Unexploded mortar shells which were found on the grounds of what will soon be Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s official residence in Ayios Dhometios were detonated on Wednesday morning.

The Turkish Cypriot authorities carried out a controlled detonation at the site shortly after 9am, though the lack of prior public announcement caused concern among some local residents on both sides of the Green Line.

After a number of people living in the Republic called the police after hearing the explosion, the Republic’s police confirmed that the explosion had occurred in the north, and that it posed no danger to people living on the other side.

Some media reports had suggested the explosion had taken place at a Turkish army outpost, while others had said it was part of roadworks or even demining exercises along the Green Line.

The new complex in Ayios Dhometios, which will house a new ‘presidential’ palace and a new ‘parliament’ building, was built on a former military base.