Çetinkaya Sports Club is counting the days before it starts playing football once again at the historic Taksim pitch.

Club President Süleyman Yemen said that returning to the pitch, which they saw as their home turf, after eight years was a great achievement.

Çetinkaya Football Club is counting the days before it returns to the historic Taksim pitch following an eight-year hiatus.

The renewed pitch, located next to the buffer zone opposite the Ledra Palace hotel until recently was used by UN patrol cars.

Following an initiative launched by the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations in October agreed to allow the Çetinkaya Sports Club to renew and use the football pitch.

The pitch is planned to be completed and ready for use in January.

The club’s football team will only use it for training and friendly matches.

Since half of the pitch’s stands are located in the buffer zone and the other half under the control of the Greek Cypriot Administration, Çetinkaya supporters and other fans will be able to watch the matches and training sessions from Zahra street along the old city walls, which is 3-4 meters from the field.

Once the pitch is open to use, Çetinkaya’s players will not be required to pass through the Ledra Palace checkpoint but will be able to access the pitch with the ladder lowered from the walls.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, the President of the Çetinkaya Sports Club Süleyman Yemen said that exercising the right to return to the Taksim pitch, which was reorganised for a rally in 2014, was an important development.