UNFICYP chief calls for calm as occupation forces move tanks into Pyla buffer zone

The head of UNFICYP, Khassim Diagne, has urged calm and restraint in Pyla and called on all parties to respect the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate, as Turkish occupation forces moved tanks inside the buffer zone.

UNFICYP spokesman Aleem Siddique told Philenews that the situation at Pyla was calm on Wednesday morning, with peacekeepers present in the area and monitoring the situation. He said there had been no clashes, “contrary to some media reports”. UN peacekeepers have stepped up patrols and maintain a visible presence on the ground following the observation of unauthorised entry by Turkish Cypriot security personnel into the UN buffer zone, he noted.

Siddique also clarified that Turkish and “TRNC” flags had been planted in an area outside the buffer zone, not inside it as some reports had indicated.

UNFICYP is actively engaging with all relevant parties to restore the status quo ante and prevent actions that could adversely affect calm and stability, he said, reiterating that unauthorised entry, presence or activity in the buffer zone constitutes a violation of the Mission’s mandate and that respect for it is essential for maintaining stability in the area.

The call for calm follows days of escalating tensions. Turkish occupation forces entered the buffer zone initially under the guise of a “police presence,” blocking Republic of Cyprus Veterinary Services from visiting veterinary units in the area and sparking a dispute with UNFICYP. The occupation forces subsequently moved tanks into the UN-controlled buffer zone, planted a “TRNC” flag inside it and triggered the deployment of British Bases forces in response.

UN Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday that UNFICYP had reinforced its presence at Pyla following the detection of “unauthorised entry of Turkish Cypriot security personnel” into the buffer zone, stating that “any unauthorised entry, presence or activity within the buffer zone constitutes a violation of the UN mission’s mandate.” UNFICYP is “in active communication with all parties involved” to restore the previous status, Dujarric said, noting that “maintaining calm and stability along the entire length of the buffer zone remains the highest priority of the peacekeeping operations.”

Republic of Cyprus Presidential Press Office director Viktoras Papadopoulos, speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), described serious violations by the occupation regime and said the government is making demarches both in Cyprus and in New York. He 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 are “in violation of Security Council resolutions, increase tension and undermine the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to resume talks, as well as efforts to build confidence and create conditions for the resumption of negotiations.” Papadopoulos confirmed that the developments will be raised at the next meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.

According to CNA, UN peacekeeping vehicles and occupied north “police” vehicles remain parked along the Green Line. A source cited by CNA said a UN vehicle is positioned near a point where enclosures belonging to Turkish Cypriots are located, with an occupied north “police” vehicle recorded parked very close to the same point on Wednesday morning.

The occupation regime’s “foreign ministry” issued a formal statement disputing the fundamental basis of UNFICYP’s position. Referring to the area by the name Çayhan Düzü, it claimed the zone “lies entirely within the territory and under the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” and described UNFICYP’s characterisation of it as a buffer zone as “unacceptable,” lodging a strong protest. It accused UNFICYP of again demonstrating that it “does not respect the principle of impartiality” and claimed that UNFICYP’s allegations targeting the Turkish Cypriot side “do not contribute to restoring the already eroded credibility of UNFICYP in the eyes of the Turkish Cypriot People.”

The “foreign ministry” also referenced a separate incident, alleging that UNFICYP had failed to clearly identify those responsible for an attack on Turkish Cypriots at a park on the anniversary of the start the EOKA uprising, while adopting what it described as a “defamatory and biased tone” on matters relating to the Turkish Cypriot side. It stated that UNFICYP operates in the occupied north “solely as a gesture of goodwill” and demanded that a Status of Forces Agreement equivalent to that UNFICYP holds with the Republic of Cyprus be established with the occupied north on what it described as “a legal and equal basis.”

The Republic of Cyprus Foreign Ministry has taken charge of managing the situation and is closely monitoring developments on the ground, according to CNA.

Read more:

Pyla buffer zone: How a veterinary dispute has escalated into a sovereignty standoff

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