Cyprus Mail 28 April 2025 - by Johanna Pauls
Cypriot-flagged vessels could be allowed to dock at a Turkish port in the future, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis confirmed on Monday, after weekend reports of the same.
In return, Turkish businesspeople would be granted easier access to EU visas, he said.
The proposal was put forward by President Nikos Christodoulides to encourage more active involvement of the EU on the Cyprus issue.
Letymbiotis stressed that Ankara’s would need to meet its obligations towards Cyprus based on international law for there to be such an update.
Turkey banned Cypriot vessels from docking at its ports in 1984.
While Cyprus does not impose such a ban on Turkish vessels, the number of ships departing from Turkey and sailing to ports of Cyprus has significantly declined in recent years.
Between 2020 and 2023, only 402 vessels made the journey.
According to the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA), the vast majority of them carried cargo, with only a few transporting both passengers and cargo and only one liner bringing tourists.
