Some 70 people from both communities were united in acknowledging their common past, in a tree-planting ceremony, which has become a tradition symbolizing the desire for peace on the island.

According to Andrew Russell, Programme Manager of the Bi-Communal Development Programme, which supported the project “Any initiative which unites Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in mutual respect of their respective cultural and religious sites and customs must be seen as a positive step along the road of reconciliation. The Cypress Tree Project has been a successful practical example of inter-communal dialogue and co-operation”.

The Turkish-Cypriot cemetery of Pano Lefkara joins the Greek-Cypriot cemeteries of Vasileia (Kyrenia district) and Fylia (Morphou district) and the Turkish-Cypriot cemetery of Larnaca/Tuzla (Larnaca district) in the island-wide project to rehabilitate cemeteries, which had previously been inaccessible to Cypriots. In Pano Lefkara Cypriots from both communities rehabilitated the wall surrounding the cemetery, a small storage room and the main entrance gate. The area within the cemetery was also carefully cleaned of debris.

The Cypress Tree Project is an initiative aimed at assisting Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to rehabilitate cemeteries, which have been inaccessible to them over the years. Under the first phase of the project, an inventory was developed of all known cemeteries on the island in order to record the status of their current condition. The current phase of the project involves the rehabilitation and tree planting of five pilot cemeteries, two Greek Cypriot cemeteries, two Turkish Cypriot ones and the Armenian cemetery in the buffer zone.

For further information please contact the Secretariat of the Cypress Tree Project: 22 874 777

The Cypress Tree Project is an initiative supported by the Bi-communal Development Programme,which is funded by USAID and UNDP and is executed by UNOPS.