North Cyprus says reopening beach area abandoned since 1974 conflict

Northern Cyprus will reopen the beach section of the town of Varosha on Thursday, the breakaway state's premier said, referring to a former resort abandoned in no-man's land since a Turkish invasion in 1974 that split the island.

The announcement could further stoke Turkish tensions with Cyprus and Greece. Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot prime minister, made it at a joint news conference with President Tayyip Erdogan who said Turkey fully supported the decision.