Sales of products from the occupied areas to the government-controlled areas have exceeded 88 million euros, since the first implementation of the Green Line directive, 19 years ago.
According to Turkish Cypriot Yeni Duzen, the five most popular products are prefabricated pieces, wooden constructions, building materials, plastic materials, and fresh fish.
The Green Line Regulation was approved by the European Union after the referendum in April 2004. Since then, a total of 88,044,359 euros in sales from the occupied areas have been recorded.
This year, from the beginning of 2022 until the end of August, sales of products have reached 8,830,000 euros, a record amount.
Izzet Adiloglu, trade development specialist at the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, said that supply chain issues arising from the pandemic, have led the “south” – as he said – to appreciate the market in the occupied areas as an alternative.
Another reason for the increase in sales, according to Adiloglu, is the loss in value of the Turkish lira vis-à-vis the euro.
As he noted, record sales were recorded in June, amounting to 1,4 million euros, while the rest of the summer months also saw increased sales. Specifically, 1,2 million euros in July and 1,3 million euros in August.
