Cyprus-Forum.com

[monksb]

Hi all. I will be visiting Cyprus for the first time later this year and have read a little about the divided country. I will be staying on the Greek side of the island but would like to visit the Turkish half. How hard is this and what does this half of the island have to offer as far as tourism?

Thanks, Barrie Monks

[Piratis]

monksb, northern Cyprus is illegally occupied by Turkey since the invasion of 1974 when Turkey ethnically cleansed 200.000 Greek Cypriots (the majority of the population) from northern Cyprus. Turkey declared a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in this occupied part but no other country in the world recognizes this illegal puppet state of Turkey.

Occupied Cyprus has many nice sights but you should think before going there since many of the hotels and other tourist facilities were stolen by force from Greek Cypriots.
If you want to visit occupied Cyprus, better make it a day trip. If you stay there then you will probably be using stolen property, something that would make you much less likable by Greek Cypriots who would obviously not be very happy about foreigners enjoying the properties that were stolen from them.

[andri_cy]

Hi all. I will be visiting Cyprus for the first time later this year and have read a little about the divided country. I will be staying on the Greek side of the island but would like to visit the Turkish half. How hard is this and what does this half of the island have to offer as far as tourism?

Thanks, Barrie Monks

The Northern part of Cyprus is very beautiful-from what I've heard, since I have never been myself. I have no idea how accomodations work there. I do not know about people disliking you because you went and visited, as a lot of Greek Cypriots are doing the same thing themselves. I guess it is your decision.

[Rickers]

Hey -- we visited for the day last summer, after being encouraged by our Cypriot friends, who said that we should see it for ourselves.

My lasting memory is of an awful lot of sad, abandoned properties, but the people that we met were pleasant and friendly and obviously delighted to see tourists visiting ( even just for 1 day ).

Strangely, there were very few women around -- everywhere that we went we saw groups of men wandering around like predatory packs of animals ( though they were not at all aggressive ), but there were very few women -- different cultures , I suppose .

Go, as the previous writer suggested, for a day trip to " test the water", so to speak, and then make up your own mind about the area.

I am in no hurry to return, but that's just me I guess !

[Zopy]

Going to the north from the south is easy. I'm not sure if it has changed since the last time I went but all they asked for was passport details.
What we did the first time we went was rent a taxi for a day to drive us around. I cannot tell you how much this will cost, the first time my father went they charged him 30 pounds and the next day when we went together the price had already gone up to 40/50 pounds for the day! Taxis over there tend not to have a metre running so you should arrange a price at the beginning.

As for what to see, i would suggest Bellapais, Kyrenia and Famagusta..I have to say that its beautiful and worth seeing..although I doubt i would be able to go back..I would also suggest to go for a day and decide for yourself!

[Sotos]

Visit for a day. If you want more than that stay in the free part of Nicosia and cross to the occupied areas as often as you want. Crossing to the north is easy.

[Kikapu]

monksb, northern Cyprus is illegally occupied by Turkey since the invasion of 1974 when Turkey ethnically cleansed 200.000 Greek Cypriots (the majority of the population) from northern Cyprus. Turkey declared a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in this occupied part but no other country in the world recognizes this illegal puppet state of Turkey.

Occupied Cyprus has many nice sights but you should think before going there since many of the hotels and other tourist facilities were stolen by force from Greek Cypriots.
If you want to visit occupied Cyprus, better make it a day trip. If you stay there then you will probably be using stolen property, something that would make you much less likable by Greek Cypriots who would obviously not be very happy about foreigners enjoying the properties that were stolen from them.

Monksb,

Now that piratis has filled your mind with one sided propoganda, while you're visiting the "free area", please also go and visit my home town of Kücük Kaymakli ( it probably has only a Greek title now ) near Nicosia, that me and my family were driven out at the point of a gun ( actually, many guns, and held as a prisoner for a week, at the age of 9 years old. There were also many babies as well as old and frail) 11 years earlier in 1963, by the Greeks. But do not stay too long there, as not to violet Piratis's rule, because it may give the impression, that you may actually approve the forced eviction of my family. You have my permission to pick some fruit from our trees, since we're not able to, so there's no reason why the illegal occupiers now, should have it all.

By the way Monksb, if it was illegal to cross into the North, the Greek security forces will gun you down, much like trying to leave East Berlin while that city was divided. Since you will not be gunned downed, then it must be legal to go across and stay as long as you want, and if they give you any shit on the way back to the "free side", well, then you can avoid the "free side" all together on your next trip. While you're there, do yourself a big favour, and talk to as many local people as possible from both sides, and then you can draw your own conclusions. You will have to forgive Piratis, because some important details evade his mind to give a complete picture as to what had happend to Cyprus. Enjoy visiting the whole island.

[Piratis]

One sided propaganda?

I said: northern Cyprus is illegally occupied by Turkey - this is an UNDINIABLE FACT

20 July 1974


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESOLUTION 353 (1974)

Adopted by the Security Council at its 1771st meeting,
on 20 July 1974



The Security Council,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, at its 1779th meeting, about the recent developments in Cyprus,

Having heard the statement of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the statements of the representatives of Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and other Member States,

Noting also from the report the conditions prevailing in the island,

Deeply deploring the outbreak of violence and the continuing bloodshed,

Gravely concerned about the situation which has led to a serious threat to international peace and security, and which has created a most explosive situation in the whole Eastern Mediterranean area,

Equally concerned about the necessity to restore the constitutional structure of the Republic of Cyprus, established and guaranteed by international agreements,

Conscious of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations,

1.Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus.

