Contacts have been recently taking place both toward the Turkish Cypriot leadership and toward Ankara so that the issue of the Maronites’ return to their villages in the TRNC will be resurrected, Phileleftheros reported on Saturday.
Giannakis Mousas, representative of the Maronites in the Cypriot Parliament, told Phileleftheros that he also sees some mobility on the whole issue.
He noted that he had been continuously trying to push the issue of the Maronite’s return to their villages. Within this framework, he added, his efforts are directed not only toward the Turkish Cypriot leaders but also toward the Turkish Government.
The role of Turkey is decisive because two of the Maronite villages, Asomatos and Agia Marina, are near a military zone and so the decision-making is up to Ankara.
However, he added that despite many statements and announcements, the Maronites will not believe that there is a positive outcome to the whole issue unless they have a decision.
Maronites believe that their issue is purely a humanitarian one and is not related to the moves of the Turkish Cypriot leadership regarding other areas, for example, Varosha.
It seems that the Greek Cypriot government is expecting developments on the issue of Varosha while regarding the case of the Maronites there is nothing definite so far, government sources reported.
Regarding the fenced-off area of Famagusta, the TRNC government announced also the opening of the town’s public buildings and this has been confirmed by South Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis.
