The Opening of Ledra Street/ Lockmaci Crossing in April 2008: Reactions from Citizens and Shopkeepers

The report assesses the effects of opening the Ledra Street/Lokmaci crossing in Nicosia, which connected residential and commercial areas across the 1974 cease-fire line. Survey data indicates that the opening revitalized the city's traditional commercial centre, benefiting shopkeepers from both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities despite a global economic downturn. While Turkish Cypriots showed higher levels of optimism and more frequent crossings, the findings suggest a mutually beneficial economic relationship that challenges the notion that reunification would be economically damaging to either community.

• The opening of the Ledra Street/Lokmaci crossing revitalized the traditional commercial centre of Nicosia on both sides of the Green Line, suggesting that reunification would not result in negative economic consequences for either community.
• Consumer attitudes toward the opening were generally positive, though Turkish Cypriots were more optimistic than Greek Cypriots. Approximately 90% of Turkish Cypriot users and nearly 60% of Greek Cypriot users regarded the opening as a positive personal development.
• The crossing increased the frequency of visits to the other side for both communities. Among Greek Cypriots, those crossing at least once a month rose from 49% before the opening to 59% after; for Turkish Cypriots, this figure rose from 78% to 96%.
• Motivations for crossing differ by community: Greek Cypriots primarily cross to the north for sightseeing, whereas Turkish Cypriots primarily cross to the south for shopping, business, or work.
• Shopkeepers from both communities generally reported increased revenues and a higher volume of customers following the opening. In the south, restaurants and opticians performed best, while in the north, restaurants, souvenir, and clothing shops saw the most success.
• Turkish Cypriot shopkeepers are more optimistic about the future than Greek Cypriot shopkeepers, and they reported a higher increase in buyout offers for their businesses (16% compared to 6% in the south).

APA

Jacobson, D., Musyck, B., Orphanides, S., & Webster, C. (n.d.). The Opening of Ledra Street/ Lockmaci Crossing in April 2008: Reactions from Citizens and Shopkeepers. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/4dd7a5ab-2515-4101-891d-0650b53ff7d5/Paper 2009-2 The Opening of Ledra Street.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Jacobson, David, Bernard Musyck, Stelios Orphanides, and Craig Webster. The Opening of Ledra Street/ Lockmaci Crossing in April 2008: Reactions from Citizens and Shopkeepers. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/4dd7a5ab-2515-4101-891d-0650b53ff7d5/Paper 2009-2 The Opening of Ledra Street.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jacobson |first1=David |last2=Musyck |first2=Bernard |last3=Orphanides |first3=Stelios |last4=Webster |first4=Craig |title=The Opening of Ledra Street/ Lockmaci Crossing in April 2008: Reactions from Citizens and Shopkeepers |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/4dd7a5ab-2515-4101-891d-0650b53ff7d5/Paper 2009-2 The Opening of Ledra Street.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jacobsonndopening, author = {Jacobson, David and Musyck, Bernard and Orphanides, Stelios and Webster, Craig}, title = {{The Opening of Ledra Street/ Lockmaci Crossing in April 2008: Reactions from Citizens and Shopkeepers}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/4dd7a5ab-2515-4101-891d-0650b53ff7d5/Paper 2009-2 The Opening of Ledra Street.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }