PM speaks with Cypriot president, slams attacks against UN peacekeepers
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “strong disapproval” of the attacks against a group of international peacekeepers in Cyprus by Turkish Cypriots trying to build a road that would encroach on a UN-controlled buffer zone during a call with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday.
“I contacted the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodulides and I expressed to him my strong disapproval of the unacceptable attacks by Turkish Cypriots against the members of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus, in the area of Pyla,” Mitsotakis said on the prime minister’s official Twitter account.
“Greece and Cyprus are perfectly coordinated to take the appropriate actions at the international level,” he added.
Επικοινώνησα με τον Πρόεδρο της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας @Christodulides και του εξέφρασα την έντονη αποδοκιμασία μου για τις απαράδεκτες επιθέσεις Τουρκοκύπριων εναντίον των μελών της ειρηνευτικής δύναμης των Ηνωμένων Εθνών στην Κύπρο, στην περιοχή της Πύλας.
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) August 18, 2023
The UN said Friday the attack happened as peacekeepers stood in the way of work crews building a road to connect the village of Arsos in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the divided island with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, just south of the buffer zone and inside the Greek Cypriot south, where the island’s internationally recognized government is seated.
A video seen by the Associated Press showed scores of Turkish Cypriots accosting a much smaller group of Slovak and British UN soldiers trying to hold them back from starting work inside the buffer zone. Some peacekeepers suffered blows to the face as they linked arms to push back the advancing Turkish Cypriots. The UN said three soldiers had to be treated for minor injuries.
The violence constitutes a serious escalation of tensions not seen on the island in years.
[Kathimerini, AP]
