Residents demand that Limnitis checkpoint be opened

RESIDENTS of the Pyrgos and Tylliria communities have threatened to take drastic measures if the Limnitis checkpoint is not opened.

Speaking after a conference in Astromeritis last night, Greek and Turkish Cypriot community leaders said they had decided to impose a one-month deadline for the Limnitis checkpoint to be opened, or at least for some type of formal decision to be made on when it can be opened. They also demanded that the issue be top priority for the forthcoming meeting between the technical committees of the two sides.

The communities warned that they would be taking drastic measures – such as blocking one of the main checkpoints – if their demands aren’t satisfied.

A new demand also emerged: for the checkpoint near Kampos river to open.

“We will stop only if we are promised that the issue is being discussed on a serious level and a time-limit is given for when it can open,” Pyrgos Community leader Costas Michaelides said yesterday.

“The next step, unfortunately, we have no choice but to react dynamically, is to close a checkpoint which serves only certain sectors of the public,” he added.

The community leader of occupied Limnitis pointed out that checkpoints that served the people’s best interests needed to be open, not just for money and the benefit of tradesmen.

Kampos Mukhtar Markos Aristodemou concluded, “In the immediate future if we don’t get a response that they will open the checkpoints, we will take action and ensure they are opened.”

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