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Erdogan, Tatar announce controversial plan to further reopen Cypriot ghost town

A controversial plan to partially reopen an abandoned resort area in Cyprus’ buffer zone under the administration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus threatens to further raise tensions within Cypriot communities.
A Turkish army sign is pictured in the fenced-off area of Varosha in Famagusta town in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus, on July 16, 2021.

ISTANBUL — Stating that Turkey doesn't have "another 50 years to waste" on the Cyprus problem, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flanked by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar, in Nicosia Tuesday laid out a series of proposals aimed at bolstering the breakaway state’s sovereignty that would likely raise tensions within Cypriot communities.

On the second day of a two-day visit to mark the anniversary of Turkey’s July 20, 1974, intervention in Cyprus, Erdogan reiterated his support for a two-state solution for the divided island after years of stalled UN-led reunification efforts to foster a bizonal federation.

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