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They Suddenly Had an Idea for Another Checkpoint!

Published February 28, 2026, 09:13
They Suddenly Had an Idea for Another Checkpoint!

The mayors of Nicosia, both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot, suddenly proposed opening a checkpoint in the Kaimakli area. The impetus for this suggestion is unclear. First, Charalambos Prountzos, the Greek Cypriot mayor, telephoned the negotiator to suggest the idea, then Mehmet Harmanji, the Turkish Cypriot mayor, welcomed it, and then various individuals expressed enthusiasm about President Christodoulides's lack of support for the idea, showering him with praise in the buffer zone. The problem, therefore, is which road the checkpoint should be on for cars? If that were the issue, everyone could suggest a road, and we could hold a contest to choose the best one. Why in Kaimakli and not at the Ammochostos Gate nearby Orfeas? Why there and not in Geri? Why not in old Nicosia to reconnect Ermou Street and revitalize the area? Why not straight from SOPAZ to Varosha, as we used to before Attila? As Mr. Prountzos explained to KYPE, since there appear to be "obstacles and difficulties" in opening the checkpoint at Mia Milia, a proposal was put forward for a crossing in Agios Ilarionas in Kaimakli, for vehicle passage. But the truth is that there are no obstacles and difficulties for the Mia Milia checkpoint. After all, it is the easiest solution for vehicle passage. The only thing preventing it is Turkish intransigence. While the Turks admit they want to open Mia Milia to serve primarily trucks and commerce, they refuse to even discuss, within the framework of reciprocity, opening another checkpoint to serve the Greek Cypriots trapped in Athenou or Tillyria. And while on this issue the President and the negotiator are in negotiations - they have also made specific proposals, and during the last five-party meeting (March 25) the same Guterres announced that an agreement was reached to open four crossing points), and while a new conciliatory leader has taken over in the occupied territories in place of someone intransigent - in the free areas they continue to put on a shadow play. They pretend not to understand that the disagreement that exists is substantial, it is not a matter of practical implementation. What does the proposal of the mayor of Nicosia mean, which Harmanji also welcomed? It means we are looking for a way to satisfy the Turkish demand through another route (literally). Why? Instead of opening Mia Milia, open the Agios Ilarionos road. So that the President does not appear to be backing down? But when the other side is provocatively intransigent, when it refuses to discuss facilitating people who have been suffering for over half a century, why should proposals come up that only serve to feed Turkish intransigence. And especially the unorthodox interference in our side's difficult negotiation.

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