A Turkish soldier uses binoculars to look at the Greek-Cypriot side of Nicosia yesterday. The Cypriot government yesterday backtracked from an informal deal with the Turkish Cypriots to reunify the capital’s main shopping street after some 40 years of division. Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said Turkish troops had taken advantage of the accord to violate the UN-monitored buffer zone between the two communities. Chrysostomides said Nicosia withdrew its consent for the planned move ‘because Turkish occupying forces have advanced beyond the ceasefire line.’ Work on taking down the barricades around Ledras Street began on Thursday.