The return of the abandoned resort area of Varosha in northern Cyprus to its lawful residents will be discussed today, November 7, at a meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin. She will meet with delegations from the Greek Cypriot municipal authorities of Famagusta and Morphou, which have continued to operate in exile since the island was divided in 1974, BNR and the Cypriot publication Cyprus Mail report.
Famagusta Mayor Simos Ioannou will insist that the fenced-off part of Varosha be returned to its former residents under UN administration. In exchange, the opening of the port of Famagusta under the supervision of the European Union is being proposed.
According to Ioannou, such a step could become an important confidence-building measure between the two Cypriot communities and create conditions for the resumption of talks on the reunification of the island.
The proposal is part of a package of 19 initiatives by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, aimed at overcoming the prolonged deadlock in the negotiations.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, however, has already rejected the plan. According to him, the proposed measures do not provide sufficient guarantees for direct trade between Turkish Cypriots and the European Union and do not constitute an equitable arrangement.
Varosha, once one of the most popular tourist areas in the Eastern Mediterranean, was abandoned in August 1974, when its residents left the area during the Turkish military operation in Cyprus. For decades, the district remained fenced off and uninhabited, earning it the nickname “ghost city”.
In 2020 and 2021, the Turkish Cypriot authorities opened parts of the area to visitors, drawing criticism from the UN and the European Union.
UN Security Council Resolutions 550 of 1984 and 789 of 1992 establish the international framework for the status of Varosha. They reject the settlement of the area by anyone other than its lawful residents and provide for it to be placed under UN administration.
In a resolution adopted in 2026, the Security Council again called for the reversal of the unilateral actions taken in Varosha after October 2020 and warned against further steps that could increase tensions on the island.
Today’s talks are part of Maria Angela Holguin’s diplomatic mission to restore dialogue between the two Cypriot communities. A trilateral meeting between her, Nikos Christodoulides and Tufan Erhürman is scheduled for November 9.
The main goal is to identify opportunities for concrete confidence-building measures and the possible resumption of official negotiations under the auspices of the UN. Despite the diplomatic activity, no agreement has so far been reached on the future of Varosha.
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