Crossing points no barrier to education, life spent on both sides

By Esra Aygin

April 23, 2023

Yasemin has spent almost her whole life moving from one side to the other

For Yasemin and her friends, a typical summer Saturday night begins at a bar in north Nicosia and ends at another one in the south. “Or our friends from the south come and join us in the north,” she says casually. “It’s a five-minute walk.”

At 22, this bubbly, bright young woman belongs to a generation of Turkish Cypriots that does not remember the days when there were no crossing points and travel between the two sides of Cyprus was impossible. Crossing over to the “other side” is the norm for her. She shops for her favourite international brands in the south, travels from Larnaca airport, hangs out with Greek Cypriot friends on either side of the island, and can’t live without an occasional Starbucks coffee, again in the south.

Yasemin was two years old when travel restrictions between the two sides of the island were eased almost overnight on April 23, 2003. Two days earlier, Serdar Denktaş, who was at the time responsible for the tourism dossier in the north, had caught everyone off guard when he announced during a live broadcast, that the administration he was part of would “open the doors” – a decision probably rooted in unrest in the Turkish Cypriot community and the cases facing Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights.

At 9.30am on April 23, thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots crowded the Ledra Palace, Pyla and Akyar/Strovilia checkpoints crossed to the other side of their own country for the first time in decades.

“I was apparently in my pushchair,” says Yasemin, whose father is from Limassol and did not lose time to go back to the city where he spent his childhood.

The numbers crossing gradually increased over the years as more checkpoints opened, the stigma around crossings faded, relationships were built and cheaper prices or more choice on the other side lured shoppers. According to the research by academics Charis Psaltis and Deniz Yucel, since 2003 it is estimated that about 70 per cent of the residents from both communities has crossed at least once to the other side. Last year, Turkish Cypriots used the crossing points 1.9 million times, while Greek Cypriots used them 2.8 million times.

As a little girl, Yasemin remembers crossing regularly with her parents and grandparents to visit Greek Cypriot friends. At 11 she passed an exam to study at the English School in the south. From then until the age of 18, she travelled every school day the northern coastal town of Kyrenia to Nicosia and then on to school.

“To me it was the most normal thing,” she said. “I didn’t really realise how crazy it was until I started university and me and my friends started talking about our daily routines back at home. It would really confuse people when I said I had to drive all that way and show my ID to go to school.”

In those seven years, Yasemin forged friendships with Greek Cypriots, went camping with them in Troodos and had “amazing teachers, who did not care that I am a Turkish Cypriot.”

Did she not experience any negativity? “Of course, I did,” she said airily. “Once this kid told me to go back to where I am from. And I was like: ‘To where? Limassol?’”

She laughed and recalled another very “proudly Greek” classmate, who was always cold towards the Turkish Cypriots. “But one day he confessed that he bought his tobacco from the north because it’s cheaper,” she said. “He at least gave us that! He said we have cheap tobacco and he appreciated it!

“It’s funny,” she added. “It’s the same with us. Even the most right-wing Turkish Cypriots I know also go to the south every week to eat McDonalds or shop for brands.”

She herself feels she has rather more to be grateful for. Currently studying law at UCL, one of the UK’s top ten universities, she said that is “thanks to my teachers, who put in so much effort on me. If it weren’t for them, I would not be in this school today.”

How casually she had come to view crossing hit home during Covid, when the checkpoints were again closed. “I would feel trapped,” she said. “Very isolated.

“My friends were on the other side of the crossing point and for the first time, it wasn’t a five-minute walk anymore. It was weird. I mean, we couldn’t get Starbucks for the whole summer.”

For friends who crossed over each day to work it was rather more serious. “This very easy disruption of someone’s core daily routine is very difficult to understand and accept,” she said.

