Turkish Cypriots attack UN mission

Turkish Cypriots attacked UN peacekeepers in the buffer zone near the city of Pyla when members of the UN peacekeeping force went there to stop illegal construction work there.

The Turkish Cypriots are trying to annex the buffer zone, which is exactly what its name implies – the territory along the occupied line, on which any construction activity is prohibited, and to set a precedent Fait accompli (fait accompli). Turkish incursions into the “buffer zone” are frequent and often lead to dangerous incidents.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus issued a statement regarding the incident:

“The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) condemns the attacks on UN peacekeepers and the damage to the organization’s vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel this morning. The incident took place in the buffer zone near the city of Pila, when UN peacekeepers prevented unauthorized construction work in the area.

Endangering the safety of UN peacekeepers and damaging UN property is unacceptable and constitutes a serious crime under international law and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”.

UNFICYP calls on the Turkish Cypriot side to respect the mission’s authority in the UN Buffer Zone, to refrain from any action that could further escalate tensions, and to immediately withdraw all personnel and equipment from the UN Buffer Zone. The Mission is following developments closely and remains committed to bringing calm and stability to the region.

Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letibiotis said in a written statement: “The Turkish occupation regime is trying to create new facts in the buffer zone in the Pyla area by planning illegal entry into the area to build a road connecting the occupied village of Arsos with the occupation regime’s illegal military outpost. This is an attempt to seriously disrupt the status quo.

The Cypriot government, in cooperation with the permanent members of the Security Council, the EU and UNFICYP, as well as the Greek government, is making efforts to prevent such Turkish plans. At the highest level, contacts are being made with the international community and Ankara as the addressee, which emphasize the seriousness of the violation, as well as the negative consequences of such an action both for the prospects for resuming negotiations on the Cyprus problem and for Euro-Turkish affairs. The Cypriot government expects the Cypriot peacekeeping force, in accordance with its mandate, to prevent such plans.”

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