Athienou wants Piroi road opened

By George Psyllides

LOCAL authorities in the wider area around the village of Athienou, near Larnaca, held an event on Friday to demand the opening of a road in their area that has been closed since 1974.

In a resolution that will be handed to President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, the communities said they wanted the opening of the Piroi thoroughfare that would enable movement from Larnaca to Nicosia through Athienou, Piroi, Yeri and Aglandjia.

“The closure of this road in 1974 caused the decline and abandonment of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot municipalities and communities,” the resolution said.

Opening the road would boost efforts to reunify the island and create better prospects for the development of the two sides, they said.

Athienou Mayor Demetris Papapetrou said the trip to Aglandjia used to be around 19 kilometres whereas now, it was 42 kilometres.

Opening the road “will ease transport in the entire area which is in decline due to the fact that it is surrounded by Turkish troops,” Papapetrou said.

It will “also help the Turkish Cypriots in the area to travel to Larnaca, and provide the opportunity to create friendly relations between the residents.”

Louroudjina Mayor Hasan Barbaros said he had to travel 100 kilometres to get to the location of the event, which was just ten kilometres away.

“We are waiting for a solution to the Cyprus problem, so that people can go and come and not be forced to show someone something to go through,” he said.

Asked if he believed peace would eventually be achieved, Barbaros said “if both sides want it, peace can be achieved.”

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