No tanks, no flags and no military assets entered the buffer zone at Pyla, and there were no clashes with UN peacekeepers, UNFICYP spokesman Aleem Siddique has told Philenews, issuing a clarification in response to earlier reports about alleged tensions near Pyla.
Siddique said vehicles that had been described in some reports as tanks were in fact SUVs positioned outside the buffer zone on the northern ceasefire line. Flags attributed to the Turkish side and the “TRNC” were also outside the buffer zone at all times and were never raised inside it, he noted. The situation is currently calm, he said, with UN peacekeepers continuing to patrol the area to ensure stability. UNFICYP is engaging with all parties to de-escalate tensions.
The clarifications reframe what had been reported as a major escalation at Pyla. According to Phileleftheros, the incident originated in a dispute over access for Republic of Cyprus Veterinary Services officers seeking to carry out foot-and-mouth disease checks at Turkish Cypriot-owned livestock farms in the buffer zone. Occupation forces entered the buffer zone, initially described as a “police presence,” to block those checks, sparking a dispute with UNFICYP. It is that unauthorised entry by Turkish Cypriot security personnel into the buffer zone that UNFICYP has consistently identified as the core violation, and which prompted the mission to reinforce its presence and step up patrols.
UNFICYP head Khassim Diagne has urged calm and restraint and called on all parties to respect the UN mission’s mandate. On Monday, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric stated that “any unauthorised entry, presence or activity within the buffer zone constitutes a violation of the UN mission’s mandate,” adding that UNFICYP is “in active communication with all parties involved” to restore the status quo ante.
The Republic of Cyprus government has described the occupation regime’s actions as serious violations. Presidential Press Office director Viktoras Papadopoulos, speaking to CNA, expressed the government’s “deep concern and disappointment” over the “escalating stance of the occupation forces inside the buffer zone at a critical geopolitical juncture,” saying the actions “increase tension and undermine the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to resume talks.” He confirmed the matter will be raised at the next meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
The Republic of Cyprus Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring developments and has taken charge of managing the situation, according to CNA.
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