Moves to be made on Varosha

Concrete moves are to be taken over the fenced-off city of Varosha, Turkish Cypriot ‘Foreign Minister’ Kudret Ozersay said on Tuesday.

A group of experts will be tasked with conducting a scientific inventory of Varosha to study its land registry records, the condition of its movable and immovable properties, the identification of Islamic religious organisation Evkaf properties and environmental risks, Ozersay said after the decision was taken by the ‘cabinet’.

According to Turkish Cypriot sources, who see the move as a step towards the opening of the fenced off city, the scientific inventory will determine the policies that will be followed and the rights of former residents of Varosha and Evkaf.

Ozersay added a public call will be issued in the coming days for members of the public interested in participating voluntarily in the project.

It is unclear when these plans will go ahead. State broadcaster CyBC confirmed that the Turkish armed forces which control the city have already been informed.

Referring to the Maronite village of Karpasia, Ozersay said that contracts will be signed within the week to remove current residents living in 10 in 15 houses in the village to which former Maronite residents will then be able to return.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.