Picking up a tourist map in southern Cyprus one could be forgiven for thinking
that the Isle of Aphrodite lies in the realm of a contemporary Middle Earth.
Substitute "Here be Dragons" for "Inaccessible due to Turkish
Occupation" and the myth would be complete. Since 1974’s Turkish
invasion North Cyprus has been in the shade of its southerly neighbour,
despite the Mediterranean sunshine.
Kofi Annan’s 2004 UN plan for reunification under a federal framework failed
after the south returned a resounding ‘no’ vote in twin referendums. The
goal of an undivided island was effectively kicked into touch for the
foreseeable future. In the same year, Greek controlled Cyprus joined the EU,
whilst the singular existence of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC)
effectively black balled Turkey’s application to be the first secular Muslim
state in the so far Christian club of Europe.
However, these days despite international political isolation the reality for
apolitical tourists dispels the myth of dragons. Since April 2003 the
north/south border has been open and now five crossing points exist across
the island. The Cypriot capital Lefkosa (also known as Nicosia) has a
tourist attraction in its own right, Ledra Palace gate, which lies beneath
the fortress-like walls of the eponymous one-time top hotel, now a UN
barracks.
Here a steady trickle of Greek and Turkish Cypriots together with curious EU
nationals cross to "the dark side", whichever side that may be, in
a mundane process that belies diplomatic deadlock. Indeed rumours that the
world’s only remaining divided capital holds a peculiar, if not healthy
fascination for former East German visitors, nostalgic for the days of the
Berlin Wall, have more than a ring of truth – dark tourism indeed.
In the context of North Cyprus, Lefkosa isn’t marketed as a tourist
destination. The city lies on the flat, featureless Mesaoria plain, and away
from any cooling sea breezes can claim the island’s highest summer
temperatures and levels of humidity. This superlative aside, the city also
excels in an immediate concentrated dose of the otherness that permeates
North Cyprus and highlights the rebel republic’s enduring exoticism, an
attribute long-since eschewed by the south.
During my recent visit I heeded the advice of others and upon penetrating the
old town’s substantial 16th Century Venetian walls, utilised eight storeys
of 1960s concrete, the Saray Hotel, to get the best city view. With one’s
back to the huge Turkish and TRNC flags of painted stones, provocatively
flown above the slopes of the Kyrenia Mountains, the Green Line of division
traces a twister-like path of corruption across the city.
Scarred carcasses of buildings, some in partial collapse, others pockmarked by
gunfire abut wasteland sutured by barbed wire and grey metal sheeting.
Perhaps more surprising is the other visual line of demarcation formed by
Greek Nicosia’s high-rise development, for better or worse an indicator of
the North’s relative economic as well as political isolation.
Emerging once more at ground level, the immediacy of street life quickly
displaces thoughts of sentry posts and watchtowers. Walking from the Saray
through the cafe tables to Ataturk Square and the landmark Venetian Column,
the honey-coloured stone and fine facades of the British-built Post Office
and other government buildings seem almost too fine to be functional. Taking
a quick orientation using thoughtfully placed street maps, heading south
soon brings Rustem’s bookshop into view. Lefkosa’s premier emporium for the
written word, Rüstem’s is a proper bookshop.
In a mildly untidy antiquarian manner Turkish and foreign-language titles are
stuffed on shelves of all levels – it smells of books. I’m sure JK Rowling
is here somewhere, indeed Dumbledore himself would not be out of place. A
conversation is in full flow between a young man halfway up an
unhealthy-looking ladder and a woman at the counter, no doubt bemoaning the
effects of online retailing on high street book sales. So then, a magical
place for a happy half hour rustling about, after which I buy my exit with a
local guidebook. Leaving, I spy a pile of turgid-looking English-language
titles protesting the reality of the Armenian holocaust, just a little too
much – and the spell is broken.
The half-sunken entrance to the ancient Buyuk Hammam (Great Baths) is just
round the corner, its semi-subterranean entrance a measure of the 14th
century street level. I poke my head inside and am greeted faintly by a very
large man with a thick black moustache befitting his stature. He launches
unstoppably into an eclectic menu of vaguely unsettling and most definitely
sweaty hammam-type offerings: “Everything for £15, no extras”. I’m not a
little relieved. “Can I have a look?”; “Look? £1.50 Tamam OK?” Time to move
on, it’s been 40 to 44 deg C for the last few days and I don’t feel the need
to buy a look in a steam bath when I’ve been living in one.
