Cyprus
- United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus (UNFICYP) (Under construction)
Since
1974 North and South of Cyprus have been divided by a United Nations Buffer
Zone under the control of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
We
visited the Buffer Zone at the famous Ledra Street in
December 2011 when it was "occupied" by Cypriot Youth 1)
demanding "a unified republic and no more border". The
buffer zone is here 152 metres wide.
The photo shows the southern entrance
to the Buffer Zone with Greek check-point and the famous Cypriot
monument.
The
sculpture 'Resolusion, Year: 1995' by the sculptor Theodoulos
Gregoriou and Greek-Cypriot checkpoint in the background.
"The
Last Divided Capital." (After the unification of Berlin.) On April 3, 2008 at 9 a.m. local time (06:00 UTC), the Ledra Street roadblock crossing through the UN buffer zone was reopened after 44 years.
2)
From
Greek-Cypriot side and into the Buffer Zone. The former barricade
is gone and the street is opened for pedestrians only.
Further
in.
Cypriot
youths run a unification campaign. The buffer zone starts about here.
We
can see the Turkish side where the buffer zone ends.
Geosite's
Jan S. Krogh in the Buffer Zone. The buffer zone ends approximately at
the corner of the house to the left.
A
typical Buffer Zone street (seen from the northern side).
Turkish
checkpoint at Ledra Street. The buffer zone is behind the sign in left
side of the photo.
The
passport procedures are similar to those at any international border
station.
Turkish-Cypriot
has to present their ID card or passport and fill out a "visa"
talon which is being stamped before they can pass over to the southern
Greek-Cypriot side. The procedure is the same for Cypriots as for
foreign visitors; relatively strict but slightly chaotic as the actual
control takes place not inside a line, but on the street.
Information
sign explain the procedures.
All
signs on the northern side are in Turkish language.
Signs
found inside the Buffer Zone.
"Not
Greek, Not Turkish, Not Cypriot, No Nations."
International
Ledra Street sign, erected by the United Nations.
Returning
back to the Greek side.
Back
to the Greek checkpoint. Only a small Turkish-languaged note at the
window informs about the Greek side procedure. Even if this is a de
facto Schengen border there were only random passport checks there when
we visited it.
A
Greek military control post in a side street from Ledra Street keeps us
informed that the war still is not over...