There were scenes of joy this morning in Europe’s only war-partitioned capital as Greek and Turkish Cypriots took advantage of the opening of checkpoints closed on account of the pandemic 463 days ago.
Members of both communities – many older people with memories of coexistence – passed through the crossings that have kept the Mediterranean island’s two sides hermetically sealed from one another for more than 15 months.
“I’m going to see friends,” said Iakovos Iakovou, the first Greek Cypriot to cross into the Turkish-held north via the Ledra Street checkpoint that cuts through the heart of Nicosia.
Turkish Cypriots, who have lived north of the ceasefire line that has split the country since Ankara invaded in response to a short-lived coup to unite Cyprus with Greece, also rushed to cross over. In a state that has not been recognised internationally, many depend on work in the EU-member Republic of Cyprus.
The checkpoints were opened after the United Nations intervened to lead efforts to synchronise Covid-related measures between the two sides. Anyone crossing will be required to have a negative PCR test. Epidemiologists either side of the divide will review the situation on a bi-weekly basis.
“We’re very happy and very excited that finally we can meet up again,” Kemal Baykalli, a prominent activist from the Unite Cyprus peace group, told the Guardian. “But we’re also a little sour. It has taken far too long to finally get to this point of cooperation. Cyprus is a very small island. It should be easy for there to be cooperation with health facility centres, vaccinations and PCR tests. We hope this will be the start.”
In the more than 15 months that the checkpoints had been closed, people had lost jobs, couples had been separated and families had been divided, he said.
Turkish Cypriot officials complain they have so far received only a fraction of the EU vaccines the statelet requires. As a result the majority in the breakaway north have been administered the Chinese vaccine, Sinovac, which has yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency. A further 5,000 Astra Zeneca vaccines were reportedly delivered to the entity this morning.
Supporters of reconciliation will be marking the re-openings with “song and dance” later Friday with Greek Cypriots marching from Eleftheria [Freedom] Square to the Ledra checkpoint before crossing into the north to celebrate with Turkish Cypriots who also want to see the island reunited.
