Varosha's mysterious hotel reservations raise concerns

Today, Yeniduzen highlights a peculiar development in Varosha as its main story under the headline "A strange reservation." The newspaper reports on the opening of reservations for four hotels within the Varosha gated area, scheduled for 2025. However, the status of this undertaking remains "undefined" due to the region's military zone designation, with only 3.5% of the area recently opened to the public, solely for pedestrian access.

According to the newspaper's reporter, Ertugrul Senova, an individual claims to have acquired all four hotels and initiated bookings through the website "varoshahotels.com." The listed prices start at $1189 per night, but the website fails to disclose the owner or operator's identity, as well as the company's offices, merely mentioning the hotels' location on John F. Kennedy Avenue.

To investigate further, the reporter made a reservation for June 2025 at one of the beachfront hotels and discovered an alarming practice. The website allows prepayment for hotel rooms that do not yet exist and have not received official approval for sale.

Yeniduzen references sources from the "real estate commission," asserting that the hotels, for which reservations are being taken, have not been officially sold. The newspaper points out that a purchase request was submitted two months ago but was returned due to incomplete information.

In response to the situation, Dimag Chayner, chairman of the T/C hotel owners Association, clarified the standard procedure required to open a hotel in the occupied territories. The process entails applying to the "Ministry of Tourism," obtaining approval from the committee for hotels, and obtaining the operating permit from the T/C hotel owners Association.

However, Chayner states that in this particular case, the necessary procedures were not followed, prompting concerns. The responsible individuals have been informed of the issue, as reported by the newspaper.

Despite the efforts to seek clarity, the reporter's inquiries to the "Ministry of Tourism" have gone unanswered as of now. The situation remains shrouded in mystery, with questions lingering about the legitimacy and validity of the hotel reservations in the contested region.