Cyprus’ Ghost Town of Varosha Open to Visitors Despite Outcry
The once popular tourist destination and vibrant resort town of Varosha in Cyprus has been a ghost town for half a century. Now, it has once again become a source of debate between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. This comes almost fifty years after the Turkish invasion of the island.
In its peak days during the 1970s, Varosha was a true playground for the rich and famous who wanted to explore the Eastern Mediterranean. It was dotted with luxurious hotels and beautiful beaches. It also had a lively nightlife scene that attracted thousands of tourists from Greece, Turkey, and beyond.
However, the Turkish military invasion of Cyprus in 1974 forced approximately 40,000 permanent residents to flee. The Greek Cypriot refugees left behind their homes and possessions, hoping they would soon return. They of course did not believe this tragedy would last for decades.
Tragically, following the invasion, the Turkish occupying forces sealed off Varosha, turning it into an untouched ghost town for half a century.
Varosha reminds us all of the devastating impact of a conflict that left Cyprus divided and left Nicosia as the last European capital to be divided by a wall.
Despite a number of UN resolutions, Turkish Cypriot authorities announced in 2022 that the occupied city would reopen after local “elections” that same year.
The UN Security Council Resolution 550 states it “considers attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible” and calls for “the transfer of this area to the administration of the United Nations.”
“They told us not to reopen Varosha, [but] we opened it…After the elections, we will proceed with the reopening of the entire town,” the so-called Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel said in 2022.
US Congressmen tried to stop Turkey’s plans for Varosha
Nineteen members of the US Congress had signed a letter in late 2021 addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging action against Turkey’s and Turkish Cypriots’ attempts to reopen Varosha.
The Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues initiative was launched by its co-chair and co-founder Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY, fellow co-chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Chris Pappas (D-NH). There was a call to “firmly assert the United Nations’ authority to administer and prevent the resettlement of Varosha, pursue the immediate and full implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions on Varosha, and examine sanctions against Turkish and Turkish Cypriot attempts to illegally and unilaterally reopen and resettle this city.”
The letter outlined the details of Turkish claims in the area and reminded of Ankara’s most recent violations of international law and UN resolutions. It also sounded the alarm over the far-reaching consequences if Turkey’s plans to develop the seaside resort come to fruition.
“On October 6, 2020, you emphasized in a statement that ‘the position of the United Nations on Varosha remains unchanged and is guided by relevant Security Council resolutions’ and stressed the ‘need to avoid any unilateral actions that could trigger tensions on the island and undermine the return to dialogue or the future success of talks,'” the American officials had stated.
Despite these efforts, the Turkish occupying forces, along with the local Turkish Cypriot administration, did open the abandoned city. It is now a tourist magnet mainly for Turkish visitors.
Business Wire
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