RESIDENTS of Pyrgos yesterday threatened a blockade to prevent Turkish Cypriots crossing to Kokkina this year unless Greek Cypriots are allowed to use the same road for their annual pilgrimage to Ayios Mammas church in occupied Morphou.
The message was clear from Costas Michaelides, the community leader of Pyrgos, one of the most north-westerly points on the island. If Greek Cypriots were not allowed to cross, Turkish Cypriots would also be stopped, he said after a meeting with Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou yesterday.
Every year on August 8, Turkish Cypriots cross to visit Kokkina enclave to mark the anniversary of the aerial bombardment by Turkey that raised the siege of the enclave during fierce intercommunal fighting in 1964.
Until 2004, the Turkish Cypriots travelled to Kokkina by boat but in 2004, a year after the first crossing point opened in Nicosia, the government, allowed them to cross by land through Limnitis for the first time since 1974 after a request was made by the Turkish Cypriot side.
Limnitis, which is close to Pyrgos, is slated to be the next crossing point opened between the two sides after the two leaders discussed it again at their last meeting on July 25. However, the government says it could be a year before the crossing is opened because a lot of work needs to be done.
In the meantime, Greek Cypriot residents of the area, who have been pressing for Limnitis to be opened for years, want to cross on September 2 for the annual pilgrimage to Ayios Mammas in Morphou but the Turkish side has refused.
They would be using the same road the Turkish Cypriots would use to travel to Kokkina.
Greek Cypriots were first allowed to cross to Ayios Mammas in 2004 but had to travel all the way to Nicosia to cross, drive back towards Morphou and repeat the route to get back home to Pyrgos.
A year later, they were able to use the newly-opened Zodia crossing, east of Morphou in the Nicosia district. However, residents don’t see why they have to travel so far when they could cross at Limnitis.
“We have been asking for ten years for our community to be able to go to Morphou through Limnitis while at the same time the UN and the Turkish Cypriots use this road every day without any problem. By this logic there is no reason why we can’t go to Morphou,” said Michaelides after his meeting with Iacovou.
“I have no quibble with the Turkish Cypriots and I have good co-operation with the Turkish Cypriot village leaders, but if we are not allowed to go this time… I am sorry we will not allow them to pass. The Turkish Cypriots are allowed to come to celebrate their ‘victory’ against us and all we ask is to go to Morphou to pray for the missing and dead who are buried there.”
Michaelides said Iacovou had been co-operative, but gave little hope that the Turkish military would accept the request.
“The man is trying as best he can but unless we get a formal reply that we can go on August 8 and September 2 to pray, we will not allow the Turkish Cypriot buses to pass through our area,” Michaelides added.
“We have tolerated the Turkish Cypriots crossing, despite their reasons, because we wanted to ‘be good’. But with the developments, despite the good will shown by our side the occupation army have not moved from their position.”
Michaelides said if the Turkish side had any good will, the problem could be solved easily. For ten years the community has been sending the same request through the UN but no answer had ever been received. “And according to what we are hearing now, nothing different can be expected this time either,” he added.
Acting government spokesman Titos Christofides said yesterday in a written statement that the issue of opening Limnitis as a crossing point was the subject of intensive consultations and discussions at the level of leaders of both communities.
He said if the government was being idle on the issue, a demonstration or protest would be understandable, but added that such a move would be counterproductive.
“It is not wise at this time, nor will it help efforts to open a crossing,” Christofides said. “There is a strong likelihood that such demonstrations could lead ultimately to greater delays.”
Enough goodwill from us I think. We should now wait for TCs to reciprocate every goodwill move we made otherwise no more goodwill from us!
How can a man that has been actıve as an EOKA man and ın varıous posıtıons ın governement just dısappear lıke that 
