The partial reopening of the Maras region in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TNRC) was done in accordance with civil rights, the TRNC’s president said Tuesday.
Ersin Tatar, who received the president of the Immovable Property Commission (TMK), Novber Ferit Vechi, said the commission has an important duty.
He underlined that the Greek Cypriot side's pressure on its citizens not to apply to the TMK is not correct behavior.
Noting that Maras was reopened with the support of Turkiye, he said the regulations made were shared with the whole world.
"We stated that if an application is made, the TMK will evaluate it. It has been decided by the Council of Ministers that the assets in the 3.5% pilot region will be returned to the applicants," he added.
Tatar said the reopening of Maras is an important political step, adding the TRNC’s policy enabled it to happen.
Maras, or Varosha in Greek, had virtually become a ghost town as it remained cut off from the world for some 47 years.
A portion of the region -- just about 3.5% of the total area -- was reopened in October 2020, with people welcome to visit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.
Maras was abandoned after a 1984 UN Security Council resolution saying that only its original inhabitants could resettle the town.
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