The government of the Republic of Cyprus has denounced the incidents that occurred on Friday morning within the buffer zone in Pyla, where UN peacekeepers were assaulted by the Turkish Cypriot side while obstructing construction activities.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis has said that the government has taken swift diplomatic measures in response and has maintained continuous communication channels with international stakeholders, including the UN, the permanent members of the Security Council, the European Union, the Greek government, and the leadership of the Cyprus peacekeeping force. Their collective goal is to thwart the Turkish side’s intended actions, he noted.
In a formal statement, Letymbiotis expressed the administration’s unequivocal condemnation of the “organised incidents” caused by the Turkish occupation forces. These actions occurred within the buffer zone in the Pyla region and involved an unacceptable attack on British and Slovak members of the UN peacekeeping force (UNFICYP), the statement wrote.
Letymbiotis stressed that the threats posed to the security of UN peacekeepers constitute a grave breach of international law, a stance that aligns with the official press release of the peacekeeping force.
Moreover, according to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) citing sources, Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus and Chief of UNFICYP, has been engaged in direct conversations with both sides in Cyprus, as well as members of the Security Council, to address the situation through constructive dialogue.
On the ground, it has been reported that both UN peacekeepers and personnel from the Turkish Cypriot side remain present within the buffer zone.
The current situation is described as calm and stable.
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Peacekeepers assaulted while trying to block unauthorised construction inside buffer zone
