Cypriots freely cross between sides of island

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- For the first time in three decades, Greek and Turkish Cypriots crossed from one side of their war-divided island to the other Wednesday, a symbolic moment in efforts toward a peace settlement.

Thousands of Cypriots -- some shouting for joy -- passed through a checkpoint dividing the capital Nicosia. Two days earlier, the Turkish side announced it was lifting its long-standing travel ban, a gesture that came after it was blamed for quashing a U.N. peace deal.

"I'm delighted," said Ahmet Osduran, the first Turkish Cypriot to cross the Greek Cypriot police checkpoint. He was going to visit his old home on the other side of Nicosia for the first time "in so many years.

"I hope this division may soon finish for good," he added, overcome with emotion.

Cyprus has been split into a Greek Cypriot controlled south and the Turkish Cypriot north since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is recognized only by Turkey, which maintains 40,000 troops there.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has been pushing the sides toward a unifying peace deal, and conditions of the island's future membership in the European Union hinge on its reconciliation.

A U.N. official called it "a very important day" for Cyprus, although the deep divisions over territory and recognition that have blocked peace efforts remain.

"We hope that this change will be followed by more good things that will contribute to reconciliation on the island," said Zbignew Wlosowicz, Annan's representative on the island.

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou -- whose country holds the rotating EU presidency -- noted that the border opening came a week after Cyprus signed its agreement to join the bloc. The whole island becomes a full EU member on May 1, 2004, but EU laws and benefits will not apply to the Turkish-Cypriot side pending reunification.

"There is a new dynamic on the island ... to find a solution," Papandreou said in Brussels, Belgium. "This contact between citizens ... is breaking down the walls."

Police said 2,523 Turkish Cypriots and 1,256 Greek Cypriots walked across the 500-yard wide U.N. buffer zone splitting the capital -- though they all had to return by the end of the day.

The Cyprus government, which never imposed movement restrictions, welcomed the lifting of the travel ban but said it was designed "to deflect attention from Turkey's rejection of a U.N. reunification plan last month."

The Turkish Cypriot deputy premier, Serdar Denktash -- also son of the breakaway state's leader Rauf Denktash -- denied any ulterior motive. "We want people to cross to get to know each other again and see if they can live together."

Iacovos Nikitaras, a Greek Cypriot refugee from the north, drove with his wife and young children to the coastal resort of Kyrenia, 16 miles from Nicosia.

"This is unbelievable," he said. "We saw our home again and talked to the Turkish Cypriot family who are living there now. They were very nice to us and we all wished for a return to the happy days before the division."

Turkish Cypriots stood for up to an hour to cross the checkpoint. But police only allowed Turkish Cypriots with Cyprus government identity cards to pass -- leaving out the more than 100,000 settlers from Turkey who have arrived since the invasion.

Greek Cypriots had to show their passports, and some protested that such documents should only be necessary for visiting a foreign country.

Since the 1974 invasion, nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots who fled or were driven from the north have not been allowed to return. Brief visits were allowed only on very few occasions.

Turkish Cypriots also were prevented from visiting the south, including 40,000 who moved to the north after the invasion.