'We want to invest' - the challengers to 'Ghost Town

Tourist entrepreneurs in the South Aegean region in Turkey have decided to invest in Maraş, known as the "ghost town," following a statement by Northern Cyprus Prime Minister and National United Party leader Ersin Tatar, who expressed his desire to open up the region to serve humanity and the economy.

Sharing his thoughts on the issue, deputy chairman of the Turkish Hoteliers Association (TÜROFED) and chairman of the South Aegean Tourism Hotels and Businessmen Association (GETOB) Bülent Bülbüloglu emphasized that the Marasi region of Northern Cyprus is Turkish land. Bülbüloglu added: "Last year, the prime minister of NorthernCyprus announced the''the possibility of opening up the ghost town to tourism. We have declared our interest. Three days ago, due to the same declarations and developments, we activated to regain our Turkish land. We are the leading tourism operators in our country and we want to acquire the Maraş region. In 1960 it was the center of the world for the Jetset and the English aristocracy. If Cyprus fails to revitalize this ghostly area, we are willing to acquire it. We are in contact with the Ministry of Tourism and fellow tourists.

Bulbuloglu noted that in the 1960s Marash was known as the 'Las Vegas of the Mediterranean' for the world''jetset, and since 1974 it has been closed to settlement and habitation by decision of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. According to the government of Northern Cyprus, it will take about 10 billion dollars to restore Marash to its former form. Marash had 45 hotels with 10,000 beds and 60 apart-hotels until 1974. 58% of the tourist flow in the region was Greek tourism. There were 3 thousand commercial facilities, 99 entertainment centers, 143 management offices, 4649 private houses, 21 banks, 24 theaters and cinemas, unfinished construction, and a library with 8500 books in English, Greek and Turkish. We are interested in this region.