Dividing wall is breached

last updated 8 January 2015

Nicosia, Cyprus

Thousands of elated Greek and Turkish Cypriots visited each other’s half of the divided island last week after Turkish Cypriot leaders unexpectedly opened the border. The island was partitioned in 1974, when Turkish troops occupied the northern half after a Greek coup. The Greek-Cypriot part is internationally recognized, while the Turkish-run northern part is recognized only by Turkey. But with membership in the E.U. approaching next year for the Greek part, the Turkish part has every incentive to seek reunification. “We want to give freedom to the people of both sides to get together,” said Serdar Denktash, a deputy prime minister and son of the northern Cypriot leader, “to see whether the fears we had still exist or not.”