More than 16,000 Turkish and Greek Cypriots visited the other side of the divided island in the New Year holiday and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, the Turkish- language daily Kibris Gazetesi reported on Thursday.

 

Statistics show that from Dec. 31, 2006 to Jan. 2, 2007, 11,249 Turkish Cypriots celebrating both the New Year and Eid al-Adha festival went through crossing points along the UN-controlled buffer zone and spent their holiday in the south.

 

Meanwhile, 5,469 Greek Cypriots living in the south visited the Turkish Cypriot-dominant northern part of the island during the holiday.

 

About 4,000 immigrants working in the south also joined the large crowd in visiting the north.

 

Long motorcades were witnessed near several crossing points during the holiday, the report said.

 

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

 

Currently, there are five crossing points between areas controlled by the internationally-recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot community in the north. People from both sides exchange visits for shopping and holiday-making.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2007)