On Saturday morning, near the village of Denia, located in the central part of the island, a new incident occurred in the buffer zone under UN control.
At around 10:00 am, a Turkish military vehicle crossed the line dividing the two sides to prevent Greek Cypriots from cultivating their farmland. According to local sources, the Turkish military demanded that farmers leave the area.
UN peacekeepers (UNFICYP) quickly arrived on the scene to prevent the escalation of the conflict. After a brief standoff, both sides withdrew, but the Turkish vehicle soon returned to the buffer zone, forcing UN officials to intervene again. After some time, the situation stabilized and both sides left the area. Sources claim that a similar incident took place in the same area just a few days before the current incident.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letimbiotis said authorities were closely monitoring developments and were treating the incident with due seriousness. He noted that the Turkish occupation army is violating the status of the buffer zone and taking “unacceptable actions aimed at creating new faits accomplis,” which is a direct violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
Letimbiotis emphasized that the Republic of Cyprus intends to act carefully, decisively and in full compliance with international standards, avoiding provocations and escalation of tensions.
According to Cypriot Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis, the department is in constant contact with the UN mission in Cyprus and is taking diplomatic steps to restore farmers’ access to their farmland. He clarified that the ministry has already sent relevant appeals to UNFICYP, referring to the mandate of the peacekeeping mission and the provisions of the UN Security Council resolutions regulating the status of the buffer zone.
The Cypriot Ministry of Defense also confirmed that it is aware of the incident and is closely monitoring the situation, being in constant communication with international structures.
The buffer zone that has divided Cyprus since 1974 was created under UN supervision after a Turkish military invasion following a failed coup attempt to unify the island with Greece. The zone stretches approximately 180 kilometers from the west to the east coast and covers significant agricultural areas, access to which is strictly regulated for farmers in both communities.
Incidents of this nature, although infrequent, indicate growing tension in the buffer zone. In recent months alone, the UN has recorded several cases of Turkish military units and equipment crossing the border. International observers believe that such actions create additional risks for security and stability on the island, especially against the backdrop of stalled negotiations on the Cyprus settlement.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
