Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

U.N. DEMINING teams are started at Lokmacı (Ledra Street )buffer zone today to final sweep for mines and booby traps ahead of the opening of a new crossing point on the street.

as far as i can see they were having hard times but it looks there wasn't any .
here is the some pictures from area sorry it is not clear . it was taken while ago.

[paliometoxo]

this is good after all these years the street will open up we seem to be moving faster now with the new president... did they mention anything about turkish/cypriot and greek flags to be removed?

[umit07]

As far as I know the area has been ridden of mines. They are just going over it again and inspecting buildings that may be dangerous for pedestrians.

Palio, I expect the crossing point to be no different than any other.

[CopperLine]

This is great news. A reason for renewed hope and perhaps a cause for celebration - but I don't want to tempt fate.

[bill cobbett]

Nice if all three of those flags in the bottom photo were removed.

[paliometoxo]

yes but the other crossings you go with the car and pay for insurance, with this crossing there is no cars so there will be no charge and im sure no need for any turkish to be there? or do they still check for id card/passport to cross? i was under the imporession it would open and have no turkish cypriot officers to check for anything like its a normal street.

[umit07]

I see that you haven't passed through the "Ledra Palace" crossing point, no insurance for cars but the rest will be the same.

BTW , What do you mean by "Turkish being There" ? .

[iceman]

yes but the other crossings you go with the car and pay for insurance, with this crossing there is no cars so there will be no charge and im sure no need for any turkish to be there? or do they still check for id card/passport to cross? i was under the imporession it would open and have no turkish cypriot officers to check for anything like its a normal street.

Thats is not possible...it will be no different to Ledra Palace crossing point...




with usual flags on both ends...

[paliometoxo]

I see that you haven't passed through the "Ledra Palace" crossing point, no insurance for cars but the rest will be the same.

BTW , What do you mean by "Turkish being There" ? .

sorry umit what i meant by "turkish being there" is that at the other crossings what i have seen is little booths with turkish officers at the beggining there is some checking your car then the other officers that are there to sell you insurance and check your id card so you can cross.. i would of thought a crossing at such a place there would be no need for officers... but aparantly i was wrong they still need to check ur id/passport.

no i havent been to the ledra palace crossing point just one of them i used a few times in centre of nicosia where u pass it has signs saying how good it is to be born a turk or something like that and on the way back something about peace..

[paliometoxo]

i was just reading this from the link on this forum the news links

U.N. DEMINING teams are to enter the Ledra Street buffer zone today to conduct a final sweep for mines and booby traps ahead of the opening of a new crossing point on the street.

They had been due in on Monday after leaders of the two communities agreed to open Ledra Street at a meeting last Friday, but were barred by the Turkish forces from entering the area amid reports the army was unhappy at not having been consulted over the deal.

Last night, however, UNFICYP spokesman Jos? Diaz told the Cyprus Mail that obstacles to starting the process had been removed and that the demining team would start work on Ledra Street today.

Earlier, President Demetris Christofias had expressed the hope that whatever had prompted the Turkish army suddenly to stall on opening Ledra Street would be resolved soon.

Christofias, who refrained from pointing the finger, was speaking to reporters after the parade in Nicosia to mark Greek Independence Day yesterday.

Marios Karoyan, his successor as House President, had no such qualms, however.
Karoyian said the Turkish army's apparent move to renege on the agreement to open Ledra Street “proves yet again its intransigent stance”.

But Christofias said he did not want to comment on such a possibility at the moment, saying the situation was still open.

“I wish and hope we will have good news soon,” he said. “We insist that the opening of the crossing point should take place on the basis of the issues agreed via the UN.”

Christofias agreed the terms and conditions for the opening of Ledra Street with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat at a meeting last Friday.

It was widely expected that the UN would go into the area on Monday.

However, Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou discovered during his meeting with Talat’s aide Ozdil Nami late on Monday that the Turkish army was not allowing UNFICYP into the area. The speculation was that someone among the Turkish military ranks had complained of not being fully informed of what was going on.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the progress between Iacovou and Nami on setting up technical and working groups, Christofias said the question made it appear as if he was saying he was unsatisfied with what was happening over Ledra Street, when in fact he did not want to say anything about Ledra for the moment.

Iacovou told reporters yesterday he would be raising the issue with Nami during their meeting today at the offices of UN Special Representative for Cyprus Michael Moller.
He declined to confirm one way or another whether the agreement between Talat and Christofias on Ledra had been made without the full approval of the Turkish military.

Regarding the technical committees and working groups that will focus on laying the groundwork for new talks between the leaders in three months’ time, Iacovou said there had essentially been agreement with Nami on the basics of setting up the groups.

Iacovou described his meeting with Nami as “exemplary”, but declined to give details on the committees due to the “strict confidentiality regarding the content of the negotiations”.

“The committees are basically agreed,” he said. “We had to choose whether we should continue to discuss the content of the agenda of every committee or to proceed with negotiation.”

He said the committees and groups will number 12-14.

The previous attempt to set up working groups and technical committees under the July 8 agreement between Talat and former President Tassos Papadopoulos floundered for 18 months at the stage of naming the committees and groups, despite 50 meetings during that time.


why does the turkish army think that we need their aproval to open any crossings? its like they are trying to decide the fate for the island and have control or saying no we really dont want peace... its showing that our last president was really not the problem like the turkich cypriot side was saying all along its the turkish military that is the problem the turkish army that want partition and keep the un out of the areas to sweap the mines. the eu/un should put the army in their place.

talat is doing all he can with christofias but the turkish army is making problems