The Turkish army invaded in 1974 the northern third of the Mediterranean island in reaction to a coup d'etat by Cypriot-Greek nationalists who wanted to attach the island to Greece.

And a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), where Turkish Cypriots live, was self-proclaimed there in 1983, only recognized by Ankara.

If those who go to consume in the North are generally considered "traitors" on the southern side, many Greek Cypriots have nevertheless taken the plunge.

The vertiginous fall of the Turkish lira and a drop in fuel taxes in the north have made the price of petrol very attractive, while in the south Greek Cypriots pay in euros and suffer inflation not seen since 1981.

"Save money"

According to figures from the Greek Cypriot police, the number of vehicles using road crossing points in the South/North direction has tripled in one year, from 197,230 between January and August 2021 to 601,749 for the same period in 2022.

"I fill up there every week because with four children and a relatively low salary, I can't make ends meet," said a 45-year-old woman in her car at the Nicosia checkpoint.

She prefers to remain anonymous like most motorists interviewed.

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Going to the North makes it possible to take advantage of a price per liter of gasoline that is approximately 25% lower than in the South.

Usually, outside peak hours, the passage from one side to the other is a matter of ten minutes.

Time to show his passport to the Greek Cypriot police before being registered a few dozen meters further by the Turkish Cypriot police.

In recent months, it has not been uncommon to have to wait half an hour to enter the "occupied zone", so called by the Greek Cypriot government.

"My salary is only 700 euros. By refueling several times a month in the North, I can save 200 euros," explains Fanourios Michail, a 60-year-old carpenter.

"Greek Cypriots represent half of my customers and my turnover", explains the Cypriot-Turkish Mehmet Tel, the manager of the K-Pet gas station located 500 m from the crossing point.

This northern gas rush has drawn the ire of the Southern Gas Station Owners Association.

According to its spokesman Christodoulos Christodolou, this phenomenon would represent an annual loss of income of 7 million euros for the owners of service stations and 80 million euros in tax revenue on fuels for the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the 'European Union.

"Illegal"

"We want this illegal phenomenon to stop and for the + Green Line + regulations to be applied", explains Mr. Christodoulou to AFP, in reference to the demilitarized zone controlled by the UN which cuts the island in two.

This European regulation defines the conditions for the movement of people and goods between the two areas.

However, it stipulates, recalls Mr. Christodoulou, that the movement of fuel from "occupied territories" to areas controlled by the government is prohibited.

Above all, the Association accuses the authorities of turning a blind eye to this phenomenon.

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Allegations refuted by Cypriot government spokesman Marios Pelekanos.

Controls are carried out to "reduce the illegal movement of fuel while protecting tax revenues and reducing the impact on legitimate fuel suppliers", he told AFP.

Skeptical, Mr. Christodoulou said Wednesday at a press conference that his association had denounced the government's attitude to the EU.

After having “exhausted all possibilities of contact with the competent authorities”, she claims “compensation” from the State for “all the damage suffered”.

The association also does not rule out contacting Frontex, the EU's border surveillance agency, for stricter controls on the Green Line, even if it is not legally a border.

© 2022 AFP