Lefkoniko / Geçitkale
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Geçitkale Λευκόνοικο Lefkoniko Geçitkale / Lefkonuk |
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| Basic data | |||
| State : |
 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (de facto)
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| District : |
Gazimağusa
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| Geographic coordinates : | 35 ° 16 ′ N , 33 ° 44 ′ E | ||
| Residents : | 1253 (2011) | ||
| Mayor : | Hasan Öztaş | ||
Geçitkale , Greek Λευκόνοικο Lefkoniko , is a small town in the north of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in the Gazimağusa district of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus . Formally, the place belongs to the Famagusta district of the Republic of Cyprus .
geography
Geçitkale is located 24 kilometers west of the port city of Famagusta (Gazimağusa).
population
The small town was inhabited by Cypriot Turks and Cypriot Greeks in 1831 . In 1831 there were 37 Cypriot Turks and 220 Cypriot Greeks. In 1973 there were no more Cypriot Turks living in the village, only 2,116 Cypriot Greeks. After the invasion of Turkish forces in 1974, the Greek residents fled to the south of the island and many Cypriot Turks from the village of the same name in the Larnaka district settled in the small town. In 1978 there were 1232 Cypriot Turks in Geçitkale, 1271 in 1996 and 1309 in 2006. Geçitkale was one of the largest towns in the Gazimağusa district in 2011 with 1253 residents .
Infrastructure
Six kilometers south of the village is named after Gecitkale Airport Gecitkale . This was built in 1974 by the Turkish armed forces and served during the renovation work at Ercan Airport as the civil airport of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but has been closed since 2004.