[imagesource:wikicommons]

At one point in time, Varosha, located within the Famagusta district of Cyprus, was renowned for its beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels, and vibrant nightlife that attracted Europe’s cosmopolitan elite.

Today, the city seems frozen in time, with a feeling of abandonment and decay throughout its once-busy streets, and a poignant reminder entire cities are often victims of war too.

Varosha’s demise came with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 when its inhabitants were forced to flee. The invasion and subsequent division of Cyprus into Greek and Turkish sectors left Varosha within the fenced-off area of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, inaccessible to the outside world.

While northern Cyprus came to have fancy hotels and luxury resorts, Varosha remained an occupied ghost town where Turkish military barracks have stood ever since.

What was a symbol of the island’s prosperity and cosmopolitan lifestyle, became a testament to the complex history of the region. But now, thanks to the European Parliament stepping in, Varosha might just have a chance of recapturing its former glory.

Although efforts to address the status of Varosha have been continuing for decades, with different ideas and talks being discarded by political complications and tension between the Turkish and Greek portions of the island, a breakthrough has finally been achieved.

On June 28, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe officially adopted a resolution that called for the Turkish authorities to withdraw from the town, and for previous residents of Varosha to be allowed to return to their homes on the Mediterranean Sea. It also called for an end to the “illegal occupation of Varosha” and stressed the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the area.

The vote followed United Nations Security Council resolutions opposing Turkey’s proposed two-state solution for Cyprus, also calling for an end to the “illegal occupation of Varosha” and stressing the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the area.

Residents of the town now hope that visitors will have the opportunity to once again experience the beautiful city, instead of seeing Varosha from afar, and behind barbed wire fences.

[source:mirror]