The Cyprus government and the Turkish Cypriot leadership are in a furious row over a decision by tour operator Tui to stop daytrips to the north, with leader Ersin Tatar gearing up to open hotels in Varosha in retaliation.

The issue emerged after an email circulated by Tui’s local office saying that the one-day trips to the north would be stopped on August 31, sparking outrage by the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

In an article in Yeni Bakis, it was reported that due to the development Tatar was seeking to open those hotels in Varosha for which the Greek Cypriot owners had received compensation through the immovable property commission.

The article also said that there is an investor that would be interested in revamping the crumbling hotels, something they had reported on in the past.

Two years ago, the newspaper said an unnamed businessman claimed to have purchased hotels in Varosha, and that he would be accepting bookings for the 2025 season.

The businessman additionally claimed that he had purchased a total of four hotels, 86 apartments and 20 donums of land. Plans were underway to build an amusement park and a beach club on that land, he said.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis skirted around the subject of a ‘deal’ struck with Tui on CyBC radio on Wednesday morning, saying the Republic of Cyprus had not “violated the Green Line regulation” and that his deputy ministry “does not cooperate with any organisation which promotes a programme for tourists to stay in the occupied territories”.

Pressed further on the matter, he added that “we work with a large number of organisations, but I do not think it is right to make statements about an agreement which concerns two parties.”

He continued down this line later in the day, telling the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that “we never choose to make any information public”.

Koumis’ statements come a day after Turkish Cypriots reacted furiously to reports of a deal, which included a screenshot of an email which was reportedly sent by Tui’s operations team manager on the island to local tour guides.

“Tui has come to an agreement with [the] Cyprus government to stop promoting and selling excursions to [the] northern occupied side of Cyprus. This applies to all languages and all excursions where we currently cross the border to the north,” the Tui announcement reportedly said.

Additionally, Tui’s website now lists its “Northern Cyprus Tour with Famagusta, Salamis, and Kyrenia” day trip package as “sold out”.

The decision was met with approval by the Cyprus Hotelier’s Association (Pasyxe) Famagusta branch.

“This action is to the credit of Tui, which was essentially promoting competition with its tours in the occupied territories. We believe that the company’s move to discontinue day trips from the state-controlled to the occupied areas of Cyprus is a positive step to prevent the leakage of visitors to the occupied areas,” said the head of Pasyxe in Famagusta Panayiotis Constantinou.

He added that they have been raising the issue of tourists going to the north from Famagusta and Larnaca for years, and the Tui’s decision is a positive step.

“The specific step by Tui is also possibly a way of not promoting to visitors the issue of recognising the breakaway regime,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot restauranteurs’ association (Res-Bir) board member Cemal Gulercan told newspaper Kibris on Tuesday that the reported deal is “malicious”.

“This decision aims to limit tourism activities in North Cyprus and is an action which has shaken the peace and trust between the two communities,” he said.

Tatar said the Republic is “blackmailing” tour operators, and that “this situation once again reveals the true intentions of the Greek Cypriot leader [Nikos Christodoulides] and therefore the Greek Cypriot administration regarding Cyprus’ future.”

However, Tatar’s narrative was not met with praise by some of the opposition ‘MPs’ in the north.

CTP ‘MP’ Sami Ozuslu accused Tatar of further isolating Turkish Cypriots, through his divisive two-state policy.

Also reacting, CTP leader Tufan Erhurman accused the ‘government’ in the north of further pushing the Turkish Cypriot people away from dialogue and giving fuel to Christodoulides in the issue that arose with Tui.

“As we have always said, those [the government] who are not only pushing the Turkish Cypriot people away from the right path, but also rejecting all kinds of diplomacy and dialogue opportunities, continue to offer Mr Christodoulides, whose reliability and sincerity are questioned with every step he takes, not only in terms of a comprehensive solution but also in terms of establishing an environment of trust between the two sides, the opportunity to use any instrument he wishes recklessly,” he said.

Koumis’ statements also come amid rumours of potential ramifications for Tui in Turkey.

A total of 2.2 million people travelled on holiday to Turkey with Tui in 2023 – a number which is said to account for up to one in five Tui customers worldwide.

Reports in the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish media on Wednesday suggested that the Turkish government may now react to the use of the word “occupied” in the reported email, as well as to the ending of the excursions’ operation, though it is as yet unclear what such a reaction would entail.