By Charlie Charalambous - Agence France-Presse

NICOSIA - The Turkish military launched an EU-funded program to clear its minefields in the UN-patrolled no-man’s land dividing Cyprus at a ceremony sponsored by the UN peacekeeping force in the capital yesterday.

The launch followed nearly two years of painstaking negotiations between the world body, the Turkish army and the Turkish-Cypriot leadership and was hailed by UN and EU officials as an important step in paving the way for freer movement across the so-called Green Line.

“Back in November, I said every mine destroyed brings us a step forward on the path to crossing points and peace... hopefully it will not be long before more crossing points are opened,” said Zbigniew Wlosowicz, the UN’s mission chief.

“Of course, it is also made possible because of the very welcome commitment of the Turkish-Cypriot authorities and Turkish military,” he added.

The European Union, which is funding the project to the tune of some 4 million euros, welcomed the move and said it hoped it would help reconcile the island’s divided Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities.

“This is an active contribution to peace-building, increased safety and reconciliation here on the island,” said Kezban Akansoy of the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.

There are currently just four crossing points across the Green Line, one of them reserved for pedestrians, but others are planned once de-mining work permits.

The de-mining work is to start around Nicosia, the world’s last divided capital, before being extended to other sections of the 180-kilometer (110-mile) ceasefire line. “De-mining will proceed in minefields in and around Nicosia with a view to expanding the project across the entire length of the buffer zone,” said project manager Mick Raine.

A total of 101 minefields are believed to have been sown around the island since communal disturbances first broke out in late 1963, 48 of them in the buffer zone and 53 outside, Raine told AFP.

The island’s internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot government began clearing minefields in the buffer zone laid by its National Guard last November and so far a dozen have been cleared or made safe, although another nine disputed fields remain in place.

The cleared minefields contained 2,186 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines over an area of 575,686 square meters (nearly 6.2 million square feet).

“However, there are some disputed minefields which we don’t know who they belong to and this has to be determined through negotiation.”