The Cyprus police have described as a success their operation before, during and after Friday’s match between a Cypriot football team and a Turkish one, which has been described as a high risk game.
Nicosia Police Department Director Kypros Michaelides has said “the operation for the AEL-Fenerbahce match for the Europa League group stage was successful.”
Speaking to the press today, Michaelides said everything ran smoothly with the exception of some minor incidents, which bore no significance to the game.
He congratulated the policemen who took part in the operation and especially the fans of AEL and the Turkish Cypriot fans of Fenerbahce, who were ferried by buses to the stadium from the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus via one of several checkpoints along the UN-controlled buffer zone.
A total of 420 policemen were deployed at various points in Nicosia, for the whole operation.
AEL is due to play against Fenerbahce on November 8 in Turkey.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Ankara does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and has no diplomatic ties.