April 23, 2003 First crossing point opens at Ledra Palace Hotel in Nicosia
May 24, 2004 With four crossing points open, the government first touts the opening of Ledra Street
May 28, 2004 Turkish Cypriot ‘Prime Minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat said his side was preparing to open a checkpoint at the end of Ledra Street
July 15, 2004 The government proposes a series of mainly military reciprocal confidence-building measures, including the opening of eight new crossing points
April 27, 2005 Ledra Street earmarked for demining by the Greek Cypriot side.
July 14, 2005 The EU Commission urges the swift opening of two new crossing points, at Zodhia and Ledra Street
December 1, 2005 The government says a pedestrian bridge being put in place by the Turkish side to facilitate the crossing was a violation of the buffer zone.
December 4, 2005 The government withdraws its consent for the opening of the crossing because the contentious bridge across Ermou Street, which bisects Ledra, would allow the Turkish side to still patrol the area.
December 5, 2005 The Ledra crossing point is to be discussed at the UN
December 20, 2006 A year has passed since hopes were high that the Ledra Street crossing point would be open in time for Christmas 2005 but the possibility appeared as remote as ever as President Tassos
Papadopoulos refused to consider anything as long as the bridge remains
December 28, 2006 The Turkish began dismantling the controversial footbridge that has prevented the opening of a crossing point so that discussions could resume
January 2, 2007 The government said the whole exercise was just a sham and that the Turkish side had not yet responded to its invitation to a dialogue on the opening of Ledra Street.
January 5, 2007 President Tassos Papadopoulos said the Greek Cypriot side was ready within 24 hours to knock down the barrier at the end of Ledra Street as soon as the bridge was gone
January 11, 2007 Both sides begin a separate dialogue with the UN to determine the next steps to be taken to open Ledra Street. The Greek Cypriot side said the dismantling of the footbridge was merely the removal of something that was already illegally built there only a year ago and did not constitute part of the deal to open the crossing. It was merely a precondition for dialogue.
March 8, 2007 In a surprise move Greek Cypriot authorities began knocking down the Ledra Street wall just before midnight, but this didn’t mean the crossing would open, the government said, not until the other conditions – removal of Turkish troops and flags – were met. A light barrier was erected instead of the cement wall.
March 18, 2007 US ambassador Ronald Schlicher urged the two sides to get moving. He said the demolition of the wall could be used as a broader lever towards progress on the July 8 agreement.
March 25, 2007 The Turkish Cypriot denies reports in the north that an agreement had been reached for demilitarisation in the area of Ledra Street and that the crossing point would be ready to open in July.
March 26, 2005 The UN Security Council urged that the Ledra crossing be opened.
October 15, 2007 President Tassos Papadopoulos submitted a new proposal for the opening at Ledra Street to UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in New York during September. The new proposal provided for an agreement between the Turkish military and the National Guard that UNFICYP would be in charge of the area as laid down in UN maps delineating the ceasefire line. It suggested the crossing be opened without either side laying down any terms or preconditions on the peacekeeping force.
October 18, 2007 UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon urges the opening of Ledra Street as a confidence-building measure.
October 30, 2007 The Turkish Cypriot side said it was ready to open Ledra Street and was just waiting for the Greek Cypriot side’s approval.
December 13, 2007 The UN Security Council yesterday renewed the mandate for the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus until June 2008 and called on both sides to continue to engage, ‘as a matter of urgency’ in relation to the Ledra Street crossing point.
February 24, 2008 Cyprus elects a new President
February 26, 2008 Greek and Turkish Cypriot municipal officials meet to make sure everything is in place for the expected opening of Ledra Street once the two leaders give the green light. It will only take five days after that, said Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou.
March 11, 2008 Hopes for the swift opening of the Ledra Street crossing grew when Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou said significant progress had been made during a meeting with Ozdil Nami, an aide to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
March 21, 2008 President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on the opening of the Ledra Street within two weeks.
March 24, 2008 UNFICYP completed its mine sweep in the Ledra Street buffer zone area, clearing the way for both sides to go in to start clean-up work ahead
March 26, 2008 A team of engineers from the municipalities on both sides entered the Green Line accompanied by UN personnel to carry out a joint survey of the 80-metre stretch that links the two barriers.
March 28, 2007 Work continues but opening date remains elusive
April 1, 2008 Both sides, and diplomats confirm the crossing would open
April 3.
April 3, 2008 Ledra Street checkpoint opens.
