Nine roadblocks are in operation to date for crossings between the free and occupied areas of Cyprus. On the occasion of the discussion on opening new crossings and the meeting on Monday between the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, at the residence of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, in the buffer zone, CNA presents a chronological review of the opening of the roadblocks with data and mainly numerical references.
The first roadblock opened, unilaterally, by the then Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, was that of Ledra Palace, on April 23, 2003, a year before Cyprus' accession to the EU and while a new version of the Annan plan was monopolizing interest, which was ultimately put to separate referendums on April 24, 2004.
The opening of this roadblock probably caught the Greek Cypriot side by surprise. According to data from the time, from the opening on the morning of April 23, 2003 until April 27, when the Pergamon roadblock was opened, a total of 2.926 Turkish Cypriots entered the free areas and 1.752 Greek Cypriots went to the occupied areas.
Specifically, 2.523 of the Turkish Cypriots entered through the Ledra Palace checkpoint and 403 through the Pergamon checkpoint. 2.889 returned to the occupied areas.
As for Greek Cypriots, a total of 1.752 people crossed into the occupied areas. Of these, 1.256 crossed through the Ledra Palace checkpoint and 506 through Pergamon. A total of 1.674 of them returned to the free areas.
The newspapers of April 24
The crossing of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to and from the occupied territories after the occupation regime announced that it would partially lift restrictions on free movement as expected, monopolized the interest of all Cypriot newspapers the next day. "Alithia" headlined its report "The base builds reunification" and "Politis" "The Great Wednesday". "Machi" carried the headline "No to Denktash's support" and "I Simerini" "In our homes with a passport". "Phileleftheros" had the headline "And Denktash now wants a 'visa'" while "Haravgi" wrote "The solution is needed". The English-language "Cyprus Mail" wrote that for the first time in 29 years Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots crossed the Green Line.
Turbine and Pergamon Opening
Four days later, on 27 April 2003, the Strovilia and Pergamon checkpoints were opened. The opening coincided with Easter. Data from the time indicate that by Easter Monday, at 9.30 in the morning, 565 Greek Cypriot vehicles with a total of 2.052 people had passed through the Pergamon checkpoint into the occupied territory.
Greek Cypriot vehicles were heading to the Pergamon roadblock, mainly from Larnaca, Dhekelia and Pyla. There was also increased traffic in Strovilia.
In less than a month, and more specifically on May 19, 2003, the Agios Dometios roadblock would also be opened for the passage of vehicles. It is worth noting that by the beginning of May, and while the roadblocks had been open for less than a month, 20 thousand Turkish Cypriots had applied to the local District Administrations for the issuance of birth certificates, identity cards and passports, according to the Ministry of Interior data at the time.
By midnight on May 19, 2003, according to Police data, a total of 9.238 Turkish Cypriots entered the free areas from the occupied areas and 3.100 Greek Cypriots went to the occupied areas.
Specifically, 4.421 Turkish Cypriots entered the free areas through the Ledra Palace roadblock, 1.499 through the Pergamon roadblock, 521 through the Strovilia roadblock and 2.797 through the Agios Dometios roadblock.
Regarding the Greek Cypriots, 244 persons crossed into the occupied areas through the Ledra Palace checkpoint, 568 through the Pergamon checkpoint, 501 through the Strovilia checkpoint and 1.787 through the Agios Dometios checkpoint.
The Green Line regulation
Council Regulation (EC) of 29 April 2004, which entered into force on 1 May 2004, known as the Green Line Regulation, lays down the conditions for the application of the provisions of Community law on the movement of persons, goods and services across the line.
Astromeritis opens
The fifth roadblock opened during the Presidency of Tassos Papadopoulos was that of Astromeritis-Zodias, on 30 March 2006, after the completion of road works in the area. The roadblock was announced to operate on a 24-hour basis and the road works were financed by the EU and managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Roadblock on Ledra and Limnitis streets
The Ledra Street roadblock for pedestrian traffic was opened on April 3, 2008, during the government of Demetris Christofias. Ledra Street had remained closed since 1963.
A symbolic ceremony was held for its opening, at the intersection of Ledra and Kykkos streets, in the presence of the Presidential Commissioner George Iakovos, the advisor to the Turkish Cypriot leader Ozdil Nami, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar, the Mayor of Nicosia Eleni Mavrou, the "mayor" of occupied Nicosia Cemal Bulutoglulari, the Representative of the European Commission Jan Truszczynski, as well as Ambassadors of foreign countries.
In October 2010, the roadblock in the Turkish Cypriot village of Limnitis opened, allowing the residents of the coastal village of Kato Pyrgos to reconnect with the capital, Nicosia. It opened specifically on October 14, 2010.
The inauguration was held by the President of the Republic, Demetris Christofias, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu. Greetings were delivered by the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Štefan Füle, the US Ambassador, Frank Urbanczyk, the Deputy Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Cyprus Problem, Alexander Downer.
Eight years later, and specifically in November 2018, the roadblocks in Deryneia were opened, facilitating access to Famagusta and Lefka.
Within a day of the opening of Deryneia, data showed that approximately a thousand people on foot and around 500 cars, as well as several cyclists, passed from the free areas to the occupied ones.
COVID closure
Crossing points along the Green Line were closed for the first time since 2003, during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The Government's decision initially concerned the roadblocks of Ledra Street, Astromeritis, Deryneia and Lefka, and the rest followed. The roadblocks reopened in June 2021 under conditions, amid pandemic measures that were still in force on the island.
Today's proposals
The eight-point proposal submitted on Monday by President Christodoulides, at the meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, includes, according to information, the Pyroi-Athienou, Mia Milia, Kokkina roadblocks and a passage through Louroudzina.
The Turkish Cypriot side has stated its position on opening a regular roadblock at Mia Milia, while Louroudzina was put on the table for the first time yesterday.
Source: KYPE