The line of Greek Cypriot motorists waiting to cross a checkpoint into breakaway northern Cyprus is much longer than it used to be – a falling Turkish lira means lower petrol prices there.

For many Greek Cypriots, buying goods in the north of the divided Mediterranean island is treason.

Turkish troops invaded in 1974 after a Greek-orchestrated coup to unite the island with Greece, and tens of thousands of soldiers from mainland Turkey are still stationed in its northern third.

The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was unilaterally proclaimed in 1983 and is only recognized by Turkey.

But now more and more people are giving in to the temptation and driving north to get cheaper gas from the Turkish Cypriots.

“My salary is only 700 euros ($680) a month,” said Fanourios Mikhail, a 60-year-old carpenter waiting at an intersection in Nicosia. “By filling up in the north, I save about 200 euros a month.”

The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus – the easternmost member of the European Union – uses the euro.

But Turkish Cypriots use the lira, which has fallen to historic lows this year. And the North also has much lower taxes on fuel.

According to police data collected between January and August this year and compared to 2021, the number of cars driving north through one of the island’s vehicular intersections has more than tripled from 197,230 to 601,749.

Normally, switching between the two sides shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Drivers present their passport or ID card to the police on the Greek Cypriot side and then drive a few tens of meters (yards) to do the same with the Turkish Cypriot police, who will also check that the car has valid insurance for the driver north has.

But in recent months, congestion at checkpoints means that people are now more likely to have to wait half an hour to cross the narrow UN-controlled buffer zone.

“Half of my customers are now Greek Cypriots, who account for half of my sales,” said Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Tel, who runs a gas station about 500 meters from one of the Nicosia border crossings.

A liter of fuel is about 25 percent cheaper in the north than in the south.

“With four kids and a relatively low salary, I just can’t make ends meet,” admitted a 45-year-old Greek Cypriot woman who asked not to be named.

Christodoulos Christodoulou, spokesman for the Association of Petrol Station Owners in the South, put the annual damage at seven million euros.

The rush for cheaper fuel in the north also costs the Republic 80 million euros in lost tax revenue every year, he said.

“We want this illegal activity to stop.”

He accused the government of failing to enforce regulations introduced in 2004 when Cyprus joined the EU to regulate the movement of goods across the Green Line separating the two sides of the island.

This is not a government-recognized limit, but Christodoulou said EU rules from 2004 ban the transfer of fuel from the Turkish-controlled north to the south.

Regular checks at border crossings would be carried out “to reduce illegal fuel transport, protect tax revenues and limit the impact on legitimate fuel suppliers,” government spokesman Marios Pelekanos told AFP.

Cypriot government regulations limit the value of goods transferred by individuals to €260 per day and some products, such as tobacco and alcohol, are subject to strict restrictions.

Christodoulou told reporters that his association has not ruled out contacting Frontex, the EU border regulator, even though the government does not recognize the Green Line as such.