New border crossing given fresh impetus in

A new crossing between the North and the South is to be opened at Yesilirmak; known locally as "Strawberry Valley" in reference to the superb crops grown there.

Agreements have been reached between the Greek Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali, although a new road is needed to be able to cope with the expected traffic levels.


Fact File

Yesilirmak is a green valley hidden amongst the hills of the northwest slopes of the Trodoos Mountain in Cyprus, stretching all the way to the sea.

According to local historians, settlement to this area goes back to the early 19th century. The first inhabitants of the area were two families; the Osman family, who settled in Kurutepe and the Süleyman family who settled in Süleymaniye. These two settlements were later increased to four, extending to Günebakan and Yagmuralan.

The inhabitants are thought to have come from northern Turkey following the inclusion of Cyprus to the Ottoman Empire in 1571.