President Ersin Tatar was in the fenced-off city of Maraş on Thursday to inspect the work being carried out in the area.

Tatar who toured the fenced-off town with the Mayor of Gazimağusa İsmail Arter highlighted the importance of the city.

He said that the high number of tourists who visited the opened up section of the town demonstrated the tourism potential of Gazimağusa.

“We see that Maraş and Gazimağusa is a tourism hotspot. The Maraş initiative was initiated during my term in office as prime minister. This initiative is part of our two-state policy. Maraş which had remained closed to the public for 47 years is now a popular site to visit and has become an international brand. More importantly it is also popular among Greek Cypriot visitors,” Tatar said, adding that once fully opened Maraş will become a true centre of attraction.

Also speaking, the Mayor of Gazimağusa İsmail Arter also pointed out that the opening of the fenced-off town had drawn the spotlight on the city.

He said that the high number of visitors will have an impact on the negotiations process.

Arter thanked the president for the visit.