For Yasemin, the crossing points shaped her entire life from the schools she went to, to the way she socialises and views the world. “For me there is no distinction between people based on their background. The other side of the crossing point represents for me a place and people that have witnessed so closely my growth and my personal development. And in that, it is very special.”

https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/04/23/crossing-points-no-barrier-to-education-life-spent-on-both-sides/

‘Crossings saved my business’

By Esra Aygin

April 23, 2023

Öntaç Düzgün and members of his staff

Öntaç Düzgün was seriously contemplating closing down his small knitting and wool shop in the heart of the walled city in north Nicosia, when the crossing points opened and turned his business around.

“We used to sell nothing,” recalls the 66-year-old. “Many others closed down their shops. I would have done the same eventually.”

With the opening of the first crossing points in 2003, Greek Cypriots, taking advantage of the cheaper prices, started shopping in the north. This meant Düzgün could keep his business afloat. But the big turnaround for him happened in 2008 when the Ledra Street/Lokmacı crossing point opened, funnelling those who crossed almost past his door.

“Ninety per cent of my customers are Greek Cypriots,” Düzgün said. “The little children, who used to come here holding their parents’ hands when the crossing points first opened, are now young women,” Düzgün says. “And now they come here to say hello and shop.”

Düzgün, who was taking turns with his wife to attend the shop, had to hire four more people to meet the high demand.

“And we still are barely enough,” he said, adding proudly: “And all of my staff can communicate in Greek.”

According to Düzgün, every shop in the north of the walled city now has at least one staff member who can speak Greek. “They either took lessons or learned through daily practice here”.

Especially with the severe devaluation of the Turkish lira in recent years, the north has become very attractive for Greek Cypriot shoppers, who use euros. The lira lost 44 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2021 and a further 30 per cent in 2022. This has pushed the Turkish Cypriot economy into one of the worst financial crises of history. The Greek Cypriot spending has proven to be a significant contribution to the economy.

And according to Düzgün, this spending currently amounts to €70,000 daily.

The total contribution of the crossing points to the north’s economy is around an annual €200 million euros, according to economist Mertkan Hamit, or 12 per cent of Turkish Cypriot GDP.

But the opening of the crossing points did not only have economic benefits, Düzgün explains. The relations that started with trade have evolved into friendships. “Now I see at least 50 people, who are here daily, just having coffee and mingling with their Turkish Cypriot friends”.

In fact, repeated studies by academics Charis Psaltis and Deniz Yucel since 2007 show that in both communities, contact enabled by the opening of the crossing points led to the reduction of prejudice, trust building and an increase in will for renewed cohabitation.

Düzgün, who is originally from Polis in Paphos, was 17-years-old when he had to leave for the north with his family in 1974. The opening of the crossing points also meant he could go back to the house where he spent his childhood and teenage years.

“I have all my memories in that house, in that neighbourhood,” he said emotionally.

When he and his brothers found the house, now inhabited by a Greek Cypriot family originally from Yialousa in Rizokarpaso, he had mixed feelings: “something so close to me was now someone else’s private space.

“They were very kind,” he said with appreciation. “They offered us macun (glyka) and coffee. They said we could take a tour of the house. But we didn’t. That would make us feel like intruders.”

After this bittersweet experience Düzgün and his brothers have visited their house twice more.

“Now, even though we go to Polis every couple of months and spend the night there, we don’t go to our house. It would be very rude to go there every time and say ‘this house was ours.’ How many times can we inconvenience the poor family?”

https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/04/23/crossings-saved-my-business/

Complaints of mistreatment at the crossing points hamper relations

Esra Aygin 

An increasing number of people have been complaining about mistreatment by Greek Cypriot officials at the crossing points throughout the island. Famous Turkish fashion designer Barbaros Sansal, who has been coming Cyprus through Larnaca for the last six years, was one of the most recent victims. 

Sansal, who was trying to cross to the south with his car last Friday at the Agios Dometios crossing point in Nicosia, was told that his Turkish passport and internationally-recognised licence are illegal. 

“The officer there threw my passport and my licence to my face,” says Sansal, who has a valid multi-entry visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus and who spends a lot of time in the southern part of the island. 

Although there are reports of problems at other crossing points, the Deryneia crossing point seems to be especially problematic.

