Traffic Grinds to a Halt in Kyrenia, Mayor Şenkul Explains the Cause

According to Şenkul, traffic came to a standstill around 4:00 PM after a TIR broke down in the middle of the road, coinciding with a traffic accident near the narrow bridge in Ozanköy. He later confirmed via social media that traffic returned to normal around 6:30 PM once the broken-down TIR was repaired and the partially closed road in Ozanköy was reopened.

Şenkul criticised the ongoing restriction that forces trucks and lorries arriving from the east to pass through the city centre via Semih Sancar Street, as they are prohibited from using the main Nicosia-Kyrenia road. "I don’t know whether to focus on the ruined roads, the dust and debris in the city, the dangers being created, or the chaos caused by even the smallest vehicle breakdown," he said.

He stressed that until the Eastern Bypass Road becomes operational, the government must urgently reconsider the entry ban for heavy vehicles from the Nicosia direction. “As Kyrenia Municipality, we want both the government and our citizens to know that we are ready to do whatever is required on our part,” he added.

Şenkul noted that although the upcoming Doğanköy–Eminağa connection road, expected to be completed by September, will help alleviate the problem, the real solution lies in expanding the Kyrenia–Çatalköy road to dual lanes and providing direct access to the Dr. Fazıl Küçük roundabout without entering the city centre. “We couldn’t prevent today’s problem, but we wanted to share the reason behind it,” Şenkul concluded.