TRNC President Advocates for Opening Haspolat Crossing to Ease Traffic at Metehan

The President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, recently met with Mehmet Harmancı, the mayor of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia (LTB). During the meeting, President Tatar urged the opening of the Haspolat (Mia Milia) crossing point as a solution to reduce the heavy traffic at the Metehan (Agios Dometios) checkpoint.

President Tatar emphasized that, among the nine crossing points on the island, Metehan experiences the highest traffic congestion. To address this issue, technical committees have proposed opening the Haspolat checkpoint for commercial vehicles, especially taxis.

Expressing his satisfaction with Mayor Harmancı’s attention to the checkpoint issues in Nicosia, President Tatar praised the collaborative efforts to address this critical matter.

It’s important to note that the possibility of opening the Haspolat checkpoint was discussed in October during an informal meeting between the leaders of the two communities and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York. Guterres advised both leaders to explore this topic further in Cyprus.

The meeting was also attended by Günes Onar, the president’s special representative, and Sennur Birand Çınar, the coordinator for confidence-building measures and bilateral technical committees.

In late October, President Tatar reiterated his readiness to open the Mia Milia (Haspolat) crossing point on the eastern outskirts of Nicosia. Once the necessary road construction in the Haspolat area is completed, the crossing point will be operational.

Related: All Cyprus Checkpoints – Locations, Operating Hours, and Modes of Transport