Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Thursday said there is a fundamental difference between the positions of Cyprus’ two sides regarding the opening of new crossing points.

Speaking to Kibris Postasi TV, he said that while his aim was to open new crossing points linking the Republic and the north, he believes it is the Greek Cypriot side’s aim to open what would effectively be transit roads connecting the Republic with other parts of the Republic.

“We wanted a crossing point at Mia Milia, while the Greek Cypriot side wanted to transit through the Turkish military areas near Athienou and Kokkina. This is unacceptable,” he said.

A crossing point near Athienou, for example, would cut journey times for people from Cyprus’ southeast to Nicosia if connected to another crossing point on the western side of the part of territory held by the north which juts southwards to encompass the village of Louroujina.

Meanwhile, while a crossing point near the Kokkina exclave would make life easier for the residents of the surrounding Greek Cypriot villages, the exclave itself has a civilian population of zero, thus raising questions of whether such a crossing point would be beneficial for Turkish Cypriots.

Referring to the informal dinner he had attended with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President Nikos Christodoulides, he said, “we did not talk to you like this in New York, we talked about a crossing point”.

Tatar and Christodoulides had agreed at the informal dinner to hold future meetings to discuss the opening of more crossing points, but since then, local authorities in potential locations have all doubled down on their insistence that they be first.

The Athienou municipality told Christodoulides last month that it “will not accept the opening of any crossing points if those openings do not include Pyroi”, a nearby village in the north.

Meanwhile, Pyrgos mukhtar Nikos Kleanthous warned that Tillyria residents would “react strongly” if priority is not given to the opening of a crossing point at the Kokkina exclave.

Tatar had pushed for the opening of a crossing point in Mia Milia on Nicosia’s eastern edge in June last year, but he had said the proposal met a stumbling block when the Greek Cypriot side suggested that a crossing point be opened in Kokkina.

He had at the time poured cold water on the idea of a crossing point in Kokkina, saying that it is not possible to open a crossing point there as it is a “sacred area” and functions as a military base.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci has been pushing for more crossing points to be opened in Cyprus’ divided capital, saying last week he plans to “bring onto the agenda” the possible opening of a second crossing point in Nicosia’s old town.

He said a crossing point could be opened at the end of Kuyumcular street. The street runs from north to south past the front of the Selimiye mosque and the western side of the Bandabulya, northern Nicosia’s covered market.

The street is linked to Trikoupi street in the Republic, at the northern end of which is the Centre of information and education for employment and business action in vulnerable groups (Keeaed). The street runs southwards to the Ohi roundabout.

He also called on President Nikos Christodoulides to open himself up to the idea of opening more crossing points and said that work is already going ahead behind the scenes with this aim.

To this end, he said he was now holding weekly meetings with Greek Cypriot Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos about the possibility of new crossing points being opened in the capital, and also reiterated his demand that Nicosia not be “held captive” by demands for crossing points in other parts of the country.

“We need a crossing point. This crossing point must not become a slave to other crossing points,” he said.