April 23, 2003: Opening of Border Crossings After 29 Years
On April 23, 2003, border crossings between North and South Cyprus were opened after 29 years of complete separation. In the first 15 days, approximately 260,000 Greek Cypriots and nearly 100,000 Turkish Cypriots took the opportunity to visit the other side of their divided island. The scenes at Ledra Palace with thousands of people were considered emotionally moving and historically significant.