Lunch seems a more welcome prospect and as a bona fide commercial traveller I
feel it’s time to visit a travellers’ inn – fortunately Lefkosa has an
outstanding example in the Buyuk Han (Great Inn). Originally built in the
16th century and seeing service as British prison, even then overcrowding
was a problem, the Han has lately been restored to encompass within its
walls a tranquil courtyard of calm. Upper and lower cloistered rooms are now
populated by art, craft and curio shops, and at the centre of things there’s
even a scaled down traveller-sized mosque.
In one corner the family that runs the Sedirhan cafe has shifted food prep al
fresco. A woman of generous smiles is rolling out a sheet of fresh pasta,
almost a metre across, on a cool marble tabletop. Her mother and daughters
appear and the sheet is cut into squares, everyone joins in to pinch them
around morsels of spiced meat – et voila, Turkish ravioli or more properly
manti is on the menu. I order some immediately.
Having been subjected to the Greek Cypriot's bullying tactics after having personal belongings freighted to Larnaca from Saudi Arabia for onward travel to North Cyprus I can assure thath the unlawful/unnessary suffering we experienced in the airport authority hands was frightening and humilitiating, this after the South entered the EU common market. Ourselves British subjects. What must the Turkish Cypriots have encountered trying to justify their existence after the 1960s government officials were all Greek Cypriots.
Jennifer Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland
This article is obviously biased. While the Turks have never been able to justify to the world that the invasion was a "peaceful operation", the UN has condemned Turkey for its invasion and for trying to change the demographic character of the island. Also it is a well known and widely accepted fact that the Annan plan was just a "gift" (along with a lot of cash) from the Americans to the Turks for providing a passage for its troops to Iraq. Anyone that believes Cyprus was NOT invaded for strategic reasons is living a lie.
George Kyriacou, LEFKOSIA, CYPRUS
As a Turkish Cypriot who lived through the atrocities carried out against us by the mainland Greeks and Greek Cypriots from 1963 to 1974 for their ENOSIS dream, I would like to thank all those here, who have found out the truth for themselves and did not believe the Greek/Greek Cypriot lies and propaganda, for speaking out in Turkish Cypriots' defence.
Thank you.
Eric Dayi, Essex,
Great article and sensitive to to at least two of the three sides in the Cyprus conundrum. The insipid effects of the '74 invasion make us forget that this was land illegitimately taken by force of arms for strategic reasons by Turkey (and not by the Turkish Cypriots) . Jonathan from Ryde should "take a leaf" out of his own book and read Christopher Hitchens book "Cyprus" (1984) to see how disgracefully, and for strategic reasons, the Greek Cypriots( many of whom own the homes and properties used for tourism in north Cyprus) have been treated . Turkish Cypriots - with whom I am friends with many - want the same development as the Republic. As Nick Redmayne warns, the Turkish Cypriots have no desire to preserve the "charm" created by the effects of the invasion for the sake of gratifying a few ignorant tourists with colonial delusions.
Christopher Christofi, The City , United Kingdom
The reason that the Greek Cypriots said "no" to the Annan plan was quite simply that were not prepared to vote for a plan that legitimised the presence of the Turkish army that invaded Cyprus in 1974 and made so many of the refugees. For a simple explanation of the modern history of Cyprus see what I wrote on my website
http://www.exclusively-cyprus.com/cyprus/modernhistory.htm
Roger Dawson, Woodbridge, England
If only I could go to my home and stay! In 1974 my wife and 3 children fled with nothing in our pockets from lefkosia. The options were clear flee or stay and be killed by the turkish army who were on a land grab mission under the guise of a humanitarian mission.
My grandfather stayed... he was tortured until he died digging his own grave poor old man.
As for the Annan plan it was too one sided hence the majority approval on the tukish side and majority rejection on the greek side.
Now the Times advertises northern Cyprus, dosn't seem fair that my home is for sale but I cannot live there!
George (refugee), London, UK
The negation of the Armenian génocide and the invasion of Cyprus are two aspects of the same single ideology : Turkish ultra-nationalism.
How can the turkish state be considered "secular" when all genuine christian populations have been almost totaly eliminated from they homeland since the Republic?
The spell has been broken since then.
Voltaire, Paris, france
So everything concerning the occupied area of Cyprus is so black and white .I would then like to know why the so called TRNC is only recognised by Turkey ? Do any of you happy go lucky holiday makers respect international law or basic human rights um I dont think so.
