Turkish VP: Varosha to be open for tourists

Varosha (Maras) - a suburb in Cypriot city of Famagusta, which is considered a "ghost town” in northern part of Cyprus, will be open for tourists, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said during a visit to Northern Cyprus.

"The property left in Varosha will also be returned to the owners,” Oktay added, Trend reports on Sept. 20 referring to the Turkish media.

Varosha was at the peak of its popularity from 1970 to 1974 and enjoyed the recognition of many famous personalities of that time. Among the celebrities who visited the city were Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot.

Varosha still has hotels, entertainment facilities, bars, restaurants and nightclubs there, yet the city has been abandoned. One of the hotels was put into operation three days before the residents left Varosha.

Some of the hotel complexes in Varosha are still the legal private property of citizens from 20 countries.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, is the state proclaimed in 1983, which covers the third part of northern island of Cyprus. The negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus resumed in February 2014 after a two-year break. In fact, the negotiations on the unification of the island are underway for a long time, but they are futile.