Newsroom
Convoys of small buses began crossing from the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus into Kokkina early Thursday morning for an annual commemoration marking the anniversary of the 1964 bombing of Tylliria by the Turkish air force.
According to Andreas Karos, head of the committee advocating for the opening of the Tylliria roadblocks, the first buses rolled through the Limnitis checkpoint shortly after 7 a.m. The event draws attendees from the north each year to honor those killed in the bombing, which took place during intercommunal fighting on the island.
Karos said around 50 buses carrying an estimated 900 to 1,000 people are expected to make the trip in stages, escorted by vehicles from the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Two media vehicles from the north also joined the procession.
The crossing, which began with smaller buses and media crews, was expected to wrap up shortly after 9 a.m.
