Tylliria residents join forces to demand crossing

GREEK Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots from the area of Tylliria yesterday held a joint demonstration outside the UNPA for the opening of the Limnitis crossing as Cyprus talks got under way.

Residents have been pushing for the opening of Limnitis since the first crossing opened at the Ledra Palace in April 2003.

The issue came to a head recently, when the Turkish side refused to allow Greek Cypriots to cross to a church in Morphou for a saint’s feast day.

Greek Cypriot residents had only weeks before backed away from plans to block an annual crossing by Turkish Cypriots in the hope they too would be allowed to use the convenient Limnitis road to visit Morphou.

Permission was not granted by the Turkish Cypriot side, however, a move that created bad feeling on the Greek Cypriot side.

Yesterday, residents from both sides of the area called on the two leaders to push through the opening of Limnitis.

“We are here today to demand the opening of the crossing point at Limnitis and at other points as well,” said Andreas Karos, the representative of the Pyrgos-Limnitis-Kokkina Committee.

The move would end the 44-year isolation of the people of Tylliria and would revitilise the area, Karos said.

Musa Seral, the representative of the Turkish Cypriot faction of the same committee, said it was the desire of all the people of the area to have the crossing opened.

“We gathered here today to call on the two leaders to decide on the opening of Limnitis gate,” he said. “We demand the leaders stop bargaining and open the crossing.”

Green Party leader George Perdikis joined the demonstrators saying: “The isolation of the people of Tylliria must come to an end. We cannot accept the negative stance of the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mehmet Ali Talat, on the matter.”

The joint committee handed in a resolution for the opening to UN personnel to be passed on to the leaders who were meeting inside the UNPA.

“It will be necessary that decisions to bring the two communities closer are taken, such as the opening of Limnitis, which will send a strong message of hope and will give strong support to the general target of reunification,” the resolution said.

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