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91. Government announces rules for crossing checkpoints

The Cyprus government on Friday announced the special rules that will apply for those groups permitted to move through crossing points as of June 8, but it remains unclear whether the ‘government’ in the north will be following through on the agreement between President Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish Cypriot leader....

92. The growing complications of the reopening of checkpoints

The discussion for the reopening of checkpoints will be anything but an easy feat, as in addition to the role played by the epidemiological situation, the matter is inevitably being politicized in view of ‘elections’ set to take place in the north, but also in light of the UNSG’s report expected around the end of June....

93. Health experts on divided island compare notes

Health experts from the two communities on divided Cyprus are expected to touch base on Monday, leaving politics aside as scientists try to prepare officials for the reopening of crossings in the buffer zone...

94. Negative coronavirus test certificate needed to go through crossings

With the partial opening of checkpoints on June 8, as agreed by the island’s two leaders on Thursday, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said that in addition to the enclaved, Greek Cypriots who resettled in their villages in the breakaway north will also be allowed to pass through crossing points....

95. First steps taken for the reopening of checkpoints

Substantial steps were taken on Thursday by the leaders of the island’s divided communities toward the reopening of crossing points, with the two agreeing that as a first step, certain groups of people will be allowed to cross through checkpoints as of June 8....

96. UNSG calls on two sides to cooperate on pandemic, opening of crossings

The leaders on both sides of the Cyprus divide received a letter from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who called for cooperation in dealing with the pandemic and in lifting restrictions at crossings....

97. Pressure mounting on T/C leadership to reopen checkpoints

Several Turkish Cypriot groups are stepping up pressure toward the leadership in the north to reopen checkpoints as soon as possible, given that the coronavirus pandemic appears to be fully recovering on both sides of the divide....

98. North and south touch base on coronavirus

A bicommunal technical committee on health was set to convene on Wednesday to discuss the situation pertaining to the coronavirus outbreak across Cyprus, while it was not clear whether meeting would include discussion on re-opening checkpoints...

99. UNFICYP ready to facilitate discussions for easing of restrictions at checkpoints

UNFICYP said Thursday it stands ready to “facilitate and support” disscussions between the two sides of the divided island once efforts begin for the easing of restrictions at crossing points....

100. Future for rescued refugees in north unknown

The fate of 175 Syrian refugees, trapped in the north of the island amid the coronavirus pandemic, remains unknown while a human rights group is calling on Greek Cypriot authorities to take them in...

101. Cyprus gets tougher with stricter bundle of measures

Stricter measures to contain the spread of coronavirus were announced by the Health Minister on Monday as the island scrambles to curb the steadily rising deaths and infections....

102. North Cyprus bars entry to citizens from all countries, including Turkey

In a further escalation of measures amid the unfolding coronavirus health crisis, the north moved to bar entry from land, air, and sea, to all third country nationals, including Turkish nationals....

103. President: Partial lockdown of airports, schools to remain closed until April 10

President Nicos Anastasiades addressed the nation on Friday night after the week saw cumulative confirmations of coronavirus cases across the divide....

104. Additional COVID-19 protection measures announced in the north

Turkish Cypriot ministers agreed on several additional coronavirus protection measures on Friday during their third emergency session on the unfolding pandemic....

105. UNFICYP urges cooperation in addressing coronavirus emergency

UNFICYP called on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to maintain communication and cooperation in addressing the coronavirus health emergency, and expressed its readiness to assist toward this end....

106. Turkish Cypriots close two crossings

Turkish Cypriot authorities have shut down two crossings on Thursday for ten days, following the latest developments with the coronavirus pandemic...

107. Cyprus tries to find footing after virus cases

Authorities on the divided island of Cyprus are scrambling to cope with the first three confirmed cases of the coronavirus, while a doctor and a young man in the south are feared to have spread the infection far and wide...

108. First coronavirus case confirmed in the north

The third case of coronavirus was announced on the divided island of Cyprus, after a foreign visitor was confirmed with the coronavirus infection in the north...

109. UN police block protesters at Ledra checkpoint

UN police in Cyprus were taking no chances at the Ledra checkpoint on Monday, blocking Turkish Cypriot demonstrators in the north who wanted to bring flowers to Greek Cypriot riot police behind fortified barricades in the south...

110. Cyprus scrambles to contain coronavirus risk

A police station and an army camp in Nicosia went under quarantine on Sunday following two suspected cases of the coronavirus, with health officials on the edge of their seat waiting for lab test results for over 30 individuals...

111. Police hold the line at Ledra checkpoint

Greek Cypriot police at Nicosia's Ledra crossing thwarted a barricade breach by Turkish Cypriot protesters on Saturday, as demonstrations against the checkpoint shutdown continued on both sides of the divided island...

112. EU criticizes Turkey on migration as border clashes resume

Clashes between Greek riot police and migrants attempting to cross the border from Turkey erupted anew Friday as European Union foreign ministers took aim at what they called “Turkey’s use of migratory pressure for political purposes.” ...

113. British Bases: No plan to shut Pergamos, Strovilia crossings

114. Ledra protester says officer attacked him

A peace activist, who took part in the protest at the Ledra checkpoint last Saturday, says he was the victim of an unprovoked attack by an officer in uniform and that police are trying to build a case against him...

115. Checkpoint closures to be extended until Monday

The closure of four crossing points last Saturday, in what the Government said would be a one-week temporary precaution against coronavirus outbreak, will be extended until Monday, the National Council agreed on Thursday....

116. Two more charged in Ledra protest

Two more people were detained for questioning in connection with the Ledra protest last week, with police seeking out more individuals...

117. Protesters march for checkpoint closings

A large group of protesters flocked to downtown in old Nicosia on Wednesday, condemning a recent barricade breach at Ledra checkpoint and calling for crossings on the divided island to be shut down on a permanent basis...

118. Akinci tells UNFICYP head coronavirus has nothing to do with checkpoint closures

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met with UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar on Wednesday to discuss the move by the Greek Cypriot Government to shut four crossings along then UN-controlled Buffer Zone last week....

119. EU interior ministers to pledge ‘all necessary measures’ to stop illegal crossings

EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday will pledge “all necessary measures” to prevent illegal crossings into the bloc’s external borders, according to a draft of their conclusions seen by Kathimerini, which also calls upon Turkey to abide by the terms of a 2016 deal to stem flows in the Aegean....

120. EU Commission notified of checkpoint closures

The European Commission has been informed of the temporary closing of four checkpoints, and said it would continue monitoring the situation closely in order to ensure that each closure and health checks remain in accordance with the Green Line Regulation....