to enter. The Turkish Cypriot authorities are behind the proposed change.

According to the ministry in Cairo, the move is a violation of UN resolutions. It stressed the importance of abiding by the resolutions on the Cyprus issue and avoiding any unilateral actions that could escalate and complicate matters.

The Greek Cypriot government appealed to the UN Security Council on Wednesday over the Turkish Cypriot plans to partially reopen the abandoned resort.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ruled out a reunification of Cyprus. He calls for a two-state solution, a move that threatens to escalate tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

READ: Remembering Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus