Building trust between communities and overcoming division in Cyprus is the long-standing goal of Unficyp when facilitating religious visits, Unficyp spokesperson Siddique Aleem said as 80 Turkish Cypriots visited the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque in Larnaca on Wednesday.

“[The goal is] to allow people to connect with their faith and heritage and help overcome division on the island,” Siddique said.

Asked to comment on whether access to religious sites is a confidence-building measure, he said that this has always been part of Unficyp’s mission.

“That has always been the goal. The reason we facilitate these visits is to help build trust between communities and overcome division,” he said.

Unficyp’s head of political affairs Munehiko Harada added that facilitating access to religious sites was a “vital part” of the force’s work to build trust and strengthen relations between communities.

“It’s about creating the space for people from both communities to connect with their heritage and with each other. When we coordinate a religious ceremony or help organise a visit, like today’s to Hala Sultan Tekke, we do more than facilitate a passage. We help bridge a divide that has kept communities apart for decades,” he said.