Greek Cypriots prevents non-Europeans crossing border into North Cyprus union cries out

The Turkish Cypriot hoteliers’ union has said that the Greek Cypriot authorities are preventing non-European tourists, who come to the island via Larnaca Airport, from crossing the border into North Cyprus.

The vice chairman of the union, Ercan Turhan said yesterday that while EU citizens cannot be prevented from entering the island, tourists from Russia and Middle Eastern countries are not permitted to enter Cyprus, in spite of the fact that they possess visas, on the grounds that they intend to visit the north of the island.

He pointed out that, even in the face of this, the TRNC authorities allow the Greek Cypriots to hold religious services in churches in the north and do not impose tariffs on goods sent from South Cyprus to Greek Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots living in the north. He said that they cannot accept the fact that the TRNC authorities remain silent and unresponsive to the bad treatment received by the tourists and the fact that they are sent back.

We demand that active initiatives are immediately launched towards the UN and foreign countries’ Ambassadors on this issue, he said adding that in case these initiatives bring no results, they expect “countermeasures to be taken by re-examining the possibilities offered to the Greek Cypriots who visit North Cyprus.

Kibris