From the trusted PIO website:
The breakaway regime is planning for direct trips from occupied Famagusta port to the Lebanon after the elections
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (25.09.09) reports that 140 tourists have been carried from Syria and Lebanon to the occupied port of Famagusta with ferryboats during the feast of Ramadan. Passengers stated that the trips have made the transportation easier and cheaper for them. The owner of Akgunler firm, Unal Caginer, who organizes the trips, said they faced many problems since 2007 when the trips started. “I cannot understand the insistence of the Greek Cypriot side on the isolation,” he argued. He alleged that according to the international law, the port of Famagusta still has the status of a port and it cannot be bound to isolation.
Moreover, Ozgur Kanatli, director of the firm in the Middle East, stated that pressure is exerted in order for the trips to stop and added: “Syria stood strong. After the elections in Lebanon, when politics stop, we think that we could carry out direct trip between the TRNC and Lebanon.”
(I/Ts.)
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Turkey and the occupation regime to pursue a parallel strategy regarding tourism with Middle Eastern and Arabian countries; Tourism agents from Syria and the occupied areas of Cyprus to meet in the beginning of 2010
Ankara Anatolia (25.09.09) reports the following from occupied Lefkosia:
“Turkish Cypriot tourism minister said on Friday that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had the most serious relations with Syria among Islamic and Arab countries in tourism area.
Speaking to A.A, TRNC Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister Hamza Ersan Saner said that they would pursue a parallel strategy with Turkey regarding tourism with Middle Eastern and Arabian countries.
Saner said that they were exerting efforts to boost tourism relations between TRNC and Syria. Noting that travel and tourism agencies of TRNC and Syria would gather in the beginning of 2010, Saner said that the agencies would set a schedule about sea cruises and tourist traffic between the two countries during the meeting.
Regarding initiatives of Greek Cypriot administration to stop ferry services between TRNC’s Gazimagusa [occupied Famagusta] port and Syria’s Latakia and Lebanon’s Tripoli ports, Saner said that Greek Cypriots also launched initiatives to prevent tourism with other countries such as Romania, Poland and Italy. Saner said that Greek Cypriot administration even could not stand Greek Cypriot tourists’ plans of vacation in TRNC.
He added that the TRNC would initiate a campaign in Turkey as of January 2010 to encourage people to take a vacation in TRNC.”