“In the last couple of weeks, I have been receiving calls every single day from people, who complain about the way they were treated at the Deryneia crossing point,” says Okan Dagli, who is a peace activist with the Famagusta Initiative.  “This seems to be systematic… The Deryneia crossing point was supposed to be a hope, a symbol for the reunification of our island. It was expected to contribute to intercommunal rapprochement and peace. However, this mistreatment is harming our relations.” 

Berna, who only wanted her first name to be used, had her and her daughter’s ID thrown on the floor at the Deryneia crossing point last Thursday as she tried to cross to the south because she “stopped in the wrong place.”

“I normally don’t use the Deryneia crossing point because I always hear negative things,” says Berna. “But on Thursday, we decided to use it with my daughter. As we were crossing to the south, I stopped in front of the police officer standing outside the kiosk collecting the IDs. I handed him the IDs and he handed them to the lady sitting in the kiosk. After registering us, she put her arm outside the kiosk and dropped our IDs on the floor. When I asked her why she did that, she said it was because I had ‘stopped in the wrong place.’ But I had stopped where the police officer was. As I tried to explain this to her, she started shouting at me in Greek.”

Berna had to collect her IDs from the floor and get back in her car, which made her feel terrible, she says. 

In a practice that is unmatched at other crossing points, at the Deryneia crossing point, Turkish Cypriots returning to the northern part of Cyprus are made to park their car, get out and do the procedure to cross at the kiosk, which is reserved for those, who cross to the south. There, they are made to wait because the priority is given to the people crossing from the north to the south. This practice only applies to Turkish Cypriots. Greek Cypriots and other nationals are allowed to cross normally without parking and getting out of their cars as in other crossing points. 

“This confuses people,” says Dagli. “They try to ask what they have to do and why, and they are usually met with anger, shouting or rudeness. “There have been people, who had their IDs thrown in their faces or others, who were denied permission to return to the north.” 

According to Dagli, this practice is new and only started after the pandemic. 

“One question is: Why is there a different practice in Deryneia? In other crossing points everyone is treated the same. Why are Turkish Cypriots treated differently in Deryneia? People question this.” 

Serdar Atai, another peace activist from Famagusta has also been receiving a lot of calls from people, who complain about the treatment at the crossing point.

“Many people are concerned” says Atai. They are complaining about the new practice at the crossing point. Unfortunately, practices like this hamper our relations and discourage people from crossing.” 

Another Turkish Cypriot woman, E., who did not want her name to be used, was arbitrarily prevented from returning to the northern part of the island at the Deryneia crossing point last Wednesday. 

“We crossed to the south on Wednesday. On the way back, they make Turkish Cypriots get out of the car and do their procedure to cross at the kiosk reserved for crossings to the south. I find this very discriminatory. They only make Turkish Cypriots do this. It upsets me a lot, so I asked my husband to do the procedure. He took our IDs and got out of the car. Soon he returned saying that they wanted to see our marriage certificate. He took the certificate and went back to the kiosk. Then, he came back saying that they want to see me too. We have been crossing for years and this never happened before. We went there together and I questioned why they were asking us so many questions. The lady doing our procedure said I was being rude and told us we could not cross back to the north. When we tried to approach the other officer to do our procedure to cross, she got up and approached us while shouting that we should go to the Strovilia crossing point.”

E. and her husband had to drive to Strovilia, the other crossing point in Famagusta, to be able to cross back to the northern part of Cyprus. 

“There definitely is something very wrong going on in Deryneia,” says E. “I will never use the Deryneia crossing point again. In fact, I don’t even know if I will ever cross to the south again.”

Dinçer Raif is another Turkish Cypriot, who has stopped using the Deryneia crossing point. “They treat us very badly” says Raif. “They are very angry and rude. I want peace and unification in my country but are they going to treat us like this?” 

Dagli says that it is possible to see and document this treatment from the CCTV cameras at the crossing point. Asked whether they had been to the Republic of Cyprus police to complain, Dagli says: “The police is right there. There is a police officer in every kiosk. All this happens before the eyes of the police.”  

