“Foreign Minister” Kudret Özersay announced on Saturday a one-week ban on crossing to the occupied areas from ‘south Cyprus’ of UN soldiers and other international entities’ personnel, according to illegal radio station Bayrak.
In the announcement, Ozersay also mentioned a positive case “found a while ago among the personnel of the peace force in Cyprus.”
In a post on social media on Saturday night, Ozersay wrote:
“As you remember, we had reduced crossings into ‘out country’ for ‘TRNC citizens’ as well as those of UNFICYP, ambassadors and other diplomatic missions but we had not suspended them entirely. Given recent developments, we decided to take additional measures in that respect.”
He mentioned that the UN and diplomatic missions in ‘south Cyprus’ informing them that the following applies for one week:
- Entrance to ambassadors and diplomats to the occupied areas is suspended
- Entrance to UN personnel (including soldiers), EU staff and staff of other international organisations is suspended, “but crossings from UN soldiers ‘in our country’ to to the south will be possible”
- Transfer of help and medical equipment “from the south to Greek-Cypriots and Maronites ‘in our country’ will not be interfered with, but the transfer will be made by us under the supervision of a UN representative”
- Crossings pertinent to combating the coronavirus pandemic will be allowed after they are made known and “under the condition that permission will be obtained first from the ‘foreign ministry’ and the ‘deputy prime minister’ .”
