After passing the Greeks, travelers continue down a barbed-wire enclosed dirt road to a stand containing a UN officer. You may have to present your passport, which, depending your origin, may draw surprise from the soldier “What are you doing out here?” The checkpoint doesn’t see a lot of traffic, especially from Americans.
From there it’s another 100 meters to the Turkish checkpoint. Walls painted with propaganda here mirror the Greek side in their blatant factionalism “Gratitude to the Motherland. Gratitude to the Turkish Army.” That the signs are written in English betrays an obvious, if clumsy, attempt to convince the international community of their legitimacy. The Turkish administrators at the checkpoint put travelers through paperwork exercises that can last up to half an hour. Those with name (or those whose parents have names) that sound vaguely Greek (Theodore Christopher) may be sent back. Otherwise the fee to pass the Turkish checkpoint is 1 Cypriot pound, you will receive a piece of paper with an official stamp. Passports are not stamped at this point because those with the stamp of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are not allowed back across the Green Line into the south.