However, Dagli reached out to Deryneia mayor Andros Karayiannis and sought his help about the issue. 

“As someone who believes in peace and rapprochement, we expect you to take an initiative and to stop the separatists and ultra-nationalists of the Deryneia region from disrupting our relations” Dagli wrote to Karayiannis. 

Dagli received a response from the Deryneia mayor that he spoke with the chief of police, who said he would make an effort to improve the situation. 

“The chief of police did not deny this behavior,” says Dagli. “He merely said he would look into it.” 

The Cyprus police could not be reached for comments. 

Partition policy deepened by Covid 19

Esra Aygin

It is a source of concern not only for the communities on the island, but also for the international community that there is no consultation, plan or discussion regarding the opening of the crossing points, which have been closed supposedly due to the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Last week, the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces on the island stated that it stands ready to assist the sides on the lifting of the restrictions at the crossing points. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in response to a letter by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said that he expects the two leaders to agree on certain arrangements on the opening of the crossing points as soon as the health situation is stabilized. The European Commission, which has called on the opening of all borders in Europe, is also watching closely the policies of the sides regarding the crossing points. 

The Greek Cypriot side, on 28 February, when not a single Covid 19 case had yet been detected, unilaterally closed four of the nine crossing points in Cyprus. The fact that the other five crossing points remained open, that there were no other travel restrictions, that there were no measures at airports and seaports, and the fact that the Limassol Carnival was allowed to go on on 1 March made it impossible to justify or defend the legitimacy of the closure of the four crossing points. 

A couple of days later, the Turkish Cypriot side, ignoring calls from peace activists and reasonable politicians for cooperation and coordination, unilaterally closed all of the crossing points. 

In fact, the Covid 19 pandemic provided a very convenient excuse for those, who want the crossing points closed. At the moment, although many restrictions are being eased, there is no plan, cooperation or coordination for the opening of the crossing points. The policy being implemented at the moment on both sides of the island is the policy of those, who do not want the crossing points to open, and who prefer the situation to stay like this. The Covid 19 crisis is being used to deepen the division of the island. 

The signals of this policy were rife in the Greek Cypriot side even before the Covid 19 pandemic. Since the end of last year, there has been an intensive propaganda that a high number of refugees are crossing from the north the south. Official data regarding the immigrants were not shared, but it was argued that Turkey is deliberately sending immigrants to the south and that their numbers are constantly increasing. Some opinion leaders, politicians and political parties were demanding to close the crossing points as a response. 

According to figures by civil society organisations and independent researchers however, there had been a steady decrease in the number of immigrants crossing from the north to the south since December 2019. Nevertheless, a number of Greek Cypriot ministers adopted ELAM’s proposal to close the crossing points and seriously discussed the issue with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades.  

At the moment, there are health experts and politicians, who appear frequently on TV arguing that the figures from the north cannot be trusted, that there are uncontrolled entries continuously from Turkey to the north, and that under these circumstances it is impossible to open the crossing points. 

There are even some, who argue that crossing points are the reason why there is no solution on the island, that crossing points legitimise and normalise the situation on the island and prevent a solution, and therefore, they should remain closed. 

Another opinion is to keep the crossing points closed and destroy the north economically, therefore rendering it weak in negotiations. Among all these absurd arguments and voices, calls to open the crossing points remain very weak. 

The Greek Cypriot side, in response to calls to open the crossing points, is saying that they closed crossing points except two, and it is the Turkish Cypriot side that closed all the crossing points. However, the 14-day quarantine requirement means that in practice all the crossing points are closed. The Turkish Cypriot side could easily expose the Greek Cypriot side by declaring all crossing points open, but for some reason the north, which economically needs the people coming from the south does not seem to be in a hurry to open the crossing points either. Interestingly, there seems to be a tacit agreement between the two sides to keep the crossing points closed. This situation strengthens the right wing narrative and puts important issues such as confidence building measures or the resumption of negotiations in the back burner. 

