As the two leaders may be set to revisit the often-fraught issue of new crossing points following the tripartite meeting in New York, the people of Athienou, close to the buffer zone, were quick to make themselves heard on Wednesday.
The mayor, Kyriacos Kareklas warned that if a crossing was not opened near the village, they would oppose the opening of any others.
During discussions with the UN chief Antonio Guterres, he urged President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to discuss measures for improving relations between people the two communities.
It was agreed that opening new crossings fit the bill. Tatar indicated that Mia Milia in Kaimakli was a desirable candidate for the Turkish Cypriots, while Kokkina on the west of the island or Pyroi, which is near Athienou, was mooted by the president.
The Turkish side has consistently opposed opening anything near Athienou citing the “military sensitivity” of the area due to several Turkish installations there. Successive governments have been fighting for fairness on the issue saying that when a new crossing opens, there should be benefits for both communities and not just one or the other.
Kareklas said on Wednesday he had sent a letter to the president stressing the “humanitarian importance” for the people of Athienou.
Opening Pyroi would cut the journey to Nicosia from 45-60 minutes now, down to ten minutes. This would not only save lives in terms of reaching the general hospital but it would facilitate workers and students. Many of the latter, he said are forced to pay for student accommodation in Nicosia while drivers were left with higher fuel costs.
The mayor said it made more sense for Athienou to be a priority as a crossing point as it would also cut down on the number of cars clogging the city during peak hours. Residents from other nearby villages would also use the crossing, he added.
“As a result of the Turkish invasion in 1974, Athienou has been isolated in terms of transportation for 50 years now,” Kareklas said an announcement.
“The people of Athienou will not accept the opening of any other crossing if the opening of Pyroi is not included,” it added. He said they wouldn’t stand for it without “serious reaction”.
“Fifty years of isolation, suffering, sacrifices and patience is enough,” he added.
The first of Cyprus’ nine crossing points opened in 2003. Since then, there have been almost 150 million crossing from north to south and vice versa.
They have often been described as “a crack in the dividing line”, contributing to more interaction between the two communities.
