in-cyprus 3 June 2022 - by Annie Charalambous
After Nicosia’s fresh efforts to re-start stalled UN-brokered talks aiming to reunite Cyprus the Turkish side went ahead with the provocative news that Tymbou (Ercan) airport in the breakaway north has become a Turkish domestic airport.
This is yet another move towards the Turkish-held north becoming a province of the mainland and the timing of the announcement is far from coincidental, Philenews reported on Friday.
In fact, it came two days only after Turkish Cypriot leader Erson Tartar flatly dismissed a call by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades to meet face to face again to consider further confidence building measures.
One of the CBMs proposed by Anastasiades in his six-page-long letter sent to Tatar early in the week sees Tymbou airport coming under the jurisdiction of the United Nations.
However, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot press reports published statements by officials in Ankara claiming that under the new play of state of Tymbou airport plane tickets from the north to Turkey will cost on average €37 less. And that airfares play a significant role in Turkey’s economy.
Cyprus is divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still maintains troops in the breakaway northern part of the EU-member state.
