Talat offers Varosha over sanctions

Turkish Cypriot community leader Mehmet Ali Talat said Thursday his side was ready to return Varosha to the Greek Cypriots in return for the lifting of the embargo on the Turkish side and for the opening of Turkish Cypriot ports to international trade.

In his interview with the Associated Press, Talat called on the Greek Cypriot side to agree to Turkish Cypriot participation in international activity, including sports events.

Varosha is under Turkish control but the United Nations-protected area with its decaying hotels and sandy beaches has remained abandoned for the past 30 years, making it a ghost city.