Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Saturday renewed his call for crossing points to be opened in the eastern Nicosia suburb of Mia Milia, and in the village of Louroujina, which is located between Nicosia and Larnaca.

Speaking to TV2020, he said the opening of the two crossing points would “reduce traffic congestion”, but that despite his efforts, he said, the Greek Cypriot side has not yet shown reciprocal will for crossing points to be opened.

“There is no initiative from the Greek Cypriot side on this issue,” he said, before criticising President Nikos Christodoulides’ stance on the matter.

Tatar has long charged that the Greek Cypriot side aims to open “transit roads” connecting the Republic with other parts of the Republic, rather than crossing points designed to facilitate passage between the island’s two sides.

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Previously, a crossing point connecting Athienou with the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia via the north, and a road through the Turkish Cypriot exclave of Kokkina, in the island’s northwest, had been put forward.

“The proposal for a corridor which would provide for passage from the south to the south, through Kokkina or through Athienou, is unacceptable both from a security perspective, and from other perspectives,” he said, adding that he is “disappointed” in the current situation.

Earlier this month, he had also poured cold water on the idea of opening a new crossing point in central Nicosia following a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides.

“There is no serious congestion on Ledra Street. Every crossing point has security, personnel, and infrastructure costs. At the moment, opening a new pedestrian crossing point near Ledra Street is not a need. The most important need is to ease vehicular crossings,” he told Tak, the north’s news agency, at the time.

He added, “I clearly told the Greek Cypriot leader…  ‘do not take this matter lightly, it does not matter what our political situation is; these people are continuing to live, and the crossings are continuing”.

On this matter, he accused the Greek Cypriots of “following a policy to reduce the number of crossings”.

“The fewer people who cross to this side, the more it suits them, because every person who crosses to this side addresses this side. They are stamped; papers are drawn up. This does not suit the Greek Cypriot administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Kythrea and Louroujina mayor Ali Karavezirler had said the Louroujina crossing point “will be the first to be opened” after the Turkish Cypriot leadership election in October.

“Believing is half of success. We set out on this path to get this crossing point, and at the end of the road it will be beautiful. With this belief and determination, we are ready to open the crossing point,” he said.

He also criticised Greek Cypriot Athienou Mayor Kyriacos Kareklas, saying that Kareklas had suggested a viaduct be built over the top of the north, between Louroujina and Ercan (Tymbou) airport near the village of Pyroi, to connect Athienou and the Nicosia suburb of Aglandjia.

“[Kareklas] wants a viaduct, that is, a transit passage. Lands would pass under a bridge and vehicles would pass over it, but the Turkish Cypriot side would not be included. It was said that the Greek Cypriot side would go from Athienou to Aglandjia … This would be a border correction, we cannot accept this,” he said.

Instead, he said, he had suggested that three crossing points be opened – one in Aglandjia, one in Athienou, and one in Louroujina.

“The village of Pyroi is on this map. I suggested building a roundabout and having crossing points around there,” he said, adding that he had devised a plan and submitted maps to both Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and the Turkish military.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had announced at the enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem in Geneva in March that four new crossing points would open on the island, but progress has since stalled, with Tatar now refusing to meet President Nikos Christodoulides in light of recent arrests made by the Republic of Cyprus of people accused of selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north.

The village of Lympia is located immediately south of Louroujina, with the town of Dali and the village of Potamia being located to the west and northwest.

With no adjacent crossing point, Louroujina’s only transport link to the rest of the island is a single road which heads northwards and under the runway of Ercan (Tymbou) airport towards the main road between northern Nicosia and Famagusta.