A further section of the Varosha beachfront is being opened with sunbeds and umbrellas being placed along a roughly 600 metre stretch of the golden sands.
Bulldozers were also spotted near the King George hotel on Wednesday, according to Cyprus News Agency (CNA), as the Turkish army and Turkish Cypriot administration appear set on attracting more visitors.
The contentious move builds on Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s claim that “fenced-off Varosha is no more”, saying that it is now open. Sunbeds, umbrellas and even cafes with toilets and changing rooms were already in place at two locations along sections of the beachfront.
The first partial opening on October 8, 2020 was condemned by the government, the EU, UN and several countries with calls on Turkey to reverse the action which is defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Many Turkish Cypriots also condemned the move.
Since then, the north announced that 3.5 per cent of Varosha, around five square kilometres, would be demilitarised and open for settlement for Greek Cypriots on a pilot basis.
Long known as a ‘ghost town’, Varosha has since seen hundreds of thousands of visitors since sections of it were reopened, according to Tatar.
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