UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2020) The UN Security Council will discuss on Friday the situation around the ghost town of Varosha on Cyprus, Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, the spokesman for the Russian mission to the United Nations, told Sputnik.
Russia is heading the UN Security Council in October.
"The event in the format of consultations will be held on October 9 at the request of the United Kingdom," Strzhizhovsky said on late Wednesday.
Following the 1974 military operation by Ankara to allegedly protect the Turkish Cypriot population, the island has been essentially divided, with the Turkish part recognized solely by Turkey. One of the many negative consequences of the current situation was the transformation of Varosha from a once-popular tourist destination into a ghost town. In August, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announced plans to reopen it for tourists, despite the United Nations Security Council resolutions 550 and 789, which condemn all resettlement attempts in the area.
On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a joint press conference with TRNC Prime Minister Ersin Tatar that the coastline of Varosha would be reopened from Thursday. The decision was announced just days before the October 11 presidential election in Northern Cyprus.
