In another shocking move by Turkey and the Turkish-backed regime in occupied northern Cyprus, the street in the occupied town of Varosha which had been named after American President John F. Kennedy has now been renamed Semih Sancar Avenue.
Coming as it does just days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the area, which was once a bustling resort peopled by Europe’s glitterati, the renaming is just another poke in the eye to the rest of the world, which does not recognize the legality of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and its occupying of lands it took in those actions.
The avenue serves as the town’s main thoroughfare. Sancar was Turkey’s chief of the general staff from 1973 to 1978, during which the Cyrus invasion was launched.
Contrary to several UN resolutions, Turkey opened up and cleaned up several areas in Varosha, which was supposed to have served as a no-man’s land between occupied northern Cyprus and the rest of the island after its abandonment by its residents ahead of advancing Turkish forces.
The “improvements” made at that time even include a bicycle lane, which the Turkish ambassador used to take a tour of the abandoned ghost town in another surreal move.
It is now possible for tourists who might want to visit the area to rent bicycles, which have been donated by the municipality of Konya, Turkey.
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