In fact, this situation is an excellent public opinion exercise for Anastasiades, who, by now, is widely known to have permanent partition in his heart. It is a test of ‘what would happen?’ in a situation where there are no negotiations, all crossing points are closed and the north is sealed. The Green Line has turned into a border for months. A normalized border. And sadly, there is no significant reaction from the public. 

As it can be seen from the statements, the international community is not hiding that it is concerned that the issue of opening the crossing points will be abused for political reasons. It is indeed worrying that there is no plan to open the crossing points at a time when the virus has been brought under control on both sides. In the north there has been no new Covid 19 case for weeks. In the south, only a few cases are detected each day and these are probably people, who were in contact with positive cases. In other words, there is no pandemic in Cyprus that would legitimise the policy of keeping crossing points closed. 

Unfortunately, with the way the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot authorities reacted to the Covid 19 crisis, they both physically and politically deepened the division. It is obvious that there is need for a strong and coordinated pressure from the communities to have the crossing points opened again. 

Where does the solution lie (The Cyprus Weekly, 23 May 2015)

Esra Aygin

There is a widespread and very dangerous assumption, or rather misconception, among the Greek Cypriot society that Turkey pulls all the strings in the northern part of Cyprus and that, it single-handedly holds the key to a solution in Cyprus. This simplistic approach does not only demonstrate an inability to read the political and social dynamics prevalent in the Turkish Cypriot community, but is also very dangerous as it leads to the view that, “Cypriots in general have no power whatsoever vis-à-vis Turkey regarding a solution, so why bother?” It leads to taking the easy way out. It leads to passivity. And, we are at a time when passivity should be the last thing we resort to.

The resounding victory last month, of Mustafa Akıncı in the elections for the Turkish Cypriot leader, should serve as a clear and undeniable indicator that Ankara is unable to pull all the strings in Cyprus. I don’t think anybody, even the most wildly creative, would put forward the argument that Akıncı – who openly campaigned for a federal solution in Cyprus and relations with Turkey based on equality - is an agent of Turkey! In fact, it would be noteworthy to say that candidates in the northern part of Cyprus - be it in-party elections, local, general or ‘presidential’ elections - who were supported by Ankara in recent years, have all suffered losses.

After coming to power, the first step Akıncı took within the framework of Confidence Building Measures, was to lift the ‘visa’ procedure at the Turkish Cypriot crossing points – whereby everyone moving between the northern and southern parts of the island were required to fill a form and get issued with a stamped ‘visa.’

The Turkish Cypriot police at the crossing points now only make a quick check on the computer by entering ID numbers – similar to the Greek Cypriot procedure. The decision was made two weeks ago during Akıncı’s first official visit to Ankara, which happened days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attacked Akıncı saying “his ears should hear what his mouth is saying” in response to the new leader’s call for a “relationship between brothers” with Turkey rather than one of a “motherland” and an “infantland.”

Ankara, which, until only a couple of months ago, was adamantly opposed to any change in the ‘visa’ procedure at the crossing points, has been forced once again by dynamics in the Turkish Cypriot community, to adapt its policies.

It is not the first time the dynamics in the Turkish Cypriot society have forced such a change. In 2003, for example, Ankara, under unprecedented pressure by the tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots who took the streets to protest the regime, had to give a green light to the opening of crossing points, allowing Cypriots on both sides of the island to move freely across the green line.

It is an undeniable fact that Turkey has a huge influence over the northern part of Cyprus, and anybody who rejects this would be naïve, to say the least. However, it is high time for Greek Cypriots to stop believing that the Turkish Cypriots’ and the Turkish Cypriot leaders’ relationship with Ankara is a one-way-only channel, where Turkey can impose its will and policies easily without taking into consideration the dynamics within the society. And the stance of the Turkish Cypriot leader is of vital importance, especially with regard to the negotiations to find a federal solution to the Cyprus problem. The leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, especially when he has the support of a sweeping 60.50 percent of the voters - not only from the leftist pro-solution camp but the broader section of society including the Turkish settlers - is anything but powerless, and has a lot of leverage in Ankara. And imagine the leverage if we were putting up a struggle for solution jointly with our Greek Cypriot compatriots.

