Northern Cyprus slams Greek side for deporting tourists

By Ahmet Salih Alacaci

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on Wednesday warned that it will take action against the Greek Cypriot administration if it continued to stop travelers from crossing their mutual border.

The statement by Lefkosa’s Foreign Ministry came after a group of Israeli tourists intending to make their way into Northern Cyprus were held at Larnaca International Airport on the Greek side and subsequently deported.

Lefkosa expressed its “sadness” over the move, which it said was “arbitrary” and “illegal.”

“The behavior shown [by the Greek Cypriot administration] is unacceptable and it is the product of a mindset attempting to prevent our interaction with the world […],” the ministry said.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including the collapse of the 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the U.K.

Turkey blames Greek Cypriot intransigence for the talks’ failure, also faulting the European Union for admitting the Greek Cypriot administration into the union in 2004 although Greek Cypriot voters had recently rejected a peace deal.