Nicosia: A demonstration advocating for the establishment of new crossing points took place on Friday afternoon, organized by the Bicommunal Initiative “United Cyprus” at the Agios Dometios checkpoint. Participants, including both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, called for the opening of additional routes with slogans such as “Open new roads, reunite Cyprus” and “Together united for more crossings.” They presented a letter to a UNFICYP representative directed to the UN Secretary-General and distributed informational leaflets to passing motorists.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the organizers highlighted that there have been over 150 million crossings since the initial opening of the crossing points. A joint statement from the supporting organizations and political parties was read in both Greek and Turkish and attached to the letter delivered to the UNFICYP representative.
The demonstrators demanded “the immediate opening of new crossing points across Cyprus to facilitate the daily lives of thousands
of citizens who depend on them for work, education, healthcare, medical treatment, economic transactions, and social interactions.” They underscored the ongoing deadlock in negotiations between the two leaders as a negative factor impacting progress on various issues and called for immediate measures to alleviate delays at existing crossing points, particularly at Agios Dometios.
The statement emphasized the importance of implementing UN Security Council decisions and reports by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, which highlight the necessity of facilitating daily contact and communication between people to promote peace and reunification. Despite focusing on improving daily life, the primary objective remains resolving the Cyprus issue and achieving reunification in a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality, in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the Guterres framework. The initiative insists that this is the only viable prospect for a peaceful future for the next gen
erations.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be achieved. The last negotiations in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended without success.
On October 15, 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted an informal dinner in New York with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, urging the leaders to consider bridging their differences and rebuilding trust to facilitate a settlement. At the meeting, Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to hold an informal meeting in a broader format soon, under the Secretary-General’s guidance, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings, with the meeting scheduled for Monday.