It goes without saying that a solution in Cyprus is not possible without Turkey’s cooperation and consent. However, it is obvious that Akıncı will not be the loyal follower of a policy fully determined by Turkey. Yes, he will have to constantly discuss with Ankara the issues that arise within the framework of negotiations. However, drawing on my experience working with former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat during the five years he spent in office, I am confident in saying that this will most probably be a two-way working relationship based neither on surrendering autonomy to Ankara nor confronting it. Sides will undoubtedly differ on many issues and it will be up to Akıncı and his chief negotiator Özdil Nami to convince Turkey of the benefit or advantage of certain steps – just the same way as Mr. Talat, five years ago, eventually convinced a  rigidly opposed Ankara to support the idea of cross-voting in a federal Cyprus.

Turkey cannot risk further alienating the Turkish Cypriot community, which is growing more and more unhappy with Turkey. The Turkish officials, without a doubt, realize that the more they try to intervene or impose, the more

adverse reaction they will draw. They realize their weakening influence over the Turkish Cypriots, including the settlers. And it would be very difficult for Turkey to oppose an internationally-backed agreement reached between Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, especially if both communities stand strong behind their leaders in the quest for solution.

By electing Akıncı as their new leader, Turkish Cypriots have, for the second time in a little more than a decade, challenged the status-quo in the northern part of Cyprus and made anti-solution policies hit the wall. The Greek Cypriot community remained distant to the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots in the early 2000s. Will you hold our hand and join us in our struggle for ending the division of the island this time? Because the key to solution lies right here, in our hands.

http://in-cyprus.com/where-does-the-solution-lie/

Article - We need to start telling the beautiful stories (Published in Greek in 24h on 20 July 2014)

We need to start telling the beautiful stories

There are terrible stories that can be told about 20 July 1974. Stories of war, bloodshed and fear. But today, I choose to tell you a beautiful story. A beautiful, true story I wrote in May 2003 when I was a 23-year-old journalist working for the Associated Press. The crossing points had just opened and we had gone to Limassol, together with my father and late mother to find Antonis, who had risked his life to help my family in July 1974.

May 2003

"Özel, I knew you would come," shouted Antonis as he warmly hugged my father, who still couldn't believe he had found the man who saved him almost 30 years ago.

"You lost your hair," my father said, examining Antonis with curious eyes. "You got fat, Özel," he replied, tapping my father's big belly. They had last seen each other in September 1974, when my parents fled their house in Limassol to come to Kyrenia.

My father had told me about Antonis the night before we went to Limassol. As Turkish troops landed in Cyprus on Saturday, July 20, 1974, the Turkish Cypriots in Limassol, including my parents and then 9-year-old brother, were detained by Greek Cypriot soldiers. My brother was sick, very scared and terribly weak.

"We had no idea what was going to happen to us," said my mother. "People were crying and begging the soldiers to let them free." My parents spent the night under detention at Yousoufidis’ clinic along with a large group of Turkish Cypriots living in Limassol. The next morning, Antonis, a young Greek Cypriot soldier recognized my father as the physical therapist, who had treated him some years before. "He rushed us into his jeep. Before taking us home, he drove to a doctor’s clinic, where he had your brother examined. He bought the medicines prescribed by the doctor and took us to our home," my father told me. "And he told us not to leave the house for a couple of days before things got calmer. He was back at night with a basket with bread, cheese and a bottle of milk." …

On arriving at Limassol that day, almost 30 years after my parents had fled the city, we stopped at a coffee shop to ask if any of the customers knew Antonis. My father could only remember his first name - and that his family had owned a grocery store. An elderly man recognised who we were talking about and offered to take us to his house.

It is unbelievable, but Antonis had been waiting for us. "I saw in my dream that you would be back," he shouted from his balcony after we rang the doorbell. "I had the same dream four times. This is a dream come true."