Defence Minister highlights Turkish Cypriot breaches in UN meeting

During a meeting with UN officials on Tuesday, Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas raised concerns about recent breaches of the status quo by Turkish Cypriot forces in Cyprus.

Presenting specific evidence, Georgallas highlighted the actions as attempts to challenge the peacekeeping force’s authority in the buffer zone while strategically advancing their forces.

He emphasised that the incidents were a continuation of prior violations, referencing violent attacks by Turkish Cypriot soldiers against peacekeeping force members and facilities in the Pyla area last August. Georgallas conveyed the Republic’s stance, considering these actions as provocative and unwarranted.

The meeting was attended by the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Assistant Secretary-General Catherine Pollard, and the Chief of the Office of Military Affairs Lieutenant General Birmad Diop.

While updating UN officials on Cyprus’s initiative for a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressing readiness to facilitate civilian evacuations from conflict zones, Georgallas reaffirmed the government’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.

The UN officials acknowledged Cyprus’s concerns and expressed gratitude for its support as the host country of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

They reaffirmed the UN’s dedication to fostering conditions conducive to a peaceful resolution in Cyprus. Georgallas also conveyed President Nikos Christodoulides’ gratitude for the UN’s enduring contribution through the peacekeeping force stationed on the island.