Visitor influx to Varosha in the TRNC
The number of people visiting Varosha, located within the borders of the Gazimağusa city of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has reached 2 million.
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The 2 millionth visitor to Varosha, which was gradually opened to the public on October 8, 2020, after 46 years, was the Özcan family—Mihrican, Aycan, and Tuna—from Turkey.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Security Forces Commander Major General Osman Aytaç, and Gazimağusa Mayor Süleyman Uluçay met with the Özcan family, who were visiting Varosha, and presented them with gifts.
In his speech there, President Tatar recalled that Varosha was opened to visitors after 46 years during his term with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, noting that there is intense interest in the region.
Tatar explained that the Turkish Cypriots have maintained their presence on the island for 453 years, stating that there are many historical artifacts in Varosha dating back to the Ottoman era.
Stating that Varosha is an ancient and very important piece of land belonging to the Turkish Cypriot people, TRNC President Tatar used the expression, "Varosha is a foundation and ancestral property, and the land is ours."
Ersin Tatar thanked Security Forces Commander Major General Aytaç and the soldiers for always protecting Varosha in the best possible way.
Aycan Özcan also expressed the family's happiness at being in Varosha and wished for more tourists to come to the region.