2.Calls upon all parties to the present fighting as a first step to cease all firing and requests all States to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any action which might further aggravate the situation;

3.Demands an immediate end to foreign military intervention in the Republic of Cyprus that is in contravention of the provisions of paragraph 1 above;

4. Requests the withdrawal without delay from the Republic of Cyprus of foreign military personnel present otherwise than under the authority of international agreements, including those whose withdrawal was requested by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, in his letter of 2 July 1974;

5. Calls upon Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to enter into negotiations without delay for the restoration of peace in the area and constitutional government of Cyprus and to keep the Secretary-General informed;

6. Calls upon all parties to co-operate fully with the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus to enable it to carry out its mandate;

7. Decides to keep the situation under constant review and asks the Secretary-General to report as appropriate with a view to adopting further measures in order to ensure that peaceful conditions are restored as soon as possible.

Adopted unanimously at the 1781st meeting.
http://www.un.int/cyprus/scr354.htm

I said that the so called "TRNC" in occupied Cyprus is an illegal pseudo state recognized only by the occupation force of Turkey this is again undeniable fact:

The Security Council,

Having heard the statement of the Foreign Minister of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus,

Concerned at the declaration by the Turkish Cypriot authorities issued on 15 November 1983 which purports to create an independent state in northern Cyprus,

Considering that this declaration is incompatible with the 1960 Treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus and the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee,

Considering therefore that the attempt to create a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", is invalid, and will contribute to a worsening of the situation in Cyprus,

Reaffirming its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975),

Aware of the need for a solution of the Cyprus problem, based on the mission of good offices undertaken by the Secretary-General,

Affirming its continuing support for the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus,

Taking note of the Secretary-General's statement of 17 November 1983,

1. Deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus;

2. Considers the declaration referred to above as legally invalid and calls for its withdrawal;

3. Calls for the urgent and effective implementation of its resolutions 365(1974) and 367(1975);

4. Requests the Secretary-General to pursue his mission of good offices in order to achieve the earliest possible progress towards a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus;

5. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General in his mission of good offices;

6. Calls upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus;

7. Calls upon all States not to recognise any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus;

8. Calls upon all States and the two communities in Cyprus to refrain from any action which might exacerbate the situation;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Security Council fully informed.

Adopted at the 2500th meeting by 13 votes to 1 against (Pakistan) with 1 abstention (Jordan).

http://www.un.int/cyprus/scr541.htm

So don't tell me that what I say is "one sided propaganda". The one sided is Turkey, being the ONLY country in the world that recognizes the "trnc" and not the Republic of Cyprus and refusing that its occupation of Republic of Cyprus is illegal.

What happened in 1963 wan an inter-communal conflict with same casualties from both Greek and Turkish Cypriots. That has nothing to do with 2006 and the totally unexcused illegal occupation of the northern part of Republic of Cyprus by Turkey.

If you take us 43 years in the past to excuse crimes of today, then you might also go a bit earlier and have a look at how Turks first came to our island by buttering people by the 10s of thousands and burning down our cities.

[Piratis]

By the way Monksb, if it was illegal to cross into the North, the Greek security forces will gun you down, much like trying to leave East Berlin while that city was divided.

Of course it is not illegal to cross!! How can it be illegal to move anywhere within the same country?

Until 2003 the Turkish army was the one forbidding anybody to pass the cease fire line, gunning down anybody that attempted, especially if it was a Greek Cypriot refugee trying to return back to his own home. Today they allow the refugees to go to the occupied areas only as visitors. If they try to enter their own homes they are arrested by the Turkish troops!!

Nobody said it is illegal to cross. What I said is that people that cross to the occupied areas should not use Hotels and other property that was stolen from Greek Cypriots. Since Greek Cypriots are the 80% of the population of the now occupied part of Cyprus, most Hotels and tourist facilities belong to them (or are build on land that belongs to them), and not to the Turks that stole them.

[TheCabbie]

Hi all. I will be visiting Cyprus for the first time later this year and have read a little about the divided country. I will be staying on the Greek side of the island but would like to visit the Turkish half. How hard is this and what does this half of the island have to offer as far as tourism?

Thanks, Barrie Monks

Barrie, ignore the bullshit and propaganda above, you can go across into the Turkish occupied areas freely and without any problems, either on organised bus trips from most tourist areas or by car, although the car hire people tell you you can't, you pay insurance on the crossing point (Famagusta/Pyla/Kermia(in Nicosia)/Astromeritis) which is around CY£10 for 72 hours.
There's plenty to see and you could easily spend 2 days up there, I went with some friends last month and we paid CY£10 a night per person for a very nice chalet with a pool.

The Turks are mostly nice and I've never had any hassle up there, apart from a speeding ticket which cost me a tenner!

You don't need to change money as every business in the North accepts Cyprus Pounds.