Türkiye condemned the UN over buffer zone incident in Cyprus

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the intervention of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Force in the construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road that resulted in confrontation between peacekeeping forces and Turkish Cypriot police.

The Ministry in a written statement published on Saturday condemned the action of the UN Peacekeeping Force's regarding the incident in the construction of the Pile-Yiğitler road in the buffer zone on Friday.

The statement read as follows: “We find the physical intervention carried out yesterday by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force soldiers in order to prevent improvement of the Pile-Yiğitler road, which is being built in the sovereign territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, unacceptable and strongly condemn it“. 

Pointing out that the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the issue and the justified reaction of the TRNC authorities are fully supported, the statement emphasised that the attitude displayed by the UN regarding the Pile-Yiğitler road, which is a “humanitarian project aiming to facilitate the direct access of TRNC citizens in the village of Pile to their homeland lands, and the subsequent statements of the UN are incompatible with the impartial attitude that the Peacekeeping Force is obliged to put forward on the Island“. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement accused  the UN Peacekeeping Force of playing a major role in the escalation of tension in the context of the road construction project, which started “peacefully” on the one hand, and on the other hand, it presented itself as a victim in the incidents on the field, and the following were recorded: “Essentially, what is expected from the UN Peacekeeping Force is to contribute to the solution of humanitarian needs on the Island.

“Despite this, it is not an attitude that can be explained that the UN has prevented the Turkish Cypriots from meeting their justified humanitarian needs while turning a blind eye to the fait accompli of the SCGA in the Buffer Zone for years. This situation clearly demonstrates that the UN has not fulfilled its basic duties and functions such as approaching the two sides on the island equally and finding solutions to the disputes”. 

The statement went on to say that the UN and the UN Peacekeeping Force should make intensive efforts in the coming period in order not to completely lose the trust of the TRNC authorities and people after the events that took place.

“As a guarantor State, the UN Peacekeeping Force, to avoid actions and discourses that will overshadow the mission it has been carrying out in Cyprus for nearly 60 years, has to treat the two sides in Cyprus equally and to treat the TRNC equally”, the statement concluded.