A Turkish military vehicle entered the United Nations buffer zone near the village of Deneia on Saturday morning to block Greek Cypriot farmers from working their land, leading to a brief standoff.
Photo: in-cyprus.philenews.com
- A Turkish military vehicle entered the United Nations buffer zone near the village of Deneia on Saturday morning to block Greek Cypriot farmers from working their land, leading to a brief standoff.
- The Ministry of Defence is also monitoring the situation closely, indicating the importance of this issue to both local authorities and the international community.
The incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. local time when Greek Cypriot farmers attempted to cultivate their fields within the buffer zone. Reports indicate that a military vehicle from the Turkish forces arrived and ordered the farmers to leave the area.
United Nations peacekeepers (UNFICYP) quickly responded to the scene to help defuse the situation. Following initial tensions, both the farmers and the Turkish vehicle retreated momentarily, but the military vehicle returned shortly after. Eventually, UNFICYP members arrived again, and both the Turkish soldiers and peacekeepers departed the buffer zone after some time.
This incident follows a similar occurrence just four days prior, heightening concerns over the ongoing tensions in the region. Constantinos Letymbiotis, the Government Spokesperson, expressed the government’s serious concern regarding the Turkish military’s actions, describing them as attempts to “dispute the status of the buffer zone” and create new facts on the ground, which he asserted violates international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
Letymbiotis affirmed that the Republic of Cyprus would respond with “calmness, determination, and full commitment to international law.” In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is actively working with UNFICYP to restore access for the farmers. MFA Spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis stated that the ministry is in contact with local authorities and is making necessary representations to the UN force to ensure farmers can return to their land in line with UNFICYP’s mandate and Security Council resolutions.
The Ministry of Defence is also monitoring the situation closely, indicating the importance of this issue to both local authorities and the international community.