Crossing the Divide

by Helena Smith in Athens
Thursday April 24, 2003
The Guardian

After almost 30 years of enforced separation, Greek and Turkish Cypriots were allowed to mingle freely yesterday when the travel restrictions on the partitioned island were lifted.

Excited and jubilant islanders converged on the UN-patrolled "green line" which runs through Nicosia.

Most of them were were Turkish Cypriots weary of their international isolation and eager to catch a glimpse of the "other side".

"We're so happy, so excited," a businessman called Hasan Bashoglou said as he waited for a one-day "travel pass" at Ledra Palace, the main checkpoint.

"I've come with my daughter and son, just to go for a walk on the Greek side. We have so many economic problems on our side . I think this could be the first step to a solution."

The police said that more than 1,000 Turkish Cypriots had made the crossing by mid-afternoon.

About 350 Greek Cypriots had crossed the other way. Most of them were refugees keen to visit the homes they had not seen since the Turkish army invaded the island in response to a coup aimed at union with the Greek mainland in 1974.

"Its absolute chaos here," said Haralambos Karadonis, a Greek Cypriot police officer at the checkpoint. "A lot of Turkish Cypriots say they're hoping to find work and get Cypriot passports to travel to Europe."

The checkpoints were opened after the leader of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Denktash, unexpectedly announced the easing of travel restrictions, just a week after the Greek-run rest of the island joined the EU.

Turkish Cypriots can now cross between 9am and midnight. Greek Cypriots can also cross if they present a passport: a heresy to their authorities which have regarded the north an illegal entity since it proclaimed its independence in 1983.

Although the Cypriot government welcomed the decision, it pointed out that it had never put restrictions on Turkish Cypriots entering the south, and said the action was designed to deflect attention from Mr Denktash's "negative attitude" to the reunification talks organised by the UN.

Mr Denktash, who has faced unprecedented protests from his citizens in recent weeks, said he saw the lifting of the ban as a confidence-building measure.