Disputed street reopens, closes

Greek and Turkish Cypriot authorities reopened Ledra Street in the divided capital, Nicosia, but were forced to close it for nearly two hours after a dispute over policing the road, a symbol of the island’s partitioning.

The reopening of the street, which was split in 1964, was meant to be a catalyst for peace negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Stefanos Stefanou, spokesman for the Greek Cypriot government, said Turkish Cypriot police illegally patrolled part of the street by entering a U.N.-controlled buffer zone.