Maria, Larnaca, Cyprus
The 6000 or so British ex-pats who live in North Cyprus would welcome their fellow countrymen to visit Northern Cyprus to find out for themselves the delights of this country and the continuing injustice perpetrated on it by the EU, Greek Cyprus, and others.
vaughan williams, Malatya, TRNC
It was NOT an 'invasion' it was an INTERVENTION to save the Turkish Cypriots from being slaughtered by the Greek Cypriots. The Turkish military must remain in Cyprus for the protection of the Turkish Cypriots against the Greek Cypriots. The current isolation and embargoes of the TRNC are totally unjustified and indicate racism and discrimination towards the Turkish Cypriots in their country the, TRNC.
DJ, Leicestershire, UK
A very informative article and i'm glad to see an unbiased article regarding the TRNC, i would like to think that more people will have the desire to visit the north.
We have taken our annual holiday in the TRNC for the last few years and like all countries it has it's problems but in whole the country has much more to offer than most other over developed med vacation hotspots....
peter henson, Warwickshire,
What Mr Philip Djaferis fails to say is that the Turkish army had to come to the aid of the thousands of Turkish Cypriots that were suffering at the hands of the Greeks in what was nothing short of GENOCIDE committed by the Greeks.
Wake up to reality Mr Djaferis.
Graham Hooley, Girne, TRNC
A great and intersting article.
I feel sorry for Mr Djaferis - resting in his peaceful retreat in Geneva. He appears to not know one ounce of truth regarding what actually happened in the 1960's leading up to the Turkish Intervention in 1974. I suggest he gets himself a copy of Harry Scott Gibbons' book 'The Genocide Files' before he comments in public, in fact i think if the book should be compulsory in Southern Cyprus to the new generation of people there, then the kids may be able to make their own minds up as to what really happened rather than being told by the politicians.
jonathan , Ryde, Isle of Wight,
The issue is all too often presented as a black and white issue, where the Turks are alledged of "invading a sovereign territory", but it is a little bit more complicated than that; what people forget is that Turkish cypriots had been living in Cyprus for centuries and had been violently oppressed after 1960 when Cyprus was given independence.
At the moment due to the embargo, flights going to Northern Cyprus have to stop in Turkey on the way. Who honestly is going to think "I am waiting for 2 hours on the tarmac in Turkey, but it is necessary to punish the Turkish cypriots". Not many tourists are going to care that much about the politics, despite the relentless and biased torrent of propoganda against Northern Cyprus in the Western press.
Robert, Istanbul, Turkey
Having just returned from a villa holiday in North Cyprus I can concur that it is anything but 'dark'. Dragons there are not. Equally, neither are there any tourists. Well, a few perhaps, but nothing like the hustle and bustle of other Med locations. It's a beautiful, ramshackle and occasionally mysterious place, but nothing like the 'occupied country' we'd been led to believe. In fact there is an infectious charm about its locals,honed no doubt by 40 years of isolation. We'll be going back for more!
R Bond, Barnstaple,
An Excellent article on Lefkosha the capital of Northern Cyprus.
I would like to thank The Timesonline for bringing it to the publics notice.
Let us hope that in the near future it will become recognised by the rest of the world after 33 years of isolation.
Having lived on the island for most of my time since 1977 I have seen both sides of the divide.
Northern Cyprus is one of the jewels in the crown left in Europe and is well worth a visit to appreciate the beaty, culture and the people.
David Phillips, Brixham - Devon, UK
Sounds like the place i have been looking for far from the madding crowd and developers who have ruined every inch of natural costline in Spain
James Brown, Manchester, UK
How refreshing to have a view of Northern Cyprus. It was very well written.
Kathleen Chadwick, GIRNE,
I would like to thank Times for bring out the issue in to people's attention and give the northern Cyprus, which supported a unification, the help it deserves
Samet, London,
the writer failed in a few details...the name of the city is Lefkosia (city of Lefkos), which in Turkish is pronounced Lefkosha and the 'Latins' had renamed Nicosia; humidity is not the worst in Nicosia/Lefkosia but more in coastal towns, in fact inland it tends to get very agreeably cool in the evenings; the Mesaoria plain is not at all featureless (if one looks a little beyond one's nose), as its sprinkled with 'mesa' like hills, and ravines created by winter torrents, and the emphasis of 'Greek South Cyprus' is not clarified by stating that this was created due to the Turkish invasion of 1974 of the north of Cyprus which forced nearly all ethnic Greeks of Cyprus to move south and are not being allowed to return home, and most would not have been allowed even if the Annan plan had been accepted, hence its rejection!
Philip Djaferis, Geneva, Switzerland
North Lefkosa sounds like a place to be appreciated for it's not 'catching up' with the Southern Sector...
Dean, Los Angeles, USA